An American History (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...therefore, to favor or encourage its further extension." But a few months after the Webster-Ashburton treaty of 1842 was concluded, Webster was replaced by a Secretary of State (Upshur, of Virginia) whose views were favorable to the annexation policy. 1 Unfortunately, as we have seen (pp. 321-325), such language was rapidly becoming discredited in the South at the very time when Webster was speaking. 483. The an-It was just at this time that Marcus Whitman made his famous horseback journey across the continent to save the misTeuuT s'0n statons m Oregon-The popular interest in that distant region, which followed the publication of Whitman's pamphlets and his successful colonization of the Columbia valley, furnished the annexationists with fine political capital. By combining the demand for Oregon with the demand for Texas they could appeal to the people of the United States on a platform which emphasized the expansion of American territory rather than the extension of the area of slavery. With Oregon they might win the Northern expansionists who were opposed to annexing Texas on account of slavery. Thus Oregon was used as a makeweight for Texas. 484. Growth As the year 1843 passed, the policy of both Great Britain rionut6senti-and Mexico strengthened the expansionist sentiment in the ment, 1843 United States. The British ministry curtly rejected the offer of our government to divide Oregon by running the boundary line of 490 north latitude to the Pacific; and Mexico, besides breaking the agreement made with Van Buren for the adjustment of American claims, notified our State Department that any move to annex Texas would be regarded as an act of war. Although we were a strong nation and Mexico a weak one, there were many Americans who felt that we had bor...