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Why did American settlers in Texas come into conflict with Mexico?
How did the siege of the Alamo become a rallying cry for Texans?
How did Texas become an independent nation?
What challenges did the Lone Star Republic face?
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In 1821, Mexico won independence from
Spain.
Mexico wanted settlers to settle an area called Texas.
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Mexico asks for
American settlers
Battle of San Jacinto
Texas declares independence
(1836)
Battle of the Alamo
(1836)
They must:
1. Become Mexican citizens
2. Become Catholics
3. Obey Mexican laws
Santa Anna wants to enforce laws
1845: Polk annexes
Texas
(Manifest Destiny)
WAR WITH
MEXICO
(1846-48)
Mexico loses and gives up land
(Mexican Cession)
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Texas claimed much more land than their original colony. It claimed all land north of the Rio Grande
River.
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By the time Santa
Anna reached San
Antonio with 6,000 troops, about 150
Texans had taken up positions in an old
Spanish mission called the Alamo.
The Texans had little ammunition, food, water, or medicine.
On February 23, 1836,
Mexican troops began a siege— enemy forces try to capture a position by surrounding and bombarding it.
The American commander, William
Travis, sent a message asking for aid. He sent scouts to find volunteers and food. About 40 men joined the fighters in the Alamo.
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The siege continued for 12 days. Finally, on March 6, 1836 a Mexican cannon shattered the mission walls. Thousands of Mexican soldiers poured over the walls, shouting “Viva Santa Anna!”
About 180 Texans and almost 1,500
Mexicans lay dead.
Among the dead were Jim Bowie and
Davy Crockett,
The fall of the Alamo ignited cries for revenge. “Remember the Alamo!” became a rallying cry as Texans fought for independence
.
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A few weeks after the Alamo, Mexican troops killed several hundred Texas soldiers after they had surrendered at Goliad. This action made Texans furious.
On April 21, 1836, Texans surprised Santa Anna and his army near the San Jacinto River. In the Battle of San Jacinto , the outnumbered Texans defeated the Mexicans. The next day, the Texans captured
Santa Anna and forced him to sign a treaty granting Texas independence .
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Texans nicknamed their new nation the Lone Star
Republic . They wrote a constitution modeled after the United States Constitution. Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas.
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The government of Mexico refused to accept the treaty Santa Anna had signed. For Mexicans, Texas was still part of their country.
Texas was nearly bankrupt.
Comanches and other Indian groups threatened to attack Texan communities.
To face these challenges, most Texans thought Texas should become part of the United States. In the United States, people were divided over whether to annex , or add on, Texas.
White southerners generally favored the idea.
1.
Antislavery northerners opposed it.
2.
Andrew Jackson thought annexation would cause war with Mexico; therefore, Congress refused to annex Texas.
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One situation that led Texans to rebel against Mexico was that a) Santa Anna had declared himself dictator of Mexico.
b) Mexico invited too many Americans to settle in Texas.
c) Mexico allowed German and Swiss settlers to move in.
d) they let the Alamo’s walls crumble from disuse.
When Texas became an independent nation, one problem it faced was that a) it attracted new settlers.
b) most Texans opposed slavery.
c) it was nearly bankrupt.
d) there was no one to act as president.
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One situation that led Texans to rebel against Mexico was that a) Santa Anna had declared himself dictator of Mexico.
b) Mexico invited too many Americans to settle in Texas.
c) Mexico allowed German and Swiss settlers to move in.
d) they let the Alamo’s walls crumble from disuse.
When Texas became an independent nation, one problem it faced was that a) it attracted new settlers.
b) most Texans opposed slavery.
c) it was nearly bankrupt.
d) there was no one to act as president.
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