9.2 Texas and the Mexican-American War
I.
II.
Texas Wins Independence
a. Americans Migrate to Texas
i. Mexico adopted strategy to defend province
1. Allowed Americans to settle in Texas
2. Had to become Mexican citizens
3. Worship as Roman Catholics
4. Accept Mexican constitution= banned slavery
ii. Stephen F. Austin led emigrants to settle east of San Antonio, now
Austin.
iii. 1835, Texas home to about 30,000 American settlers
b. Tensions Build
i. Relationship between Anglo-Texans and Mexican govt sour by 1830.
1. Americans remained Protestant and ignored slavery ban
ii. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna seizes power in Mexico City
1. Favored centralized, authoritarian government
2. Ruthless military coup that was distrusted by Mexico’s people
c. Texas Revolt
i. 1835 Texans rebelled again Mexican rule and seized garrisons at San
Antonio
1. 1 year later declared independence and adopted republican
constitution= Lone Star Republic
ii. Santa Anna led army to crush rebellion in 1836 at Alamo
1. 12 days of cannon fire and slaughtered defenders
a. brutal mass executions of prisoners
b. expected slaughter to frighten Texans
2. Instead it was used as rally “Remember the Alamo”
http://youtu.be/vAMZQlAQAyQ
a. attracted volunteers to fight
iii. Sam Houston, Texan, led surprise attack and crushed Mexican army at
Battle of San Jacinto
1. Santa Anna fearing execution signed treaty
a. Recognize Texas independence
b. Stretched boundary
c. Created boarder war between Texas and Mexico
2. Texas elects Sam Houston as 1st president
a. Asked US to annex Texas
i. Split support
Americans Debate Expansion http://youtu.be/Z066CK0-H5E
a. An Expansions Becomes President
i. Texas key issue in 1844 presidential election
1. James K. Polk, Tenn.
a. Believed in Manifest Destiny
b. Support from southern expansionists
c. Reason with North
i. Promised Oregon Territory; would fight Britain
for it
d. Won
III.
2. Henry Clay, Whig
a. Opposed annexation
ii. Polk Compromised on Oregon
1. Failed to grab all of Oregon Territory
a. Upset northern Democrats
2. Split at 49th parallel of latitude
a. Gained Washington, Oregon, and Idaho
b. Britain kept Canadian province
The Mexican-American War
a. Congress Declared War
i. Mexico refused to recognize Texas annexation
ii. Polk sends Gen. Zachary Taylor to occupy contested boarder dispute
1. Mexico spilled blood on US soil
2. Rushed declaration of war
b. US Forces Sweep to Victory
i. US had tremendous advantages during war
1. Larger, wealthier, more populous, arms, ammunition, and
superb officers.
2. West Point Military Academy
a. Created well trained officers
b. Zachary Taylor, Winfield Scott, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses
Grant, William t. Sherman
c. Practice for Civil War
ii. Extremely one sided war
1. Won every major battle
2. By 1847, American forces had achieved all of Polk’s war goals
3. Sept 1847, Scott captured Mexico City and ended war in less
than two years