War & Expansion: Crash Course US History #17

Introduction to Manifest Destiny00:00:00

An overview of Manifest Destiny, the 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand across the continent, and the associated economic and political motivations.

Texas Independence and Annexation00:01:57

The story of American settlement in Texas, the revolt against Mexico under Santa Ana, the Battle of the Alamo, and the eventual annexation of Texas into the United States.

The Mexican-American War00:04:04

President James K. Polk’s pursuit of California, the outbreak of war with Mexico, the controversy surrounding the conflict, and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Social Impacts and the Gold Rush00:06:30

The impact of expansion on Mexican and Native American populations in the territories, the rise of nativism, and the social changes brought on by the 1848 California Gold Rush.

The Compromise of 185000:09:56

The political struggle over whether California should be a free or slave state, leading to the Compromise of 1850, a temporary legislative attempt to balance sectional interests.

Conclusion and Legacy00:11:40

Closing thoughts on how expansion exacerbated domestic conflicts and failed to uphold American ideals of liberty for all, setting the stage for the coming Civil War.