Chapter 13: Manifest Destiny
Section 2: The Texas Revolution
Today we’re going to look at
Mexicans and Americans
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And how one group – especially the immigrants
are causing all kinds of problems.
No one wants these immigrants to be there –
they should go back home to their own country.
They always break laws – they’re all a bunch of
criminals.
They don’t understand how to live in their new
country.
They take advantage of money and tax
situations in their new country.
Around 1800
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There was some Spanish
land near the Louisiana
Territory called Tejas.
Parts of this land had
great forests.
Parts had great farmland.
Parts had huge grazing
land for cattle.
There were some good
rivers leading to the Gulf
of Mexico.
But not many Tejanos lived in Mexico
(Spanish people who lived in Mexico)
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Comanche, Apache,
and other tribes
fought against more
Spanish people
settling in Texas
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The Spanish wanted
more Spanish settlers
to move there – to
help fight the Native
Americans – and keep
out Americans
They just couldn’t find any Spanish
settlers who would move there
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So they started letting some
Americans come – like Moses
Austin and his son Stephen
Austin.
But in 1820: Mexico gained
its Independence from Spain.
Mexico wouldn’t let them have
this land for free like the
Spanish did.
The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is
not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from
mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the
first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico.
The American settlers had to agree
to live by certain rules:
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They had to become
Mexican citizens.
The had to become
members of the Catholic
Church.
Stephen Austin even
required that his settler
families were moral,
would work hard, and
would not drink.
But more and more Americans moved into
Texas (The Mexican Territory of Texas)
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It got to the point where
Mexico said there were too
many Americans immigrating
to their land.
Very few of these immigrants
spoke the Mexican language –
and refused to learn.
Mexicans thought the
Americans were difficult to live
with (they always wanted
special treatment).
Americans seemed unwilling to
adapt to Mexican laws.
The Mexican Government decided to crack
down on all these immigrants
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They tried to stop American immigration.
The Mexicans made Texan settlers pay taxes for the first time.
They sent more Mexican troops to Texas to enforce the new rules.
There’s talk of a rebellion
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And eventually there
is one – between
American settlers in
Mexico’s Texas – and
the Mexican
government.
There actually ends
up being a war
between the two
One of the more famous places they fought:
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At an old mission near where
San Antonio is today.
About 200 members of the
Texas army fought against
2000 Mexican forces.
They actually held them off
during a 13 day siege (36),
but eventually ran out of
ammunition and supplies.
The battle cry of this war
became:
“Remember the Alamo”
Surrounding and trying
to capture something
The Alamo - San Antonio, TX
The Alamo Site, History, Pictures,
News, & More
Another famous battle
took place at San Jacinto
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In this battle half the
Mexican army died in
an 18 minute span.
Mexican General
Santa Anna was
forced to sign a peace
treaty – giving Texas
its freedom, and its
independence.
Texas became: The Lone Star Republic
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It was it’s own country (even
though it kept asking the U.S.
if it could be added as a new
state.
The U.S. kept saying no – it
would probably become a
slave state.
That would make one more
slave than free states.
Mexico would probably end up
wanting to go to war with the
United States – and not just
Texas.
So it’s true about
Mexicans and Americans
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



And how one group – especially the immigrants
are causing all kinds of problems.
No one wants these immigrants to be there –
they should go back home to their own country.
They always break laws – they’re all a bunch of
criminals.
They don’t understand how to live in their new
country.
They take advantage of money and tax
situations in their new country.