Term/Source Definition/Summary Historical Analysis
John Jacob Astor American fur trader and Effect: Astor’s fur
businessman who founded trading operations
the American Fur helped create a
Company and became the tangible American
first U.S. multi-millionaire economic presence in
through the fur trade and the Pacific Northwest.
New York real estate. This presence was later
used to strengthen U.S.
claims to the region
during boundary
negotiations with Great
Britain.
John Tyler 10th U.S. President who Contrast: Tyler's
became president after presidency was very
William Henry Harrison different to the ideas of
died in 1841. He was a the Whig Party that
Whig but his policies often elected him. A former
clashed with his party. Democrat, he said “no”
to Whig-sponsored bills
to create a new
national bank, leading
his entire cabinet
(except Secretary of
State Daniel Webster)
to resign. He was
basically a president
without a party.
James K. Polk 11th U.S. President (1845– Effect: Polk's
1849). A "dark horse" aggressive expansionist
Democratic candidate and philosophy helped
firm believer in Manifest dramatically expanding
Destiny. U.S. borders. In a single
term, he took Texas
and a bunch of Mexican
land through the
Mexican-American war
while also settling the
Oregon boundary.
Zachary Taylor 12th U.S. President (1849– Cause: Taylor's
1850). A Whig and a election was a direct
career military officer who result of his status as a
rose to national fame as a popular war hero. The
hero ("Old Rough and Whig Party nominated
Ready") in the Mexican- him because he was a
American War. "man of the people"
with no political record,
believing he could win
(like William Henry
Harrison) based on
fame rather than a firm
stance on divisive
issues like slavery.
John O’Sullivan American columnist and Effect: O'Sullivan's
editor who coined the biggest “achievement”
term "Manifest Destiny" in was coining this phrase.
1845 to promote the By writing that it was
annexation of Texas and America's "manifest
the U.S. expansion destiny to overspread
westward. the continent allotted
by Providence," he
provided a God-given
justification (wasn’t
really God-given) for
the expansionist
policies of the 1840s.
Manifest Destiny The 19th-century belief Cause: This belief was
that the United States was caused by a fat mixture
divinely ordained to of American
expand westward across nationalism, Anglo-
the North American Saxon racial superiority,
continent (from the a desire for new
Atlantic to the Pacific agricultural lands, and a
Ocean). sense of an American
"mission." It provided a
popular ideological
justification for policies
like the annexation of
Texas.
Sam Houston American soldier and Effect: Houston's
politician who led the military victory at San
Texas army to victory at Jacinto was the biggest
the Battle of San Jacinto factor in Texas gaining
which ultimately secured independence. His
Texas's independence subsequent political
from Mexico. He served as leadership as president
the first president of the of the Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas. was very important in
navigating the new
nation toward its
primary goal: eventual
annexation by the
United States.
Kanagawa Treaty 1854 treaty between the Cause: This treaty was
U.S. and Japan. It was caused by Perry's
negotiated by Commodore "gunboat diplomacy."
Matthew Perry and ended By sailing a fleet of
Japan's 200-year period of heavily armed, steam-
isolation by opening two powered warships
ports to American trade. ("Black Ships") into
Tokyo Bay, Perry
intimidated the
Japanese Shogunate
into signing the treaty
and opening its borders
to the West.
John C. Fremont American military officer, Effect: Frémont's
explorer ("the mapping expeditions
Pathfinder"), and the first- and widely published
ever Republican candidate reports on the West
for President in 1856. were literally awe-
inspiring. As "the
Pathfinder" he
encouraged thousands
of Americans to migrate
west and played a big
role in the success of
the Bear Flag Revolt
that helped secure
California for the U.S.
during the Mexican-
American War.
Winfield Scott U.S. Army general who Continuity: Scott's
served for nearly 50 career represents a
years. He was a hero of continuity of American
the Mexican-American military leadership. He
War and the commanding was a distinguished
general of the Union Army general in the War of
at the start of the Civil 1812, the chief U.S.
War (proposing the field commander in the
"Anaconda Plan"). Mexican-American War
(1847), and still the
nation's top general at
the start of the Civil
War (1861).
Wilmot Proviso 1846 proposal that would Effect: Although the
have banned slavery in all proviso never became
territory acquired from law, its effect was to
Mexico as a result of the light a big fire on the
Mexican-American War. It debate over slavery's
repeatedly passed the expansion. It shattered
House but failed in the national party unity as
Senate. congressmen voted
along sectional (North
vs. South) rather than
party (Whig vs.
Democrat) lines for the
first time. This in turn
exposed the deep
divide within the U.S
that would lead to the
Civil War.
William Seward A leading anti-slavery Change: Seward's
Whig and Republican 1850 "Higher Law"
politician from New York. speech was a nuclear
He served as Secretary of bombshell change in
State under Lincoln and anti-slavery rhetoric. By
Johnson and was known arguing that a moral
for his "Higher Law" law above the
speech. Constitution
condemned slavery, he
helped change the
Northern anti-slavery
argument from a
political/legal debate to
a moral and religious
crusade.
Aroostook War A non-violent Effect: This "war,"
confrontation in 1838– which involved no
1839 between the U.S. actual fighting, forced a
(Maine) and Great Britain diplomatic solution to
(Canada) over the the border dispute. It
disputed boundary of demonstrated that
northern Maine tensions were high
enough to require a
formal treaty, leading
directly to the Webster-
Ashburton Treaty of
1842, which settled the
boundary.
Treaty of Wanghia 1844 treaty between the Comparison: This
U.S. and China. It gave the treaty can be directly
U.S. the same trading compared to the British
privileges ("most favored treaties that ended the
nation" status) as Great Opium War. The U.S.
Britain and established looked at the Britain
the principle of gain commercial access
extraterritoriality. to China and sought the
same status,
demonstrating an
American foreign policy
driven by a desire to
match European
economic imperialism.
Commodore Matthew U.S. Navy Commodore Effect: Perry's
Perry who commanded the expedition ended 200
"Black Ships" that forced years of Japanese
Japan to open to the West isolation (Sakoku). This
in 1853-1854, leading to forced opening was the
the Kanagawa Treaty. direct cause of the
Treaty of Kanagawa
and triggered the rapid
modernization of Japan
during the Meiji
Restoration (because
Japan wanted to be like
those big successful
western powers).