Unit+6+-+Day+2

Day 2 - (Ch 9.2 - 9.3)
 * Describe some of the aggressive ways President James K. Polk pursued "Manifest Destiny."
 * In how many ways did the US aquire the land west of the Mississippi River?
 * Why was California's statehood controversial?
 * What reaction came of all large-scale immigration to the USA during the 1830-150's?

**Describe some of the aggressive ways President James K. Polk pursued "Manifest Destiny."**

1. Polk used "sabre rattling" to get his point across to foreign nations that he meant to fight if he did not get his way. One example of this threatening posture occurred when the US and Great Britain jointly occupied and ruled the "Oregon Country." The US did most of the work, so the US was interested in splitting the territory with Britain, but Britain drug its feet when it came to making any decision occur. As Polk ran for President, he threatened to take all of the territory for the USA with his quote, "54-40 or Fight!," which referred to the northern most latitude of the "Oregon Country." When POl won election, the British came to the negotiation table and a border was decided to be at the 49th parallell, not the 54-40 parallel.

Obtaining Oregon completed the American dream of owning land continously from one ocean to the other. But more western land was still to obtained to complete the American mainland map as it now exists.

2. **In how many ways did the US aquire the land west of the Mississippi River?**

We obtained the land in four ways:
 * We purchased land (Louisianna Territory)
 * We anexed land (Texas)
 * We negotiated a treaty for land (Oregon Country and Florida)
 * We fought a war for land (Mexican Cession)

3. **Why was California's statehood controversial?**

California skipped territorial status because the population grew sop fast that the application for territorial status had not even be completed when the 60,000 people needed for statehood had already been reached. This was due to teh alure of Gold from the 1849 Gold Rush. (And now you know why San Francisco's NFL football team is known as the "San Francisco 49'ers."

Stehood was also controversial because as the southern most state in the new "mexican Cession," it was expected to come in as a slave state. When it applied for statehood as a free state, the South was outraged!

Keep in mind that the Missouri Compromise no longer works in a nation whopse western border shifted to the Atlantic Ocean. Back in 1820 it had been the Rocky Mountains. Now that we had new lands, the Missouri Compromise was no longer valid in the new western lands. A new Compromise will have to be reached.

4. **What reaction came of all large-scale immigration to the USA during the 1830-150's?**

The Irish and Chinese were the biggest immigrant groups to the USA at this time, and Americans disliked both groups. The Chinese came for the Gold Rush oportunities, and later stayed and worked on teh railroads. The Irish left Ireland due to the Potato Famine, and came in such large numbers as to be hated for having a cultural impact on the US that was not welcome by established Americans. Both groups worked for low wages, and often lived in squalor, creating even more criticism of them as groups.

This period of immigration was called "Old Immigration," as opposed to that which happened after the US Civil War, which is referred to as "New Immigration." With old immigration, we could also include Germans who were fleeing a civil war in their country.

An anti-immigration party arose called the "American Party." This party was made up of nativists, or those poeple who believe that America should be the home to natiove born citizens only. Their goal was to end immigration. This part met in secret, and was often known to reply, "I don't know" to questions about the political party, its activities, or its policies. People of this political party were often referred to as the "Know-Nothings." This term also came to be used in place of "The American Party." Ylou could say that a person was a "Know-Nothing," or that they belonged to the "Know-Nothing Party."