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29. Manifest Destiny

Texas, Oregon, the war with Mexico, and the gold that pulled a hundred thousand people to California.

29. Manifest Destiny

Library of CongressIn the 1850s trains were leaving Washington for the West twice daily. Expansion westward seemed perfectly natural to many Americans in the m…

29a. The Lone Star Republic

Chamber of Commerce, Huntsville, TXSam Houston, President of the Republic of Texas At the time Spain granted independence to Mexico in 1821, the land now compr…

29b. 54° 40' or Fight

The WestMap showing the Oregon Trail, Oregon Country, and northern Mexico The southern boundary of the United States with Mexico was not the only western terri…

29c. "American Blood on American Soil"

White HousePresident James K. Polk was not favored to win his party's nomination to the presidency, but his expansionist views were favored by the American peo…

29d. The Mexican-American War

General Winfield Scott's entrance into Mexico City, September 14, 1847, is depicted in this print by Carl Nebel When war broke out against Mexico in May 1846…

29e. Gold in California

Library of CongressThe gold in California was free to anyone who found it, but most miners weren't as successful as James Marshall. While some made thousands o…