HUSH - Libertyville HS

• First Mexican
Republic declared, 1821
• Mexican
Republic knew about manifest destiny idea of
Americans

• 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!
1833 map showing land grants to empresarios
• By 1830: 20,000 Americans in
TX with 5000 slaves

• 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

• March 2, 1836: Texans declare independence from Mexico
– 1824 Mexican
Constitution changed
– Colonization guarantees had not been honored
• US style constitution, protecting slavery

• 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”

• 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 asked to join the Union in 1836. . .
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

• 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

• 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)

• 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

• 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

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