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CHAPTER 13
Western Expansion, 1830–1848
This chapter covers the period 1830–1848, while focusing on the movement of Americans west and the
Mexican-American War. This chapter begins by discussing the motives and routes for westward
movement; the resultant interaction with the people there, such as the Plains Indians and the Spaniards;
and what life was like in the West. The chapter then discusses the history of Texas and its eventual break
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. Moving West
A. The Western Frontier
B. Plains Indians
C. Mexico and the Spanish West
D. The Overland Trails
E. The Great Migration
F. Life on the Trail
G. Women Pioneers
S. Whigs and Democrats
T. John Tyler
U. Tensions with Britain
V. The “Extension of our Empire”: Texas
W. A Tragic Cruise
II. The Mexican-American War
A. Opposition to the War
B. Preparing for Battle
C. The Annexation of California
LECTURE IDEAS
1. A good overview of the idea of manifest destiny is a must. Suggested sources include:
• Frederick Merk and Lois Bannister Merk’s Manifest Destiny and Mission in American History
(1963)
2. A lecture on James K. Polk presents an opportunity to consider how presidential effectiveness is
evaluated. A presentation of Polk’s administration’s achievements could lead to the conclusion that he
3. Why does the Battle of the Alamo continue to be such a source of fascination and contention after
more than 170 years? Use the relevant section in Randolph Campbell’s Gone to Texas (2003), James
4. During the Mexican-American War, a group of Irish soldiers deserted the U.S. Army and joined the
Mexicans. A lecture on the so-called San Patricios or St. Patrick’s Battalion would be an excellent
5. Because of its influence in future centuries and ongoing relevance, consider a lecture exploring Henry
David Thoreau’s choice to protest the war by spending a night in jail rather than paying taxes.
6. War has profound and widely varying effects on the soldiers who fight it. A lecture that explores these
effects and how they intersected with attitudes about race, nationalism, and American expansion can
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
1. Ask your students to research a Native American group and describe its culture and beliefs in the
early nineteenth century. For example, they might choose from the plains Indians such as the Crow,
Blackfeet, Cheyenne, Comanche, and Arapaho or the southwest groups such as the Hopi, Zuni, Yumi,
2. Divide the class into two groups and research the origins, key turning points, and results of the Mexican-
American War. One group should take the Mexican perspective and the other group, the American. See
3. Many paintings from the nineteenth century are reflective of the “manifest destiny” ideal. Two of the
most memorable are John Gast’s American Progress (1872) and France Flora Palmer’s Across the
Continent (1868). Put together a collection of these images to present to your class. One possible
website to look at is www.csub.edu/~gsantos/cat16.html; a web search for “manifest destiny
paintings” will also yield many results. Ask your students to analyze the various images. What
4. Ask your class to read the “Texas Declaration of Independence” (1836) and James Polk’s war message
to Congress requesting a declaration of war on Mexico (1846). Both documents can be accessed at
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/two/. Ask the class to consider how
accurately these two documents represent the situations they purport to describe and what
exaggerations they contained. Would the general population have understood the exaggerations? How
consequential were any misrepresentations when it came to the decisions being made?
5. Divide students into three groups and assign them one of the following regions: Oregon, Texas, or
California. Have students research reasons people wanted to emigrate to those areas, the conditions
6. Ask your students to research how the migration westward changed life for women. Although
traditional gender roles were still important, how were women’s roles in the family changing? What
would this mean for their position and status in society? Have one group compare the role of women
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Is “manifest destiny” a quasi-religious ideology? Is it a racist ideology? Both? Neither? Why or why
not?
2. How did U.S. domestic politics influence American foreign relations with Mexico and Britain in the
1840s?
3. What was the most significant long-term factor that contributed to the origins of the Mexican-
American War?
PRACTICING CITIZENSHIP
This chapter closes with Ulysses S. Grant calling the Mexican War “one of the most unjust ever waged.” Do
some further research on why Grant felt this way and yet served in the same conflict. His memoirs are an
excellent starting point to begin finding this information. Consult any recent biography of Abraham Lincoln
to learn more about Lincoln’s own antiwar stance. Talk with at least three classmates about what makes a
