The Curious Case of Texas
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Transcript of The Curious Case of Texas
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