W. W. Norton & Company | Inventing America, 2 ed.

Chapter 14: National Expansion, Sectional Division

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Alonzo Delano’s Gold Rush letters published in newspapers

- Alonzo Delano's Gold Rush letters published in newspapers excerpt

Newspapers in the East and Midwest published many letters from gold miners writing home or writing to their former communities. In this example, Alonzo Delano first cautions readers of the Ottowa, Illinois Free Trader: "I shall tell you the whole story as I see it, and then let those come who wish to. I will give no advice. I will neither discourage nor advise anyone to come. They may come and get rich, or they may come and remain poor, and they may die." Delano penned his letter in late 1849, and it was published several months later. Other letter writers from California also dwelt on the illnesses experienced by many miners and the scarcity of provisions, both serious problems at the time. Published letters such as this provided Americans with their main source of information about the gold fields. At the time, Delano’s view of California undoubtedly engaged the readers of the Free Trader. What do his words tell you about attitudes towards Native Americans and the Mexican rancheros? Would this letter have encouraged you to go to California?
The Telegraph Quick Step (Sheet Music)

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- The Telegraph Quick Step (Sheet Music) Worksheet
The telegraph quickly entered the popular culture. In 1844, this sheet music, "The Telegraph Quick Step," was published in Baltimore.
Polk War Declaration

- Polk War Declaration

President Polk explained the reasons for war in his message to Congress on 11 May 1846. Arguing that Polk was simply finding a pretext for the war, a young Whig congressman named Abraham Lincoln objected to his rationale. The war and subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo resulted in the U.S. acquisition of California, New Mexico, and Texas territory north of the Rio Grande. The United States now stretched the length of the continent. Do you think the war was a necessary means to that end, or might "manifest destiny" have taken place absent war?
Henry David Thoreau, Excerpts from "Civil Disobedience"

- Henry David Thoreau, Excerpts from "Civil Disobedience"

Viewing the war as part of a conspiracy to extend slavery westward, Henry David Thoreau in his essay, "Civil Disobedience," expressed his opposition to the Mexican-American War and his discomfort with the federal government. Thoreau found himself in the minority; enthusiasm for the war prevailed, and 75,000 men volunteered for service. In July 1846, Thoreau spent a night in jail after refusing to pay a poll tax in protest against the war and slavery. The entire essay was published in 1849, after the war ended. In the excerpts below, Thoreau described the response of neighbors to his protest. Thoreau’s essay raises interesting questions about the importance of government versus character and invention. Thoreau states of the government: "It does not keep the country free. It does not settle the West. It does not educate. The character inherent in the American people has done all that has been accomplished." What do you think of Thoreau’s description of government? Which do you think more important to westward expansion – new technologies or the federal government?
Morse letter to assistant about accuracy

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- Morse letter to assistant about accuracy Worksheet
Aware of the upcoming elections and the potential impact of his invention, in October 1844, Samuel Morse wrote his assistant, Alfred Vail, a warning to "be especially careful not to give a partisan character to any information you may transmit." He advised "as far as practicable, give only official results." How might the telegraph have altered the character of elections?
Francis Parkman, The Oregon Trail

- The Oregon Trail

The son of a Boston minister, Francis Parkman attended Harvard and toured Europe, completing his law degree at Harvard in 1844. Two years later, he embarked on a tour of his own continent, going as far as Fort Laramie, Wyoming. His intention was to study Native American culture and to write history. His book, The Oregon Trail, provides a glimpse at the many types of adventurers heading West in 1846. Parkman notes, "Many of the emigrants, especially of those bound for California, were persons of wealth and standing." What would have been the obstacles facing a poor person attempting to go West? Taking into account Parkman’s prejudices, consider all the different people he describes and speculate on their motivations for traveling westward.