Expansion in Texas
Americans Settle in the Southwest
 Very few Mexicans lived in the area of Texas despite its:
 Natural resources
 Climate good for agriculture
 Mexicans were intimidated by Native Americans in the
area
 Most residents of Texas were Tejanos
 Texans of Hispanic descent
 Mexican government was indifferent of problems in
Texas
 Too Far away
Americans Settle in the Southwest
 Mexico encourages U.S. Settlers to settle in Texas
 Protect territory from Native attacks
 Land Grants
 Gift of public land to an individual or organization
 Given to empresarios (agents)
 Empresarios would recruit Americans to settle on the
land
 Land was cheap
 Just had to obey Mexican Laws
 Observe official religion  Roman Catholic
Americans Settle in the Southwest
 Stephen Austin
 Emparesario who established a colony between
the Brazos and Colorado rivers
 “No drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer,
and no idler”
 1825 Austin issued 297 land grants
 “Old Three Hundred
 Washington – on – the - Brazos
 Americans love Texas
 Immigration to Texas jumped
 Start to think about extending U.S. Boarders
Texas Begins to Fight
 Tensions between Mexicans and
U.S. Emigrants
 U.S. Emigrants were Protestants
 Spoke English
 Brought Slaves (Mexico had
banned slavery)
 United States had offered, twice,
to buy Texas from Mexico They
refused
 John Q. Adams & Jackson
Texas Begins to Fight
 1830 the Mexican government sealed its borders
 Heavy tax on American goods
 Stopped all immigration from the United States
 Encouraged the immigration of Mexican and
European Families
 1830-1834 Anglo population doubled
 1,000 Anglos a month
 “G.T.T”
 1835 3,500 Tejanos -12,00 Native Americans - 45,000
Anglos and 5,000 African Americans
Texas Begins to Fight
 1833 Settlers chose Stephen
Austin to negotiate with
Mexican Government
 Self-government for Texas
 Remove immigration ban
 Remove trade ban on United
States
 Austin met with Mexican
President Antonio Lopez de
Santa Anna
Texas Begins to Fight
 Austin writes to leaders back in Texas
 Better start organizing own government
 Asks Santa Anna again
 Will not budge
 Austin returns home
 Arrested on January 3, 1834
 Letter had been intercepted
 Imprisoned in Mexico City for treason
 Santa Anna overthrows gov. makes himself
Battle of Gonzales
 In October 1835, Mexican troops ordered Texans to lay
down their arms
 Gonzales, Texas
 “Come and Take It”
 Mexicans retreated  No orders to attack
 Go back to San Antonio
 Texans follow
 Texans drive the Mexicans out
 Texas declares independence
 Start drafting a constitution
 Most of the Texan army goes home
The Battle of the Alamo
 Who should take over the Texan army?
 Sam Houston is chosen
 Let out of jail a few months earlier
 Santa Anna organizes a force of 6,000 troops
 Try to stop Texas from drafting a constitution
 Came across 180 Texans holed up in the Alamo
 Abandoned Catholic Mission
 Mexicans start attack and the battle ensues for 13
days! Starts on February 23rd, 1836
The Battle of the Alamo
- March 6, 1836
Mexican cannon fire
smashed the walls
and the Mexicans
launched an all out
attack
- About 99% of the Texan troops
were killed only a few women and
children survived
The Lone Star Republic
 6 weeks after the defeat at the Alamo
Texans struck back
 Defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San
Jacinto
 “Remember the Alamo”
 630 Mexican soldiers killed in 20 minutes
 Captured Santa Anna
 Wouldn’t let him go until he signed the
Treaty of Velasco
 Granted independence to Texas
The Lone Star Republic
 Sam Houston became president of the Republic of
Texas
 “Lone Star Republic”
 Set up an army and a navy
 1838 Houston invited the United States to annex Texas
 Incorporate a territory into an existing political unit
 U.S. is split between North & South on adding Texas
 North feared unequal balance in congress & war
with Mexico
 South wanted to extend slavery
Election of 1844
 James K. Polk- Democrat
 Wanted to Annex Texas & Oregon Territory
 Vowed to buy California from the Mexicans
 Expanded the country
 Keeping the balance of Northern & Southern
States
 Henry Clay- Whig
 Realized that he would loose  Changed his
stance to support annexation
 Angered his supporters who threw their vote to a
3rd party candidate