the curious case of texas
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The Curious Case of Texas. HUSH - Libertyville HS. First Mexican Republic declared, 1821 Mexican Republic knew about manifest destiny idea of Americans. Texas Annexation. Texas Annexation. Mexican colonization offer 177 acres farmland or 13000 acres pasturage for FREE, per family! - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
The Curious Case of Texas
HUSH - Libertyville HS
Texas Annexation• First Mexican
Republic declared, 1821
• Mexican Republic knew about manifest destiny idea of Americans
Texas Annexation• Mexican colonization offer
– 177 acres farmland or 13000 acres pasturage for FREE, per family!
– Promised republican gov’t, liberty
– Purpose? Deflection (empresario)
• Mexico demands of colonists– Learn Spanish– Become Mexican citizens– Adopt Catholicism– Offer Mexico goods for sale
first– No slaves!
• By 1830: 20,000 Americans in TX with 5000 slaves
1833 map showing land grants to empresarios
Texas Annexation: Santa Anna• Santa Anna take over
government, 1824• Dissolves Mexican
Republic, established federal system and military dictatorship
• 1830: Santa Anna prohibits further Anglo settlers into TX
• Texas – many Anglo settlers want to break away
Texas Annexation: Revolution• March 2, 1836:
Texans declare independence from Mexico– 1824 Mexican
Constitution changed– Colonization
guarantees had not been honored
• US style constitution, protecting slavery
Texas Annexation: War!• Santa Anna leads army into
Texas• March 6, 1836 - Alamo falls
(US – Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett)
• Massacre at Goliad• April 21 - Battle of San
Jacinto– Texan Army under Sam
Houston defeats Santa Anna; Santa Anna captured
– Treaty of Velasco signed, ending hostilities
“Last Stand at the Alamo”
Texas Annexation: “Lone Star Republic”
• Treaty est. Rio Grande as border
• Guaranteed TX independence
• Mexico refused to recognize treaty (duress)
• Sam Houston elected President of the “Lone Star Republic”Sam Houston
Texas Annexation: The Debate
• Supporters– Texans– Southerners– Slave States– Expansionists (pro
Manifest Destiny)– Potential southern
advantage in Congress
• Opponents– Northerners– Fear of South’s
power in Congress
– TX revolution as Southerner conspiracy
– Concern over war with Mexico
Texas asked to join the Union in 1836. . .
Annexation: Jackson’s Position• Houston a friend of
Jackson• Fellow slave owner• Pro-expansion
Westerner• BUT Jackson’s
primary concern was his successor: Election of Van Buren
• No action
Annexation: Van Buren’s Position
• Anti-Slave (from NY)
• Presidency occupied by Panic of 1837
• No action
• Texas dropped its annexation request in 1838
Annexation: Harrison and Tyler• Harrison: no action due
to his death• Tyler– Southern slave owner– Pro Texas annexation– Treaty for annexation
signed, 1844 BUT rejected by Senate
– Called for annexation by a joint resolution: passed March 1845 (Mexico reaction)
– TX formally joined Union December 29, 1845
– FL became state on March 3, 1845, Tyler’s last day of Pres.
Mexican-American War (1846-48)• Mexico refused to
recognize US’ 1845 annexation of TX
• Claimed TX as breakaway province
• Texas claimed its southern border with Mexico = Rio Grande; Mexico said border was Nueces R (150 miles N)
Mexican –American War (1846-48)
• Polk provoked war – Placed Gen. Taylor,
3,500 troops at Nueces R.
– Told Pacific naval squadron to seize CA ports, if war
– Sent John Fremont (explorer) into CA in 1845-46 to lead revolt against Mexico (“playing the TX game”)
– November 1845 – offered $25 million to buy land from Mexico (refused)
Mexican American War• Polk ordered Taylor
to Rio Grande– 63 US troops
attacked by 2000 Mexican troops between Rio Grande and Nueces R
• Polk: Mexico “shed American blood on American soil”
• Congress declared war
Opposition to War• Sectional divisions
explained opposition– Northerners feared
growing “Slave Power”– Also wanted to deepen
economy w/ industrialization, not broaden it w/ new land
– Southerners wanted expansion of slavery• North population growing
faster, feared losing edge in House
Slave auction, c. 1840
Opposition to War: “Spot Resolutions”
• Abraham Lincoln (W) introduced “Spot Resolution”– Questioned where
the spot was that US blood was shed
– Anti-war resolution; never acted upon by Congress
– Gained him notoriety
Mexican Cession
Area of Mexican Cession (yellow part
= Gadsen Purchase of 1853)
• Mexican cession gained for US territory to Pacific– CA– NV– UT– AZ
• With 1853 Gadsen Purchase, Mexico lost 2/3 of its territory, but only 8000 Mexican families