Social Studies Concept Sheet
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U.S. HISTORY 8.8: MANIFEST DESTINY – MOVING WEST
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Election of 1824 Known as the “Corrupt Bargain,” this election was stolen by a deal between candidate John Quincy Adams and
Speaker of the House, Henry Clay, who worked out a tie-breaking vote from Congress in favor of Adams instead of Andrew
Jackson. Jackson had a plurality of electoral votes and the popular vote, but not enough for a majority under the 12 th Amendment.
Election of 1828 Andrew Jackson won this election by a landslide for many reasons: one, the corrupt nature of the previous election;
two, Adam’s vice president switched parties to run with Jackson; three, new campaigning styles, using slogans, rallies, buttons and
mudslinging; four, average citizens connected more with Jackson as a self-made man.
Mudslinging This campaign strategy became widely used during the Election of 1828, as candidates tried to ruin each other’s
reputation by spreading rumors and lies about the other, such as insulting cartoons of Jackson attacking civilians and rumors of
Adam’s selling a girl to the ruler of Russia.
Spoils System “To the victor belong the spoils!” This practice of replacing government employees with the winning candidate’s
supporters began with Jackson, as he said that a new set of federal employees would be good for democracy.
Tariff of Abominations This is the term the south used for the tariff that Congress placed on imported manufactured goods from
England in 1828, in order to make American made goods cheaper and more desirable in the States. This angered the South because
they did not manufacture goods; it only resulted in fewer choices for southern purchasers.
Nullification This term has been used by states, when they feel a federal law is against state interests, and they individually vote to
cancel, or nullify, the law. Vice President John C. Calhoun and other southerners used the threat of secession, or
breaking away from the union, as they passed their own Nullification Act to defeat the “Tariff of Abominations.”
Secession This idea came up every time a state felt its rights or interests were being challenged by a federal law. It was an especially
prevalent threat from southern states when laws were made about taxes, tariffs, and anti-slavery, which did not benefit the South.
Indian Removal Ignoring a Supreme Court decision that protected Native American claims to the South, President Andrew Jackson
used his military command to do this, winning the popularity of whites who wanted native gold deposits and farm land.
National Bank Due to his contempt for rich private bankers, Jackson ignored another Supreme Court decision and removed all federal
funds from this, which led to the Panic of 1837 and an economic depression of dropping land values, investments and bank failures.
Manifest Destiny This idea was defined best by newspaper editor, John O’Sullivan, as he declared that the United States was clearly
destined [by God] to extend its boundaries all the way to the Pacific Ocean.
Oregon Trail This 2,000-mile journey, traversed by 5,000 American settlers in prairie schooners (covered wagons) from the
Mississippi River Valley to the Willamette Valley south of the Columbia River, forced the question of ownership of this territory as
the British population remained at 700.
Treaty of 1846 Newly elected Democratic President James K. Polk ran on the slogan “Fifty-four Forty or Fight,” which was a call for
making a United States Oregon border at the 54.40 parallel. Britain permanently settled for a border at the 49 th parallel in this treaty.
Stephen F. Austin Receiving a Spanish land grant for recruiting 300 American families to settle in Texas, this empresario later
became a proponent and leader for Texas independence from the new nation of Mexico.
Davy Crockett Tennessee representative to Congress for three terms, this famous hunter/story teller was lured to Texas by the
opportunity for free land and aided the Texans in San Antonio, as they attempted to claim independence at the Alamo.
Alamo This mission became the starting point for Texas Independence, as Texas settlers pushed Mexican troops out of San Antonio.
General Lopez de Santa Ana personally led the fight against the rebels, killing all in the Alamo including Davy Crockett.
General Lopez de Santa Ana After claiming dictatorship of Mexico, this former general and president personally led the fight against
Texan Independence, killing every man at the Alamo and angering Americans into all out war.
Texas Declaration of Independence During the siege on the Alamo, this was declared by Texan leaders, American settlers and tejanos,
as they drew-up a new constitution at Washington-on-the-Brazos to establish the Republic of Texas.
Sam Houston Nominated commander in chief of the Texas forces, this previous governor of Tennessee captures General Lopez de
Santa Ana in the Battle of San Jacinto, forcing Santa Ana to sign the Treaty of 1836 giving Texas independence.
Lone Star Republic Texas became known as this, after Houston is elected president of Texas and U.S. President Andrew Jackson
refuses his request to be annexed into the United States. Jackson did not want to upset the balance of slave and free states.
The Whigs This political party, made up of former National Republicans (Federalists), formed in opposition to Jackson Democrats,
finally winning a presidential election with military hero William Henry Harrison and running mate John Tyler, “Tippecanoe and
Tyler too!” Harrison died of pneumonia four weeks after inauguration, and Tyler served only one term, failing to annex Texas.
James K. Polk This Southern Democrat won the 1844 presidential election on the wave of growing support for Manifest Destiny and
the call to annex Texas and the Oregon Territory. He began by signing the 1845 annexation bill that officially made Texas a state.
California Missions Originally used as a Spanish plan to colonize California, the Mexican government abolished this system in 1833,
giving some lands to Native Americans and selling the rest as huge properties to Mexican settlers, called rancheros.
Nueces River This disputed border river became the tool of a determined President Polk to conquer the California and New Mexico
Territories, guaranteeing clear passage for Americans to the Pacific. Due to Mexico’s refusal to honor Santa Ana’s surrender and
forfeit of Texas, a fight was easily provoked by Polk to get Congress to declare war on Mexico.
Bear Flag Republic After taking Santa Fe without of shot, General Stephen Watts Kearny continued across the deserts to this coastal
Mexican state, nicknamed this, after the bear on the flag of the Americans who captured Sonoma, north of San Francisco. Kearny
arrived just in time to quell the last uprising of Californios in San Diego in 1847.
Treaty of Quadalupe Hidalgo After General Winfield Scott defeated Mexican forces and took Mexico City, this treaty gave up all
claims to Texas at the Rio Grande and ceded California and New Mexico to the United States. The U.S. paid $15 million.
Gadsden Purchase In 1853, the United States finished its mainland territorial expansion with this $10 million purchase to build the
Southern Pacific Railroad. The deal with Santa Ana almost included Baja California plus a few more Mexican states for
$38 million, but he wanted to sell the least land for the most money in order to pay for more defenses against the U.S.
John Sutter In 1848, James Marshal found gold in the South Fork of the American River in California, while building a new sawmill
for this land owner. The secret soon got out, and by the end of 1848 they had taken $6 million out of the river.
Forty-niners This term was given to the nearly 100,000 gold-hungry people who came to California in 1848-1849 from all over
America, Mexico, South America, Europe, Australia, and China.
Land Law of 1851 Due to the frenzy of land claims in California, this law set up a group of officials to review land ownership rights,
requiring Californios to prove their claims to land with official documents. Those with no proof lost their land to prospectors.
Boomtowns This term was used for newly built communities in California during the gold rush. One miner reported on the Yuba River
where two houses previously stood that he returned after a year to find a town of 1,000 people “with a large number of hotels,
stores, groceries, bakeries, and…gambling houses.”
Vigilantes Because boomtowns and the countryside were generally lawless with no police, prisons, or courts, these concerned citizens
formed committees, taking the law into their own hands to exercise the power of police, judge, jury, and sometimes executioner.
The Bidwells From this California settler couple, John first made a large fortune after befriending John Sutter and later turned to large
agriculture endeavors like Bermuda grass and the casaba melon. Annie pursued the education of Native Americans living around
their mansion, as well as women’s suffrage in California after meeting Susan B. Anthony.
Laura Ingalls Wilder This author of the Little House series wrote from her real life experiences as a child growing up on the plains of
South Dakota in what was then Indian Territory. One account says how she did not enjoy being a teacher, her first job at 16yrs. old.
Wyoming Territory This territory led the nation in giving women the right to vote, first in 1869 as a territory and then as a state in 1890.
Vaqueros These Mexican cattle wranglers taught early western settlers how to raise and manage large herds of cattle from horseback.
The open ranges of Texas provided grazing land and wild cattle, requiring ranchers to use branding and establishing the cattle drive.
Homestead Act In 1862 Congress passed this act, giving 160 free acres of land to any settler who paid a filing fee, built a house, and
farmed the land for five years. Immigrants and women used this law to acquire land, which had previously been almost impossible.
Buffalo Soldiers These African American soldiers, who served in the West after the Civil War monitoring and controlling Native
American uprisings for the United States military, found opportunities such as the Homestead Act to own and settle property.
Exodusters In the late 1870’s, these African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas named themselves after the biblical
stories of the Exodus, which describes the Jews’ escape from slavery in Egypt.
Buffalo Bill This nickname was given to William Cody, hired by the Kansas Pacific Railroad to slaughter as many buffalo as possible
to feed railroad workers, prevent herds from destroying railroad tracks, and deprive natives of their traditional food source.
Little Big Horn As reservation policy was being established by the 1867 Indian Peace Commission, the Sioux and Cheyenne resisted
long enough at this famous location in Montana, killing an overconfident Colonel George Custer and all of his command of 250
soldiers. The Native uprising was soon crushed and the survivors were moved to a reservation in South Dakota.
Wounded Knee This bloody battle marked the end of armed conflict between whites and Native Americans, as military officials
attempted to arrest Sitting Bull for allegedly being the leader of the Ghost Dance movement to regain their former greatness. When
peacefully gathered at this creek, a shot was fired ending in the death of 200 Sioux and 25 soldiers.
Geronimo This Apache leader from the New Mexico and Arizona region became the last Native American to formally surrender to the
United States after using the Mexican border to evade troops and stage raids against settlers in the 1880’s.