Class: U.S. History level 2
Unit: Western Expansion/Manifest Destiny
Grade level: Juniors—Level 2 class includes student with Asperger’s Syndrome and
others have various IEP’s. For these students all notes must be made available to them
therefore for each class an agenda is provided on the board and an outline of all notes for
discussion is written on the board for students to copy. This is done to ensure that both
visual and audio access to information is presented.
Standards: USI. 26 Describe the causes, course, and consequences of America’s
westward expansion and its growing diplomatic assertiveness. Use a map of North
America to trace America’s expansion to the Civil War, including the location of the
Santa Fe and Oregon Trails. (H, E, G)
E. The annexation of Texas in 1845
Topic: The road to statehood: Texas from colony to state
The purpose of these several lessons is to provide students with a brief
chronology of events that led and/or contributed to the development of Texas from a
colony to an independent republic and eventually to statehood. Although time does not
allow us as a class to deeply investigate at the events that led to statehood my desire is to
highlight some key events and provide students with a general overview of how Texas
became a state and to discuss some of the issues surrounding statehood. This unit will be
divided into two sections one that focuses on how Texas came to be settled and the
tension that developed. The next segment will focus on the tension and ensuing battles
that led to independence and statehood for Texas. Through class discussions and
activities the goal is also to provide students with an understanding of how the annexation
of Texas was part of the Manifest Destiny ideal that is associated with western expansion.
Time: 3 class periods = 2 hours 15 minutes
Learning objectives:
•Students will be able to describe how Americans came to settle in Texas?
•Students will be able to discuss the impact of American settlement in Texas.
•Students will be able to describe why problems arose between the Mexican government
and the American settlers in Texas
•Students will be able to describe how the annexation of Texas was a step in expansion
•Students will be able to discuss how Texas achieved independence and later became a
state
Activities:
Map transparency activity (20 minutes): Students will be asked to trace the expansion
of the U.S. using map and determine the scope of expansion in North America during the
1800s.
Students will be directed to look at a transparency entitled: The Louisiana Purchase,
1803. They will be asked to discuss what they know about the exploration of this area.
Key leading questions—What exploration occurred? Why? What was the purpose of
exploration? Why had the United States bought this new territory? Students should from
previous study be able to recall study of the Louisiana Purchase and the expedition of
Lewis & Clark. Teacher will then inform students that they should direct attention to
transparency and asked to make mental note of the areas that are considered to be
Spanish territory. Students will be also be asked to provide in their own words what is
the predominate idea behind manifest destiny. Students will then be directed to look at
the second transparency entitled the United States, 1840 and asked to comment on how
the boundaries of the U.S. changed. Students will also be given photocopies of the maps
for later reference.
Guided reading activity (20 minutes of class time and to be completed as homework):
After completing introductory map activity students will be directed to read the chapter in
their text entitled, “Independence for Texas” and given a reading activity sheet that
guides them through the reading and asks them questions based on the reading. This
activity provides students with an outline of pertinent information from the text and also
gives them an overview and foundation for future discussions. This activity is begun in
class and finished for homework.
Class 2 (40 minutes): A timeline and outline for the class discussion will be placed on
the board. Students will be reminded of the Louisiana Purchase and asked to recall how
the U.S. expanded. They will also be reminded of the Adams-Onis Treaty and asked to
recall the significance of the treaty—that through this treaty the U.S. dropped claims to
land in this area.
Students will then be asked to recall what they can from their reading what they
learned about the settlement of The New Mexico Territory from their reading and will be
asked to name the states that today formed this area.
Key questions: How did Americans come to live in the area that would later become
Texas? What requirements were made of those who settled in the area? What impact did
their settlement have on the region?
Primary source activity: “Official Communication from Don Antonio Martinez,
Governor of Texas to Moses Austin 8 Feb 1821” Students will use this reading to gain
understanding of how the Old Three Hundred came to reside in Texas and the
requirements made of them. As a class this communication will be read aloud and asked
to highlight key ideas that answer the questions above. After reading the activity students
will be asked to discuss for the purpose of creating notes that will be placed on board. As
a group students will be asked to look at the requirements issued by the governor of
Texas and asked to predict in what areas there would eventually be conflict. For
example, adoption of Catholicism, obedience to Spanish government, defense of territory,
and faithfulness to the king would be highlighted and students will be called to discuss
how what the Spanish were asking them to do and how this would affect them as
Americans.
Primary source activity: “Anglo-Mexican Relations in Texas” Student attention would be
directed to the board and as a group we would discuss the growing tension that existed
within the area as American settlers began to outnumber the Spanish, Tejanos, and
Indians that existed in the area. Students will be given a of a primary source entitled
Anglo-Mexican Relations in Texas, as a group we will read and analyze this source for
information it provides on reaction to American settlement.
Students will then be directed to the board where notes on General Santa Anna and his
overthrow of government and following role as dictator will be introduced. Students will
then be informed of Stephen Austin’s attempts at diplomacy with President Santa Anna
and the regulations he attempted to impose, such as end of emigration to the area and the
imposition of high taxes as a method to gain control over Texas.
Student review activity and preparation for next class:
a. Students will be asked to discuss in a three paragraph essay to discuss how the
area today known as Texas came to be settled by Americans and why problems
developed between the Mexican government and the settlers of Texas.
b. Students will be given a guided reading sheet for text that focuses on the struggle
for independence for Texas
Class 3: (40 minutes)
Guiding questions: How did the fall of the Alamo help the cause of Texas independence?
Why did Northerners and Southerners disagree on the annexation of
Texas?
On the board will be an outline of the some of the events that led up to the Battle of the
Alamo and worked to encourage the struggle for Texas independence, for example—
battle in Gonzalez and liberation of San Antonio. Students will also be informed of the
strategic value of Texas. During the discussion there will be a map transparency to
provide students with an overview of the area and strategic value of Texas.
Primary source activity: “David Crockett’s Letter To His Family” January 9, 1836
Guiding questions:
a. Why was the area of Texas so appealing to settlers?
b. What does this document tell us about the Texans political goal?
c. What steps had Texans taken in creating a government in Texas?
Primary source activity: “Travis’ Appeal for Aid at the Alamo” February 24, 1836
Guiding question: How would Travis’ appeal incite Americans to support the cause of
annexation and statehood for Texas?
Primary source activity: Account of the Battle of the Alamo from Susanna Dickinson
Hanning as recounted to a third party
Guiding question:
a. What do we learn about the Battle of the Alamo from this letter?
b. How does this illustrate the desire for Texas independence?
Primary source activity: “Texas and the Massachusetts Resolutions” 1844 Charles
Francis Adams
Guiding questions:
a. What was U.S. government’s position concerning the annexation of Texas in
1844?
b. What is meant by the “Free States” Clue—Why had Southerners migrated into
Texas? What was a key agricultural product in the South and the labor system
associated with cotton?
c. Why were people from Massachusetts opposed to annexation of Texas?
d. What mistake did the founding fathers make?
e. What does Charles Francis Adams believe will be one of the consequences of the
annexation of Texas?
Students will then be informed that annexation of Texas did occur and that Texas
achieved statehood on December 29, 1845.
Assessment: As an assessment tool students will be given a writing assignment that
requires them to write a short history about the events in Texas that resulted in the
settlement, annexation, and eventual statehood of Texas. Students will be allowed to use
notes and primary sources in creating their historical overview. As a result of this unit
students will be able to recount the events and steps that led up to the statehood of Texas.
References:
http://home.austin.rr.com/rgriffin/texhisdocs.html
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/mexican_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=39
http://www.lone-star.net/mall/texasinfo/alamo-battle.htm
http://www.thealamo.org/main.html
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/colonyregs.htm#martinezaustinfeb
http://www.thealamo.org/susanna_dickinson_hanning.htm
http://www.lsjunction.com/docs/sppeal.htm
http://www.the-alamo-san-antonio.com/html/places-texas-history.htm
Retrieving The American Past: A Customized U.S. History Reader, Westward Expansion
and Life on the American Frontier Teaching American History Program, Edited by
Russell McClintock, Pearson Custom Publishing Boston, MA 2005. Pg 57-78
Materials:
The American Journey, Glencoe—student text
The Louisiana Purchase, 1803—map and transparency
United States, 1840 1840—map and transparency
Guided reading worksheets
Overhead projector
U.S. Map—wall map
Primary Sources:
•“Official Communication from Don Antonio Martinez, Governor of Texas to
Moses Austin 8 Feb 1821”
•“Anglo-Mexican Relations in Texas” 1830
•“David Crockett’s Letter To His Family” January 9, 1836
•“Travis’ Appeal for Aid at the Alamo” February 24, 1836
•Account of the Battle of the Alamo from Susanna Dickinson Hanning as recounted to a
third party
•“Texas and the Massachusetts Resolutions” 1844 Charles Francis Adams