Transcript TEXAS

TEXAS
Wilmot Proviso, 1846
Provided, territory from that, as an
express and fundamental condition to
the acquisition of any the Republic of
Mexico by the United States, by virtue
of any treaty which may be negotiated
between them, and to the use by the
Executive of the moneys herein
appropriated, neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude shall ever exist
in any part of said territory, except for
crime, whereof the party shall first be
duly convicted.
Congr. David Wilmot
(D-PA)
TEXAS INDEPENDANCE
 Mexico made a few mistakes.
 The land of Mexico had been settled for
hundreds of years by the Spanish.
 There were many cities, roads, Catholic
missions, and everyone spoke the same
language.
 Mexico opened this land to settlement by
Americans thinking Americans would
adopt the Mexican way of life. (THEY
WERE WRONG)
TEXAS INDEPENDANCE
 The northern parts of Mexico was full of
Native American groups such as the
Apache, Navajo, and Comanche.
 These groups were proud and fierce
warriors.
 Americans moving close to them had to be
tough, rugged, and ready to fight in an
instant.
 This is a hard group of people to control.
TEXAS INDEPENDANCE
 In order to draw in settlers, Mexico granted
huge chunks of land to impresarios,
Spanish for “contractors”.
 26 impresarios were allowed to draw in
settlers and rule the land they were given.
Each impresario was responsible for his
own protection, development, etc, but had to
pay taxes to the Mexican government.
Mexico its on Country
 Mexico had serious growing pains after
gaining its independence from Spain in
1821.
 Both America and Mexico wanted TEXAS.
Cultural Clash
 Americans in Mexico did not take on the
catholic and Spanish lifestyle that Mexico
expected.
 Mexicans became very suspicious of the
new and different American lifestyles.
 Conflicts erupted over who controlled the
empresarios lands: them or the distant
Mexican government.
Rebellion Begins
 In 1826, empresario Hayden Edwards
declared his land the independent nation
of Fredonia.
 He gained few followers.
 Stephen Austin, another empresario and
father of future nation Texas, crushed the
rebellion.
 Mexico feared this was the beginning of a
much larger rebellion.
Key Figures in Texas Independence, 1836
Sam Houston
(1793-1863)
Steven Austin
(1793-1836)
Hayden Edwards
Stephen Austin
The Republic of Texas
Mexico’s mistake
 To break ties to America, in 1830 Mexico
ordered the borders closed to new settlers.
 Mexico also imposed a high tax on imports
from the U.S.
 Mexico also banned slavery in the
Texas region.
 Faced with no way to increase population,
the loss of trade and slaves, the Texas
region revolted.
Texas’ First Moves
 In 1832, representatives from
around the area met at San
Felipe.
 Stephen Austin was elected
head of the convention. They
asked Mexico to relax the taxes
and re-open the borders to new
settlers.
 In 1833, they met again and
requested that the Texas region
become a separate Mexican
state and even drafted a
constitution for the new state.
Enter Antonio Lopez de Santa
Anna
 Texas has kept everything
peaceful up to this point.
 In the fall of 1833, Stephen
Austin sent a letter to
several empresarios that
suggested that the region
quietly and peacefully
begin organizing a new
state government.
 For this, Austin was
thrown in jail for over a
year without trial.
Santa Anna v. Sam Houston
Santa Anna makes his move
 April 1834, Mexican president Santa Anna
denounced the Mexican constitution and
declared himself dictator.
 In July 1835, Austin was released from
jail and quickly formed a Texas army led
by Sam Houston to defend against the
new dictator.
Fighting Starts
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The Early Battles
Gonzales
The Alamo
Goliad
Gonzales
 1835 – Mexican Army
demands the residents
of Gonzales surrender
a cannon and their
guns. Texans raise a
flag saying “Come and
Take It”
 Mexican army backs
down
Alamo
 March 6, 1836 Santa Ana’s army captures
the Alamo in San Antonio killing every
American inside
Remember the Alamo!
David "Davy" Crockett
(1786-1836)
 Less than one month later, however,
Crockett and a few of his fellow
Tennesseans were among the 189
defenders that sacrificed their lives at The
Battle of the Alamo in the interest on Texas
independence.
Remember the Alamo!
Davey Crockett’s Last Stand
The Battle of the Alamo
General Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna Recaptures the Alamo
Goliad
 March 27, 1836, Santa Ana’s army executes
300 American prisoners
Monument
to
massacre
at Goliad
San Jacinto
 April 21, 1836 Sam
Houston's army
captures Santa Ana.
The battle lasted 20
minutes but the killing
went on for hours.
Several hundred
Mexicans killed, 9
Texans killed.
The Texas Declaration of Independence
(March 2, 1836)
 The Texas Declaration of Independence
(March 2, 1836)
 San Jacinto
Sam Houston
Mexico’s Mistake #5
 After Texas’ victories, Mexican soldiers
were allowed to leave and return home.
 By executing the prisoners of the Alamo
and Goliad, Santa Anna enraged
everyone around the world.
 Rebels flooded the region wanting to fight
Santa Anna.
 If you know you’ll be killed if you
surrender, you fight a whole lot harder and
show no mercy yourself.
Santa Anna’s Leg
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He lost his leg in the French Pastry War, fought between France and Mexico in 1838. His
personal heroism in battle resulted in having several horses shot out from under him, and
the loss of half of his left leg.
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Then in 1847, facing the United States at the Battle of Cerro Gordo in Mexico, he
stopped paying attention to the war long enough to savor a roasted chicken. His
lunch was interrupted by the uninvited, unexpected regiment of Illinoisans, who
ate the general's chicken and carried off his new cork leg. Santa Anna hobbled
away to fight another day.
 The Volunteers regiment would eventually become the Illinois
National Guard, and its trophy of war, Santa Anna's cork leg, now
resides in the Guard's museum, Camp Lincoln in Springfield.
Artificial legs aren't as funny as they were in the 1850s, when
veterans charged a nickel or a dime for curiosity seekers to
handle the leg in hotel bars.
French Pastry War 1838-1839
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Mexico v. France
France won
Santa Anna Lost his Leg
We will fight again against Mexico in the
The U.S.-Mexican War—(1846-1848): or
known as the Mexican-American War
The Republic of Texas
 In September 1836, Representatives of
Texas voted 3277 to 91 for annexation (to
join) with the U.S. as a slave state
 Pres. Andrew Jackson did not wish to risk
war with Mexico who was still claiming to
own Texas so he did nothing to recognize
the new nation until his last day in office.
Section 3 – War with Mexico
 Texas continued to be an area of dispute
 Pres. John Tyler wanted Texas to be annexed as a slave
state. There were many people living in Texas that owned
slaves already.
 John Tyler thought that by making Texas a slave state it
would help him get elected for a second term. He was very
wrong.
 James K Polk – elected in 1844; promised to annex TX and
OR
 TX joined the union in 1845; 9 years after independence
James K Polk Won the Election
of 1844
James K Polk
 Democrat
 From Tennessee
 Promised to annex
Texas and Oregon into
the Union.
 Texas-Slave
 Oregon-Free
 This would balance out
the Union.
James K Polk
 He was a strong supporter of Manifest
Destiny and campaigned on his support
for westward expansion.
Whig candidates, Henry Clay and
Theodore Frelinghuysen
Democrat candidates James Polk and
George Mifflin Dallas
President James K. Polk
Vowed to serve only one
term
At 49, youngest president at
that time
Listed four goals for his
presidency
The first goal was the reestablishment of the
Independent Treasury System
Polk was called “Young
Hickory” after President
Jackson
Second, tariff reductions
Third, he wanted to settle
the Oregon boundary dispute
with Great Britain
Fourth, he wanted to
purchase California from
Mexico
Polk’s Cabinet: 1845
What about Oregon?
 The British still felt as if they had claims to the Oregon
country.
 Polk said, “the United States has clear and unquestionable
right to it.”
 Polk’s supporters said “FIFTY-FOUR FORTY OF FIGHT”
 Saying that Americans get all of Oregon from the 54 and 40
latitude line.
 1846 America and Britain had a compromise. We got
Oregon from the 49 North latitude. Everything but
Vancouver Island.
The Oregon Dispute: 54’ 40º or Fight!
 By the mid-1840s,
“Oregon Fever” was
spurred on by the
promise of free land.
 The joint British-U. S.
occupation ended in
1846.
President Polk wanted control of the Oregon Territory
and was willing to go to war with Britain. “54º40' or
fight” was his position. The Oregon dispute was settled
peacefully on the 49° in the Treaty of Oregon in 1846.
What the U.S. wanted
What the U.S. and
Britain agreed on
What Britain wanted
War with Mexico
 Mexico broke relation with the US; had
never recognized TX independence
 Boundaries were also disputed by US and
Mexico
 Polk sent John Slidell as an envoy, or
representative, to Mexico City to purchase
California. The Mexican president, Jose
Joaquin Herrera, would not even meet with
him.
The Mexican-American War
 The Mexican-American War was the first major conflict
driven by the idea of "Manifest Destiny"; the belief that
America had a God-given right, or destiny, to expand the
country's borders from 'sea to shining sea'.
 This belief would eventually cause a great deal of suffering
for many Mexicans, Native Americans and United States
citizens.
 Following the earlier Texas War of Independence from
Mexico, tensions between the two largest independent
nations on the North American continent grew as Texas
eventually became a U.S. state.
John Slidell
Jose Joaquin Herrera
The war with Mexico sparked sectional
conflict
Battle of Churubusco
August 20, 1847
The war was the ultimate extension of Manifest Destiny: the
belief that Americans had a God given destiny to take over the
entire North American continent.
Telegraph
The Mexican-American war was the first war where news about the
fighting could be transmitted quickly through the use of the new
telegraph.
Samuel F.B. Morse came up with the idea of a communications
system using the electro-magnet and a series of relays through a
network of telegraph stations. In order to transmit messages in this
system, he invented Morse Code, an alphabet of electronic dots and
dashes. The system made communication across the country much
faster than ever before.
War for
War with Mexico
 Polk wanted Mexico to fire the first shot;
sent troops across the Nueces River.
 He sent Gen. Zachary Taylor.
 May 9th 1846, Word got back that a group
of Mexican soldiers had attacked.
 US was at war “by the act of Mexico
herself”