Chapter 12 The Way West

Chapter Summary
Chapter 12
The Way West
Chapter 12 offers an introduction to American westward expansion during the first half of the
nineteenth century. Topics covered in this chapter include the economic and demographic
pressures in the East that led to western migration, the development of large scale farming in the
Old Northwest, the extension of the plantation society into the Old Southwest, the philosophy of
Manifest Destiny and its impact on westward expansion, the treatment of Native Americans and
Hispanics by American settlers and the acquisition of Texas and the Southwest from Mexico.
I. The Agricultural Frontier
A. The Crowded East
1. Agricultural conditions in New England
2. Agricultural conditions in the South
3. Promotion of land ownership in the West
B. The Old Northwest
1. A mosaic of regional diversity
2. Living conditions in the Old Northwest
3. The economic development of the Old Northwest
C. The Old Southwest
1. Motivations for migration to the Southwest
2. The migrating population
a. The planter class
b. Independent yeomanry
3. A comparison of the Old Northwest and Old Southwest
II. The Frontier of the Plains Indians
A. Tribal Lands
1. The Pawnees
2. The Sioux
B. The Fur Traders
1. Historical background of the western fur trade
2. The workings of the western fur trade
3. Living conditions among western fur traders
C. The Oregon Trail
1. The Protestant missionaries and the Cayutes
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2. The overlanders and women on the trail
3. Living conditions on the Oregon Trail
4. The impact of western migration on the Great Plains
5. The struggle between the Sioux and the United States
government over claims in the Great Plains
III. The Mexican Borderlands
A. The Peoples of the Southwest
1. The Hispanics, the criollos and the mestizos
2. Native Americans
a. The Spanish mission system
b. The Native American tribes of California
c. The farming peoples east of California
B. The Americanization of Texas
1. The American settlement of Texas
2. The Texas War for Independence
C. The Push into California and the Southwest
1. The settlement of California
a. Mexican rule in California
b. American interest in California
2. Settlement of the Southwest
a. The Santa Fe Trail and the opening up of the
Southwest
b. The Mormons and the settlement of Utah
IV. Politics, Expansion and War
A. Manifest Destiny
1. The racial and ethnic implications of Manifest Destiny
2. The connection between Manifest Destiny and the
Democratic party
B. The Mexican War
1. Settlement of the Oregon question
2. Disputes regarding the Texas border
3. Peaceful efforts by Polk to secure California
4. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
V. Conclusion
Learning Objectives
After a careful examination of Chapter 12, students should be able to:
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1. Describe the conditions in New England and the South that contributed to western
migration.
2. Explain the diverse regional and cultural influences that defined the culture of the Old
Northwest during the early nineteenth century.
3. List the factors that contributed to the migration of planters into the Old Southwest.
4. Compare and contrast the socioeconomic development of the Old Northwest and the
Old Southwest.
5. Describe the dilemma that faced Native American farming peoples of the Plains, such as
the Pawnees, during the nineteenth century.
6. Identify the factors which contributed to the development of the Sioux Indians into one
of the most formidable Native American tribes of the nineteenth century.
7. Describe the lifestyle of American fur traders who lived in the Trans-Mississippi West
during the mid-nineteenth century.
8. Outline the path of the Oregon Trail and describe the overlanders who used the trail to
migrate West. Describe the particular roles played by women on the Oregon Trail.
9. Define the terms criollo and mestizo.
10. List the principle groups of Native Americans living in the Southwest and explain how
their lives were impacted by the Spanish mission system.
11. Identify the Tejanos and describe the role they played in the Texas War for
Independence.
12. Identify Stephen Austin as the first American empresario.
13. Explain the Anglo-Tejano alliance in the Texas War for Independence and why these
groups were interested in seeking independence from Mexico.
14. Identify and explain the historical significance of the major battles in the Texas War for
Independence.
15. Explain the nature of the Mexican and American interests in California and the
Southwest during the years prior to the Mexican War.
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16. Describe the impact of the Santa Fe Trail on the settlement of New Mexico and
describe the impact of the Mormons on the settlement of Utah.
17. Explain the philosophy of Manifest Destiny. Explain the racial overtones in the
philosophy and why it was closely associated with the Democratic party.
18. Outline the events leading to the Mexican War. Explain the factors which contributed to
the American victory and outline the provisions of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Topics for Classroom Lecture
1. Prepare a slide and lecture presentation exploring the theme of the West in American
art. Focus on the depiction of Native Americans by American artists. What is negative about
American artistic images of Native Americans? What is positive? If you dealt with European
art based on Native Americans in Chapter 1, you may want to invite a comparison and contrast
of seventeenth century European depictions of Native Americans and nineteenth century
American depictions of Native Americans. Also, have students comment on American artists’
treatment of the western landscape. How did the West stimulate American imagination? Ask
students to share their own images and impressions of the American West even if they have
never actually visited the region. From where have many twentieth century Americans gotten
their images of the West?
2. Prepare a lecture on the philosophy of Manifest Destiny. Was Manifest Destiny the
only motivation for American westward expansion? Was it the most important motivation?
Have students consider the economic, political and military issues involved. Why did Americans
require more than pragmatic justifications for western expansion? Connect Manifest Destiny to
Protestant Christianity and to the emergence of feelings of racial and cultural superiority in the
western world during the nineteenth century.
Topics for Class Discussion and Essays
1. Compare and contrast the development of agriculture in the Old Northwest and the Old
Southwest during the first half of the nineteenth century. How did the technology and innovation
of the Agricultural Revolution impact American farming during the nineteenth century? To what
extent did the Old Northwest embrace new agricultural technology? Why? What impact did
the adoption of technology have on the development of both the agricultural and industrial
sectors of the northwestern economy? Did agricultural technology impact the development of
agriculture in the Old Southwest in the same way? Why? What was the primary example of
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agricultural technology widely embraced in the American South? How would the distinctions
between northwestern and southwestern agriculture impact sectionalism during the nineteenth
century?
2. Was the Mexican War a defensive war or a war of aggression? Were Mexicans
justified in attacking Americans on the Texas border? Who started the war? Did we
accomplish our goals in the Mexican War? Why did many Americans feel we fell short?
3. How did Manifest Destiny impact sectionalism in America? What positions did the
Whig and Democratic parties take on the issue of westward expansion? Why? Did regional
issues impact the level of support for Manifest Destiny? Why did the North tend to oppose
westward expansion while the South tended to support it?
Topics for Term Papers and Class Projects
1. Write a paper focusing on the role of women in the Western movement during the
nineteenth century. Excellent sources which would expose students to some primary material in
this area are the edited journals left by pioneer women in which they describe the impact
movement west had on their lives and the lives of their families.
2. Write a paper on the unique role of the Sioux Indians in American history. Why were
they so distinctive from other native American peoples? Why were they so successful in
surviving and even capitalizing on the European and American presence in North America?
3. Explore the other side of Manifest Destiny by looking at the Mexican impression of
American foreign policy during the first half of the nineteenth century. How was the Mexican
government impacted by Manifest Destiny? How did Manifest Destiny impact the status of
Hispanics living in the Far West?
Resources for Lectures and Research Projects
Gene M. Brack, Mexico Views Manifest Destiny, 1821-1846 (1975).
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Reginald Horsman, Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial
Anglo-Saxonism, (1981).
Robert Hughes, American Visions: The Epic History of Art in America (1997).
Julie R. Jeffrey, Frontier Women: The Trans-Mississippi West, 1840-1880, (1979).
Patricia Nelson Limerick, The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American
West, (1987).
John H. Schroeder, Mr. Polk’s War (1973).
Richard White, “It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own”: A New History of the
American West (1991).
Audio-Visual Resources
The Alamo, American Heritage, A&E Video.
This 2-part series looks at the defeat that turned the tide of the War for Texas Independence.
American Visions: The Wilderness and the West, Time, Inc./BBC/Thirteen, WNET, New
York, 1997, 60 minutes.
This episode from the Robert Hughes series examines the American romance with the West. At
once awed and challenged by the great expanse, American artists depicted a nation’s dream of
Manifest Destiny.
The Mexican War, KERA TV/Dallas-Ft. Worth, 1998.
This 4-part series examines one of the most controversial wars in American history. It offers a
fresh look at the war which was intended to see America’s realization of her Manifest Destiny.
The Way West: Westward, The Course of Empire Takes Its Way, The American
Experience, Lisa Ades/Ric Burns, 1994.
This episode from the 4-part series examines America’s western expansion from the 1840s
through the Civil War.
The West: Empire Upon the Trails, Insignia Films/WETA/Florentine Films/Time-Life Video,
1991.
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This is the second episode of the 9-part Ken Burns series. It examines the Texas War for
Independence as well as the experience of American travelers on the Oregon Trail.
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