Expansion in Texas

The Mission System

• Spanish Roman Catholic missions in California, New Mexico, and Texas tried to convert Native Americans to Catholicism and settle them on mission lands

• To protect the missions, Spanish soldiers watched the forts (presidios)

Impact of Mexican Independence

• Mexican War for Independence was fought from 1810-1821• In 1821, Mexico was able to win its

independence from Spain• In 1824, Mexico adopted a new constitution

which defined the country as a federal republic with nineteen states and four territories

United Mexican States

in 1824

Factors that led to American Settlement in the Southwest

1. Newly independent Mexico2. Easing of trade restrictions between Mexico

and the United States3. Mexico encouraged American farmers to

settle in Texas (empresarios - land grants)

Mexico Invites U.S. Settlers

• Mexican government encouraged American farmers to settle in Texas1. Prevent border violations by horse thieves 2. Protect the territory from Native American

attacks

Land grants

• Mexico offered land grants to agents (empresarios)

• Agents attracted American settlers who bought cheap land in return for a pledge to obey Mexican laws and observe the official religion – Roman Catholic

• Until the 1830s the Anglo (English speaking) lived as naturalized Mexican citizens

Austin in Texas

• Stephen F. Austin– Most successful

empresario– Established a colony

between the Crazos and Colorado rivers

Stephen Austin

Austin said, “no drunkard,

no gambler,

no profane swearer, and no idler”

would be allowed in his colony in Texas.

Texas’s Old Three Hundred

• Austin issued 297 land grants to the group that would be called Texas’s Old Three Hundred

• Each family received 177 inexpensive acres of farmland or 4,428 acres for stock grazing, as well as a 10 year exemption from taxes– Paid 12.5¢ per acre comparable to $1.25 today

Austin’s

Colony between the Brazos

and Colora

do Rivers

“Go To Texas!”

• Word about Texas spread throughout the US• Confident that it would yield great wealth,

Americans discussed extending the US boundaries to the Rio Grande River

• Mexico did not want to sell Texas and began to regret its hospitality to Anglo immigrants

Cultural Differences Divide Population

• What kind of cultural differences divide the Anglo and Spanish populations in the southwest?

1. Slavery (illegal versus practice)2. Religion (Catholicism versus Protestantism)3. Language (Spanish versus English)

Attempts to Stop Immigration

1. 1830, Mexico sealed its borders2. Put a heavy tax on the importation of

American goods3. Immigration prohibition

• Despite restrictions the Anglo population doubled between 1830 and 1834

• G.T.T. = Gone to Texas

Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna

• Austin traveled to Mexico City to present petitions for greater self-government for Texas

• Mexican president Santa Anna suspended the Mexican constitution and had Austin put in jail for inciting a revolution

• Santa Anna revoked local powers in Texas and other Mexican states– Several rebellions erupted and eventually would

be called the Texas Revolution

"If we are not successful, our grandchildren and their grandchildren will beg for crumbs from the Americans!"

the Alamo

• Santa Anna marched toward San Antonio at the heard of a 4,000 member army

• At the same time Austin and his followers issued a call for Texans to arm themselves

• Late in 1835 the Texans attacked• They drove the Mexican forces from the

Alamo– An abandoned mission used as a fort

The Alamo

• Santa Anna swept north and destroyed the small American garrison in the Alamo

• All 187 US defenders died– Davy Crockett

Lone Star Republic

• Later in March of 1836, Santa Anna’s troops executed 300 rebels at Goliad

• The Alamo and Goliad victories would prove costly for Santa Anna

• 6 weeks after the defeat of the Alamo the Texans struck back

“Remember the Alamo!”

• Led by Sam Houston, the Texans defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto

• People shouted “Remember the Alamo!”

• Texans killed 630 of Santa Anna’s soldiers in 18 minutes then captured him

Treaty of Velasco

• The victorious Texans set Santa Anna free after he signed the Treaty of Velasco– Granted independence to Texas

The painting "Surrender of Santa Anna" by William Huddle shows

the Mexican president and general surrendering to a

wounded Sam Houston

Republic of Texas

• September 1836, Huston became president of the Republic of Texas

• “Lone Star Republic” set up an army and navy and proudly flew its new flag with the long gold star

Texas Joins the Union

• March 2, 1836 during the battle of the Alamo, Texas declared its independence from Mexico– Mexico deprived them of their

fundamental rights

• March 16 – ratified a constitution based on the US Constitution

Annexation of Texas

• Sam Houston invited the US to annex (incorporate) the Republic of Texas

• What issue would rise with a new state entering the Union?– Slavery

• Southerners wanted slavery, Northerners feared another slave state

• US presidential election featured a debate on westward expansion

• James K. Polk was a slave holder who wanted to annex Texas

• On December 29, 1845 Texas became the 28th state to enter the Union

• The Mexican government was furious and was moving closer and closer to war.

• Johnny Cash