Chapter 17 Westward Movement 1810-1853
SECTION 1: Changes in the Spanish Borderlands:
MAIN IDEA: MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN LED TO THE ARRIVAL OF MORE
AMERICANS IN THE BORDER PROVINCES OF NEW MEXICO, CALIFORNIA AND
TEXAS.
OBJECTIVES:
1. What Conditions led to Mexican independence?
2. What new policies toward the provinces did the Mexican government put into effect?
3. How did Americans change life in New Mexico, California and Texas?
MEXICO’S FIRST CALL FOR REVOLT: 1810 in the town of Dolores
A. 1810 FATHER MIGUEL HIDALGO calls for a revolt against the Spanish.
B. His famous speech GRITO de DOLORES…” the Cry of Dolores”.
C. Thousands rally but the rebellion fails and Hidalgo is captured and executed by the Spanish.
D. Today HIDALGO is known as the FATHER OF MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE.
MEXICAN INDEPENDENCE: 1821 Mexico tries again.
A. AUGUSTIN de ITURBIDE gains so much support from the people, Spain gives in.
B. JUNE 30, 1821 Mexico becomes Independent, not a shot is fired.
C. ITURBIDE makes himself Emperor, he is a harsh ruler and is overthrown.
D. ANTONIO LOPEZ de SANTA ANNA would rule on and off for the next 30 years.
OPENING UP THE BORDER: Spanish Mercantilism ends with Mexican Independence.
A. Mexico opens its borders to trade and American settlement under 2 conditions.
a. Settlers had to become citizens of Mexico.
b. They had to become Catholics.
B. Men like WILLIAM BECKNELL saw an opportunity in the city of SANTA FE.
C. He loaded Conestoga Wagons with goods and set out to make huge profits.
D. He became known as the father of the SANTA FE TRAIL.
CHANGING CALIFORNIA: MISSIONS had to change with the new Government.
A. Mexico orders all Missions to give half their land back to the Indians.
B. Most land ends up in the hands of Rancheros who owned large areas of land called RANCHOS.
C. Most Indians worked on ranchos for clothes, food and shelter.
D. CALIFORNIOS also lived in CA. and traded with the east coast.
THE TEXAS BORDERLAND:
A. TEJANOS or Mexicans living in Texas began raising cattle and becoming very wealthy.
B. They were the predecessors for today’s American Cowboys
ANGLO-AMERICANS in TEXAS: Americans were in Texas before Mexican Independence.
A. MOSES AUSTIN asked the Spanish to live in Texas they said yes but he died before moving there.
B. 1821 STEPHEN AUSTIN, Moses’ son, moved there to settle permanently.
C. AUSTIN was the first of 25 people to settle Texas land grants.
D. By 1830 there were 30,000 Americans outnumbering the Tejanos 6 to 1, some were free slaves.
E. Most Anglo-Americans did not become Mexican citizens.
RISING TENSIONS: Anglo-Americans begin to rebel.
A. Americans did not like the Mexican meddling in their affairs.
B. The Mexican Gov. ended slavery in Mexico in 1829, AUSTIN convinced them to keep it in Texas.
C. 1830 Mexico is mad and changes its policy by:
a. Closes the border of Texas to Anglo-American settlement.
b. Banning new slaves in Texas.
c. Places high tariffs on U.S. goods.
SECTION 2: The Texas Revolution
MAIN IDEA: TEXANS LED BY SAM HOUSTON REVOLTED AGAINST MEXICO IN 1835, AFTER
HEAVY FIGHTING TEXAS ESTABLISHED AN INDEPENDENT REPUBLIC IN 1836.
OBJECTIVES:
1. What caused the crisis in tensions between Texas and Mexico?
2. How did Texans achieve independence form Mexico?
3. Why did Texas not immediately join the United States.
TEXAS in UPHEAVAL: Sam Houston was a tough man who lived with and respected Indians.
A. 1832 Sam Houston moves to Texas to Practice Law.
B. Resentment between Texans and Mexico’s Gov. were rising over the 1830s Policies.
C. Anglos also resented that all official documents were in Spanish and Texas was not independent.
D. Many wanted to break away from Mexico.
E. Stephen Austin went to Mexico City and Santa Anna lifted the immigration ban.
F. Then Texas-Coahuila allowed Self Government, approved English Language Documents, allowed
religious Freedom, this works for awhile.
WAR BREAKS OUT IN TEXAS/INDEPENDENCE
A. 1834 Santa Anna becomes Mexico’s Dictator and send troops and tax collectors to the provinces.
B. At the ALAMO MISSION in SAN ANTONIO the troops try to take away a canon.
C. The TEXANS refused to give it up and saying “come and take it” Santa Anna sends 6,000 troops.
FIGHT FOR THE ALAMO: William B. Travis, Davy Crocket and Jim Bowie were famous men at the Alamo
A. On Feb. 23 1836 Santa Anna attacked San Antonio flying a RED FLAG… (no prisoners).
B. The Texans defended the fort for 12 days, on the 13th day Mexican troops got over the walls.
C. The Texans ran out of Ammunition and fought HAND-TO-HAND.
D. All 183 Texas men died at the BATTLE OF THE ALAMO, first battle of Texas revolution
THE DEFEAT OF SANTA ANNA:
A. After the ALAMO Mexican troops attack James W. Fannin’s troops at GOLIAD, TX.
B. Texas troops at GOLIAD surrendered but SANTA ANNA had all 300 Shot.
C. SANTA ANNA then went after Sam Houston’s troops of Texans and Tejanos.
D. April 21st SANTA ANNA’s troops camped near the SAN JACINTO RIVER in TX.
E. When Houston’s troops did not attack at dawn SANTA ANNA’s troops relaxed and fell asleep.
F. HOUSTON’s troops made a surprise attack and defeated the Mexicans at the
“BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO” where SANTA ANNA was captured.
G. SAM HOUSTON becomes a Hero and Leader in the new Texas.
THE LONE STAR REPUBLIC: SEPTEMBER 1836.
A. 1836 Texas becomes the “LONE STAR REPUBLIC” a self-governing country.
B. SAM HOUSTON is the first PRESIDENT of the REPUBLIC.
C. Many Texans, now Americans, in 1836 The Lone Star Republic asked Congress to be ANNEXED.
D. Also because they feared Mexico might attack them again.
E. Many Northern Americans DID NOT want this because Texas was a slave state….????
F. They also felt it would lead to WAR with Mexico if they Annexed Texas.
G. Congress said NO and The Lone Star Republic remained independent for 10 more years.
SECTION 3: Across A Continent.
MAIN IDEA: MOUNTAIN MEN FOUND ROUTES TO THE WEST THAT LATER BECAME TRAILS
FOR WAGON TRAINS OF SETTLERS CROSSING THE CONTINENT.
OBJECTIVES:
1. What qualities did a mountain man need?
2. What was it like to travel on the Oregon Trail?
3. Why did Americans journey westward?
JEDEDIAH SMITH MOUNTAIN MAN:
A. Jedediah Smith became a Mountain Man at age 23, exploring the Rocky Mountains.
B. He was tough and a skilled tracker, pathfinder, hunter and trapper.
C. He got information from the CROW Indians about a way through the Rockies.
D. He led an expedition that found the SOUTH PASS, it was low open and a wagon could get through.
E. Thousands of people used the SOUTH PASS to get to the west.
THE OREGON COUNTRY:
A. The area surrounding the Columbia, Snake and Fraser Rivers.
B. Controlled by both the U.S. and the British.
C. The Hudson’s Bay Company controlled the fur trade in the area led by JOHN McLOUGHLIN.
D. Jedediah Smith was impressed with the wheat crop, fat cattle, fruit trees.
THE OREGON TRAIL:
A. 1st white people to cross the continent to Oregon were Methodist Missionaries.
B. They converted very few Indians but their descriptions of the rich forests and farmland would bring
thousands of settlers to the Oregon territory.
C. 1843 EMIGRANTS flooded the Oregon Trail that ran from Independence, MO. To Oregon and CA.
D. The trail crossed the Platte R. and ran through the South Pass into NOW northeast Utah, There it split.
E. One branch, “The California Trail” headed across the desert to CA. the other N & W to the Columbia
River.
LIFE ON THE TRAIL: From Independence, MO. It took 3-6 months to cross the country.
A. People followed the “Emigrant’s Guide” a book explaining what they needed to take on the trail.
B. EACH ADULT: 200 lbs. of flour, 150 lbs. bacon, 10 lbs. coffee, 20 lbs. sugar, 10 lbs. salt. ETC.
C. People traveled in wagon trains for safety, at night they would circle the wagons.
D. At first Indians helped them by trading wild game for cloth, needles and other goods.
THE MORMON MIGRATION: The Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints
A. This Church was founded by JOSEPH SMITH in 1830 they believed in Economic Cooperation and
polygamy ( the belief that a man can have more than one wife ).
B. This led to his murder in 1844.
C. The new leader BRIGHAM YOUNG took the “Church” out of the United States.
D. Known as “The Great Migration” the Mormons went to Utah and built SALT LAKE CITY.
SECTION 4: The Mexican War
MAIN IDEA: THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS WITH GREAT BRITAIN AND WAR WITH MEXICO, THE
U.S. EXPANDED ITS BORDERS TO THE PACIFIC OCEAN.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Why was the Presidential election of 1844 important?
2. What were the causes and effects of the Mexican War?
IMPORTANT: In 1844 Henry Clay was running for President against James K. Polk. CLAY was against the
annexation of Texas and POLK was for it.
POLK and OREGON:
A. Polk believed in MANIFEST DESTINY, so we should annex Texas and also OREGON.
B. His campaign slogan was 540 40 or fight. This is the northern border of OREGON.
C. 1844 POLK wins the election and MANIFEST DESTINY becomes government policy.
D. POLK negotiates with Britain and they divide the Oregon Country at the 49th Parallel, today’s U.S.
and Canadian border.
TROUBLE WITH MEXICO: Steps to the Mexican War
A. 1845 POLK and congress immediately ANNEXES TEXAS and claim its southern border the RIO
GRANDE RIVER.
B. Mexico was outraged; they said the border was at the NUECES RIVER, Negotiations FAILED.
C. A new Mexican Gov. claimed the land further north to the SABINE RIVER and called for WAR.
D. POLK sends General ZACHARY TAYLOR to the RIO GRANDE and Mexico attacks them.
E. MAY 1846 Congress declares war and the MEXICAN WAR begins.
EARLY PHASES of the WAR:
A. Americans in the South and West supported the war; SLAVERY (south) and more LAND (west).
B. Americans in Northeast saw it as a war of conquest.
C. POLK wanted New Mexico and California sends troops led by STEPHEN KEARNY.
D. KEARNY captures SANTA FE and all of New Mexico without firing a shot.
BEAR FLAG REVOLT:
A. JOHN C. FEMONT led a revolt in CALIFORNIA; captured the Mexican leader declared CA. the
BEAR FLAG REPUBLIC.
B. By the Fall of 1846 KEARNY’s troops arrive; by 1847 CA. was under American control.
DEFEATING MEXICO: U.S. FORCES INVADE FROM TWO DIRECTIONS
A. ZACHARY TAYLOR moved south from Texas beating Santa Anna at BUENA VISTA in 1847.
B. March 1847 WINFIELD SCOTT landed at VERA CRUZ and moved toward MEXICO CITY.
C. SCOTT’S troops met fierce resistance at CHAPULTAPEC where the Mexicans fought to the death.
D. Mexico City fell in Sept. 1847.
TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO: 1848 Ended the MEXICAN WAR
A. Mexico recognizes the RIO GRANDE as its northern border and Texas as part of the U.S.
B. Mexico ceded the MEXICAN CESSION which includes Present day:
a. California, Nevada, Utah.
b. And parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming
C. In return the U.S. pays Mexico $15 million in cash and $3.25 Million to Americans who Mexico
owed money.
D. 1853 Mexico sold the U.S. land across southern NM and AR. Called the Gadsden Purchase.
SECTION 5: The California Gold Rush: 1848
MAIN IDEA: THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN CALIFORNIA RESULTED IN A FLOOD OF
NEWCOMERS TO THE REGION.
OBJECTIVES:
1. What cultures existed in California before the Gold Rush?
2. What was life like in the mining camps and gold fields?
3. What were the effects of the Gold Rush?
SUTTER’S CALIFORNIA DREAM
A. 1834 JOHN SUTTER came from Switzerland to make his fortune in America.
B. After several failed business ventures the MEXICAN GOV. gave him permission to setup a colony
along the American River.
C. As he tried to build a sawmill GOLD was discovered on his property, destroying his CA. DREAM.
THE RUSH FOR GOLD:
A. 1849 After word spread the CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH WAS ON.
B. Tens of Thousands of people came by 1850, the CA. Population was 93,000 non-Indian.
C. Sutter lost everything, people killed and ate his cattle and trampled his wheat fields.
LIFE IN THE MINING CAMPS:
A. BOOMTOWNS popped up overnight along the rivers and streams of the Sierra Nevada Mts.
B. The Forty-niners were mostly men, very few brought their families.
C. Some women also mined, but most earned money cooking, washing or running boarding houses.
MINERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES:
A. People came from around the world especially CHINA, by 1851 1 in ten was CHINESE.
B. They worked for CHINESE landlords and called CA. GAM SAAN or “Golden Mountain”.
C. Due to PREJUDICE many were driven off their claims and made money cooking and washing.
EFFECTS OF THE GOLD RUSH:
A. Between 1849 and 1852, 250,000 people came to CA. and San Francisco became a center of
Banking, Shipping, Manufacturing and Trade.
B. Most who came were White Americans believing in Anglo-American heritage, Protestantism and the
superiority in the White race.
C. Eventually Anglo-American culture and law replaced Mexican culture.
D. Also the California Indian Population disappeared due to Disease, and Murder.
E. By 1870 the California Indian population went from 150,000 to 30,000.
F. 1850 California now applied for statehood as a FREE state this adds more fuel to the slavery issue.