History 30.8
Continental Expansionism
September 18, 2006
I. A Divided Hemisphere?
1. Latin America (collapse of Panama Congress; US role; South
America and balance of power diplomacy—Uruguayan war, Peru/Bolivia
disputes, collapse of Gran Colombia; Britain and financial
penetration of SA—end of Atlantic system?; Central America and the
failure of union; Mexico and economic difficulties; rise of economic
nationalism—Haiti, Paraguay)
2. The British Factor (abolitionism, the Slave Trade, and British
diplomacy; Central American expansionism—Miskito Coast, British
Honduras; activities of British agents; Canada and boundary tensions
with US—Fenians, Aroostook War; Oregon; other European powers—France
in Haiti, Mexico; Spain in Dominican Republic)
3. US (Andrew Jackson and American nationalism; Indian
removal—Cherokee case as precedent for later action?; development of
racial Anglo-Saxonism; domestic politics—2nd American party system:
Jacksonian Democrats vs. Whigs, differences over violence, military,
presidential power; legacy of Clay)
II. The Diplomatic Effects
1. Texas Diplomacy (the Texas-Mexico War; independent Texas and a
North American balance of power?; Mexico and French expansionism in
the Caribbean Basin; slavery and collapse of Anglo-Texan alliance;
Texas annexation and Tyler constitutional shift)
2. Slavery and Expansion (Haiti and American politics; John Quincy
Adams and gag rule; partisanship and expansionism; Walker response;
failure of Texas treaty; Van Buren, Polk, and changing nature of
Democratic Party; Clay and 1844 campaign; effects of Birney)
III. Polk and Hemispheric Affairs
1. Strategic and Ideological Expansionism (Polk’s continental
vision; Oregon compromise and political effects; movement toward
war; constitutional crisis; Giddings and growth of anti-slavery
radicals; military success and political difficulties; use of
appropriations power–Wilmot Proviso, war credits debate, Corwin and
Calhoun, collapse of legislative support; Trist and end of war)
2. Beyond Mexico (transisthmian canal: Bidlack’s Treaty and origin
of US-Colombian relations; failures in Mexico and Central America–Tehuantepec
concept, Hise Treaty, Vanderbilt, and changing nature of
US-Nicaraguan relations; Cuba and strategic gateway to
Caribbean–renewed American attention and growing opposition)
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