Chapter 12 - Immigration, Westward Expansion, and the Mexican War, 1825-1848 Flashcards Preview

U.S. History I Exam #3 > Chapter 12 - Immigration, Westward Expansion, and the Mexican War, 1825-1848 > Flashcards

Flashcards in Chapter 12 - Immigration, Westward Expansion, and the Mexican War, 1825-1848 Deck (109)
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1
Q

What was the popsulation growth rate between 1800-1860?

A

It doubled every twenty-three years.

2
Q

Why was the population growth rate in the United States so high?

A

1) High Birth Rates
2) Low Mortality Rates
3) Long Life Expectancies

3
Q

Why was the population growth rate especially large after the 1840s?

A

European Immigration.

4
Q

How much of the population of free white males did European immigrants comprise in 1860?

A

25%.

5
Q

What were the factors that led to high amounts of European Immigration into the United States?

A

1) Economic Distress
2) Political Pressure
3) A Shortage of Land
4) Cheap Land in the United States
5) Low taxes.
6) No Draft
7) No censorship
8) No legalized class distinctions
9) A plethora of jobs within the Untied States
10) Cheap Passage to America

6
Q

How did the United States keep the price of land low?

A

By lowering the price of land per-acre and requiring lower amounts of land in a purchase.

7
Q

How much cheaper was it for the Untied States to operate their government than Britain?

A

One-tenth of the British Cost.

8
Q

Where were most European Immigrants Coming From?

A

Ireland.

9
Q

What was one of the main causes of immigrants coming from Ireland?

A

The Potato Famine.

10
Q

How much of Ireland’s population moved from Ireland from 1800-1860?

A

1/3

11
Q

How much wealth did most Irish immigrants posses?

A

Most were poor.

12
Q

Where did most Irish immigrants reside?

A

In or near the port cities where they landed.

13
Q

What jobs did Irish immigrants take?

A

Low paying and back breaking menial jobs.

14
Q

Were Irish Immigrants treated better than slaves?

A

Worse. Slaves probably had better diets, living conditions, and medical care.

15
Q

What three things did the Irish do that nurtured anti-Irish sentiment in the United States?

A

1) Frequenting Taverns
2) Enjoying Alcoholic Beverages
3) Bare Knuckle Brawling
4) Gambling
5) The Roman Catholic Church

16
Q

What was the American stereo type of the Irish?

A

As constantly getting into drunk bar room fights.

17
Q

What were the large wagons police officers used to take street fighters to jail?

A

Paddy wagons

18
Q

Why did Americans think Catholics could not be loyal citizens?

A

Because Catholics swore their first allegiance to the pope and not the United States,

19
Q

Why did a riot occur in Massachusetts in 1834 against Catholics?

A

Cause there was a rumor that a Protestant girl was being detained against her will in a Catholic convent.

20
Q

How long did an anti-catholic riot in Pennsylvania in 1844 last?

A

Two months.

21
Q

What party was fueled by rising anti-Catholic sentiment in the years before 1800?

A

The Know-Nothing Party.

22
Q

What was another name for the Know-Nothing Party?

A

The American Party.

23
Q

How did the Know-Nothings acquire their name?

A

By being a quasi-secretive society that responded to questions about their activities with the phrase “I know nothing”

24
Q

What was the Know-Nothings national platform?

A

1) Not Foreign Born Voters Or Office Holders

2) A Twenty-One Year Residency Requirement for Citizenship

25
Q

What policy did Anti-Catholic sentiment endorse in regards to education?

A

The Public School System of Horace Mann

26
Q

What was the purpose of the public school system?

A

To at least somewhat Protestantize Catholic Children

27
Q

How did Catholic immigrants respond to the Mann schools in the long run?

A

Donated money to fund their own catholic patriarchal schools.

28
Q

Describe Mann Schools structure.

A

1) Seven Moth Long School Year

2) Only Went Up To Eight Grade

29
Q

In what region were the Mann School reforms most successful?

A

The North Rather Than the South.

30
Q

Who was the second largest immigrant group in the United States?

A

Germany.

31
Q

What kind of reception did German immigrants receive in the United States?

A

A positive one.

32
Q

Why did German immigrants receive such good treatment?

A

1) Highly Educated and Trained
2) Middle Class
3) Protestants
4) Sought Assimilation

33
Q

What cultural practice brought by German immigrants remains?

A

The Celebration of Christmas and the use of Christmas Trees, the Kindergarten, and the athletic gymnasium.

34
Q

What three foreign authors record their experiences in the United States?

A

1) Charles Dickens
2) Frances Trollope
3) Alexis De Tocqueville

35
Q

What was the title of the work of De Tocqueville?

A

Democracy in America.

36
Q

What impressed De Tocqueville about America?

A

The equality among the people and the void of classes and privilege.

37
Q

How did De Tocqueville view American Christianity?

A

With awe since it was the opposite of how religion was in France. Religion was a crucial element of people’s lives and led to freedom and justice.

38
Q

Why were Americans constantly moving west?

A

Because of the population explosion in the East and the lack of land in that direction.

39
Q

How much movement existed in the 1850s westward?

A

1/4 of the population of New England had re-located to other states.

40
Q

Where were American settlers in 1830?

A

Only as far west as Texas, Arkansas, Illinois and Missouri.

41
Q

How far were American settlers in 1850?

A

The Great American Desert, Oregon Trail, Santa Fe Trail, and the California Trail

42
Q

What areas did U.S. settlers go and settle even though the land was not technically theirs?

A

Oregon, California, Texas.

43
Q

How did the United States justify their westward expansion?

A

Manifest Destiny.

44
Q

What is Manifest Destiny?

A

The notion that not only would America go west put that it should go West and expand throughout the entire American continent.

45
Q

Why did Americans rejoice in moving westward?

A

1) They though they were fulfilling the will of God.
2) They thought they were bringing freedom to backwards people and oppressed people like the Mexicans and Native Americans.
3) Higher Population required an Outlet.

46
Q

Into what three areas did Manifest Destiny involve expansion into?

A

1) Texas
2) California
3) The Oregon Territory

47
Q

Which President would guide his policies by Manifest Destiny?

A

James K. Polk.

48
Q

When did Texas welcome American settlers?

A

1820.

49
Q

How did American settlers offend the Mexican government?

A

1) By ignoring the outlaw of slavery in Texas
2) Were Protestants in a Roman Catholic Nation
3) Spoke English and Not Spanish

50
Q

Who attempted to subdue the area of Texas by limiting its freedom of self government?

A

Santa Anna.

51
Q

Who won the war between Mexico and Texas?

A

Texas.

52
Q

Did the Mexican government honor the treaty made by Santa Anna?

A

No.

53
Q

What was the actual state of Texas?

A

Since Mexico could not enforce their dominion, Texas was for all intents and purposes an independent state

54
Q

What did Texas do after gaining its quasi-independence?

A

Petitioned the United States for Statehood.

55
Q

How long was Texas an independent state?

A

1836-1845.

56
Q

How many settlers lived in the Oregon valley by 1845?

A

About 6,000 or so.

57
Q

What was the state of U.S. immigration to the Oregon territories?

A

Large. Over 1,000 people took the Oregon trail in one year.

58
Q

What was the size of the land in contention between the United States and Britain?

A

The size of Germany, France, and Hungary combined.

59
Q

Where was the actual boundary line of the territory?

A

The Columbia River

60
Q

Where did Americans want the boundary line to be?

A

At the 54-40 line.

61
Q

How did James K. Polk hope to get the concession?

A

By bluffing as if he were willing to go to war with Britain over the disputed territory.

62
Q

What was the State of California?

A

It was a loosely governed plot of territory governed by Mexico. The People of California revolted against the governor to rule them ten times in twenty years.

63
Q

How many Americans were in California in 1846?

A

1,000

64
Q

What would increase the American population in California?

A

The Discovery of Gold.

65
Q

How many people went to California in 1849 alone?

A

80,000

66
Q

Why did James K. Polk want California?

A

For the Ports of San Fransisco and San Diego.

67
Q

How did the United State gain control?

A

First, the U.S. Attempt to purchase it. When that failed, the government encouraged a Texas-Style revolt that succeed. California was an independent Republic and then a part of the United States.

68
Q

Describe the plains Indians?

A

1) Horse-Mounted
2) Non-Agricultural
3) Nomadic
4) Hunters

69
Q

What were the Plains Indians dependent on?

A

Buffalo.

70
Q

How did Americans attempt to eliminate the Plains Indians?

A

By massacring a ton of buffalo to destroy their source of survival.

71
Q

About how many white settlers were killed by Plains Indians between 1840-1860?

A

About 400.

72
Q

What was Washington D.C.’s new Indian policy in response to the settlers wanting more protection?

A

Reversed Jackson’s policy and contained the native Americans to specific geographical areas that whites promised never to violate.

73
Q

What was the New Policy Called?

A

Concentration.

74
Q

How did the U.S. divide and conquer with the new Indian policy?

A

It separated the Native Americans into different areas, preventing them from uniting and being a stronger force.

75
Q

What were the three diplomatic crises that resulted from Manifest Destiny?

A

1) The Debacle over the Annexation of Texas
2) Disagreement over the Boundary Lines in Oregon escalated into threats of war.
3) California was still technically a northern state of Mexico.

76
Q

How was the Oregon Conflict Resolved?

A

Favorably to the United States Before 1840.

77
Q

How were the issues with California and Texas resolved?

A

The Mexican War

78
Q

Who was elected President in 1840?

A

William Henry Harrison

79
Q

To what party did William Henry Harrison belong?

A

The Whig Party.

80
Q

Who took over after Harrison died?

A

John Tyler.

81
Q

Why was Texas initially not accepted into the Union?

A

Over fears of igniting the slavery debate. (Texas a Free Or Slave State)

82
Q

What did the United States fear Mexico would do with California?

A

That Mexico would cede it over to Great Britain.

83
Q

What was the belief about the justness of the U.S.’s actions in taking Oregon, Texas, and California?

A

According to Manifest Destiny ideology, yes.

84
Q

Who was elected President in 1844?

A

James K. Polk.

85
Q

What was James K. Polk’s ideology regarding expansion?

A

He was a firm believer in Manifest Destiny.

86
Q

How did Polk claim he was going to resolve the Texas statehood dilemma?

A

He was going to add a state to both the north and south. Another free and slave state each to maintain the balance.

87
Q

Where did Britain yield land to in Oregon?

A

The 49 degree line.

88
Q

What benefit did the Oregon deal give to the United States besides land?

A

It resolved U.S.-Britain tensions so the U.S. no longer needed to fear British intervention and could focus on Mexico.

89
Q

When was Texas admitted into the Union?

A

In later 1844.

90
Q

How did Mexico respond to the admission of Texas into the Union?

A

By severing diplomatic ties with the United States.

91
Q

How did Polk attempt to legitimize the United States actions?

A

By sending a representative to buy the land from the Mexican government.

92
Q

What did the Mexican government do in response to Polk’s attempt to purchase the land?

A

Mexico refused to even meet with the diplomat.

93
Q

How did Polk respond to Mexico’s refusal to meet with his diplomat?

A

By sending 4,000 troops to a contested area in Texas to provoke a fight to start a war and resolve the issue once and for all.

94
Q

Where did U.S. soldiers camp in order to get shot at?

A

The Rio Grande River.

95
Q

What region generously supported the war?

A

The South

96
Q

What region vehemently opposed the war?

A

New England.

97
Q

Why did the United States absolutely own Mexico in military conflicts?

A

1) 70% of U.S. soldiers were coarse, though, and capable frontiersmen.
2) Mexican supplies were often ineffective remnants of Spanish colonization.

98
Q

When had the United States entirely pacified California?

A

January 1847.

99
Q

When did the United States invade Mexico City?

A

Mid-1847.

100
Q

Who was the U.S. General in Texas?

A

Zachary Taylor.

101
Q

When did Mexico surrender and sign a formal peace treaty?

A

1848

102
Q

What territory did the treaty give the United States?

A

California, New Mexico, and Texas.

103
Q

How much did the U.S. pay Mexico under the treaty?

A

$18 million. ($500 million in modern dollars)

104
Q

What question did the new territory raise?

A

The issue of slavery in the newly acquired territory.

105
Q

What was the Southern rebellion an outgrowth of?

A

The Mexican War

106
Q

What were the three options of looking at the Mexican War?

A

1) Mexico’s possession of the territory was not legitimate since they could not effectively governor it. The U.S. was the most logical owner of these lands.
2) The taking of these territories by the United States is an unjust war of conquest waged when we could not buy the land we wanted.
3) The war of in the U.S.’s national interest to wage and discussions of ethics are inappropriate when discussing international relations.

107
Q

What are the two views on the application of morality to governments?

A

Either it does or does not apply.

108
Q

What other terms are used to describe the framework that stipulates that morality does not apply to governments?

A

1) Realpolitik

2) Raison d’état

109
Q

What are the six basic criteria of Just War Theory?

A

1) The War Must be for a Righteous Purpose not a War of Conquest or Revenge.
2) The war must be a necessity used only as a last resort.
3) The war must be fought in a just manner. Military Force Used Must Be In Proportion to the Wrong that Occurred
4) People must not die needlessly. There must be some possibility of victory.
5) The war must be waged by the proper and legitimate authority.
6) Peace must be the ultimate objective.