Kotsiras 1
Maria Kotsiras
APUSH Period 3
Teddy Bear Project
Chapter 13
Chapter 13: An Age of Expansionism
By the year 1860, industry and immigration expansion created a working class of men
and women. These men and women took part in low-paid wage labor that contradicted
Americans view as a land of opportunity. Internal and external expansion in America had come
at a heavy cost. Class tensions and ethnic rivalries began to take once rapid economic
development began. The “Young America” wing of the Democratic party fought to prevent
sectional controversy over politically diverse territories. Young Americans favored enlarging the
national market by expanding. They called for an annexation of Texas, claim to all of Oregon,
and wanted to claim new territories from Mexico. The motivation to move West was because of
economic opportunity, material gain, adventure, and in some cases religious freedom. The leader
of “Young America” was Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois. Douglas sought political power for
himself and for his party. Douglas combined expansionist foreign policy with, economic
development within currently acquired territories. Douglas claimed he sought to neutralize
slavery through compromise, when his program was questioned upon it. The Young America
program could not withstand the tensions and division of expansionist policies created. Although
Young America was not a complete success aAmerica expanded greatly during this time period.
A definite northeastern border with Canada was created, Texas was annexed, the mormons
established themselves in Salt Lake City, Utah, and America defeated Mexico in war gaining
California, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona with parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The
railroad industry began to boom and America also internally expanded.
Kotsiras 2
KEY TERMS
1. Webster - Ashburton Treaty
2. Oregon Trail
3. Mormon Trek
4. Manifest Destiny
5. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
6. Ranchos
7. Battle of San Jacinto River
8. Mexican - American War
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Lead to war with Mexico
Rich in oil and
agriculture
Claimed the Rio Grande
as boundry between the
U.S. and Mexico
Adding the largest state by
area at the time
Kotsiras 3
DOCUMENT BASED QUESTION
America expanded greatly from the period 1800 to 1850. Analyze how expansion shaped federal
government policy during this period both internally and externally.
DOCUMENT A
DOCUMENT B
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DOCUMENT C
DOCUMENT D
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MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Victory at Buena Vista during the Mexican-American war caused which American to become
a national hero
a. Sam Huston
b. Zachary Taylor
c. Elias Howe
d. Stephen Kearny
e. John C. Femont
2. During the 1930’s women and children
a. Worked in factories
b. Worked mostly on railroads
c. Were welcomed to schooling
d. Worked in textiles
e. Were payed high wages
3. The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
a. Were sent to Salt Lake City by Brighman Young
b. Established themselves in what is currently Arizona
c. Were anarchists against the federal government
d. Accepted the teachings of John L. O’ Sullivan
e. Left their former settlements in Illinois because of bankruptcy
4.
From 1840 to 1860 most immigrants in America came from
a. Iceland and the Netherlands
b. Poland and Czechoslovakia
c. Ireland and Germany
d. Italy and Greece
e. South America
5.
Rapid growth on the Pacific Coast resulted from
a. Samuel B. Morse invention of the electric telegraph
b. The invention of the steam locomotive
c. The creation of the Oregon Trail
d. A wave of Irish immigrants
e. Gold discovered in California in 1848
6.
During the 1844 election the main issue was
a. The railroad industry
b. Annexation of Texas
c. Boundary dispute between the U.S. And Canada
d. Immigration
e. Trade with Great Britain
Kotsiras 6
ANSWER KEY
KEY TERMS:
1. Webster - Ashburton Treaty: Settles the boundary dispute of New Brunswick and area
between Maine and Canada. Gave half of the territory to the U.S. And created a definite
northeastern boarder with Canada.
2. Oregon Trail: The first great overland route. Migrants on conestoga wagons went to the west
coast. The route extended across the Great Plains to the Rockies towards California, taking
about six months to complete.
3. Mormon Trek: Brighman Young sends mormons to Salt Lake City after Joseph Smith’s death
as an attempt to resist the federal government. They established themselves on illegal
Mexican soil of what is now Utah.
4. Manifest Destiny: A term term that refers to a doctrine that claims the U.S. Must expand until
it has absorbed all of North America along with Canadian and Mexico and that God supports
American expansion.
5. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Nicholas P. Trist negotiates a treaty to end the war with
Mexico. The treaty gave New Mexico and California to the U.S. For $15 million. The Rio
Grande become the border of Texas and Mexico. The U.S. Government would also assume
claims of U.S. Citizens against Mexico.
6. Ranchos: Were Mexicans who owned a large amount of land in California.
7. Battle of San Jacinto River: In 1836 Samuel Huston assaults Santa Anna’s troops at San
Jacinto River during Siesta Hour. Santa Anna was captured and signed independence to
Texas and claim to the Rio Grande.
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8. Mexican - American War: Conflict between the U.S. and Mexico when Mexico rejected
Texas claim to unsettled territory between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande. The U.S.
wins the war and gains new territories from Mexico with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
DBQ:
Question: America expanded greatly from the period 1800 to 1850. Analyze how expansion
shaped federal government policy during this period both internally and externally.
Example Response:
As America continued to expand in the nineteenth century the federal government
attempted straighten its power over foreign and internally affairs. America believed in a doctrine
of Manifest destiny that stated the U.S. Was destined to expands its territories to lands such as
Mexico. (Doc A) This is why America began to make attempts in annexing texas after 1836.
Texans were opposed to accepting catholicism and wanted slaves in their territories. This caused
a series of battles with Mexico till Texas was Annexed to the United States after Sam Huston
defeated Santa Anna’s troops at San Jacinto. (Doc B) The federal government attempted to
asserts its powers militarily to expand. The U.S. Also expanded internally farther west. This
became possible when overland trails such as the Oregon Trails were crossing America to the
West Coast on six month journeys. (Doc C) The government encouraged expansions westward.
There was also a spur in the iron industry due to the development of railroads in the 1830’s.
Railroads went all the way from Charleston, SC to Baltimore, MD and Ohio. This caused a rapid
growth in the west especially in California after the discovery of Gold (Doc D). The federal
government began to fund major railroad projects to encourage expansion westward. From 1800
to 1850 the federal governments power strengthened due to, America expanding internally and
externally because of its attempts at a more modern world.
Kotsiras 8
•
Represents well-constructed thesis that analyzes the influence of both of U.S. territorial
expansion in shaping federal government policy between 1800 and 1850.
•
Employs a substantial number of documents to analyze the influence of of U.S. territorial
expansion in shaping federal government policy between 1800 and 1855.
MULTIPLE CHOICE:
1. B - Zachary Taylor
2. D - Worked in Textiles
3. A - Were sent to Salt Lake City by Brighman Young
4. C - Ireland and Germany
5. E - Gold discovered in California in 1848
6. B - Annexation of Texas