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