Transcript Expansion and Slavery

Manifest Destiny
Chapter 9
American expansionists had their eyes on Texas.
Only 4,000 Hispanic Tejanos lived there in 1821.
Mexico sought to defend and to develop Texas by inviting
settlers. They offered inexpensive land on three
conditions. Settlers had to:
•
accept Mexican citizenship.
•
worship in the Catholic Church.
•
follow the Mexican Constitution,
which did not permit slavery.
American settlers arrived, but tensions grew as
Americans ignored the Mexican government.
•
Led by Stephen F. Austin, 30,000 AngloTexans outnumbered the Tejanos six-to-one by
1835.
•
Many brought slaves and ignored the Church.
•
In 1834, Antonio López de Santa Anna
seized power in Mexico City, seeking greater
centralized control. But Texans wanted more
autonomy.
•
In 1835, Texans declared
independence for the
Lone Star Republic.
•
Santa Anna personally led
a siege of Texan forces at
the Alamo in San
Antonio.
•
After twelve days, he
stormed the mission and
executed any surviving
defenders, including Jim
Bowie and Davy Crockett.
Several weeks later, Santa Anna took Goliad
and again executed prisoners, in an attempt to
frighten Texas into surrender.
Instead, Santa Anna created a set of martyrs.
“Remember the Alamo,” became the Texans’
rallying cry.
Many Southerners were inspired to volunteer and
joined the Texans.
Sam Houston led a counterattack.
At the Battle of San Jacinto, Santa
Anna was defeated and taken
prisoner.
Houston later became president of
the Lone Star Republic.
After statehood in 1845, Houston
served as governor and then as
U.S. Senator from Texas.
Fearing execution, Santa Anna signed a treaty
expanding the Texas border to the Rio Grande and
giving half of New Mexico to the Texans.
• The
Mexican government refused to honor
this treaty demanding a return to the original
border at the Nuecos River.
• Fighting
would persist for ten years over the
disputed borderlands.
In 1844, expansionist James K. Polk
was elected president on a promise to
obtain both Oregon and Texas.
In Congress, northern Democrats
reluctantly agreed to annex Texas if all
of Oregon was also added.
Britain did not concede all of the territory. Rather then
fight, Polk made a deal to split Oregon and extend the
49th parallel border with Canada to the Pacific Ocean.
Northerners felt betrayed.
The United
States annexed
Texas in 1845,
leading to war
with Mexico.
•
President Polk claimed
all land as far as the
Rio Grande, tripling the
previous size of Texas.
•
General Zachary Taylor
was sent to occupy these
border lands.
•
Mexico objected to the
granting of statehood to
Texas and saw statehood
as an invasion of Mexican
territory.
When Mexican patrols killed American
soldiers, Congress declared war on Mexico.
• Southern
Democrats favored war, while
Northern Whigs felt that Polk deliberately
provoked Mexico.
• The
war was popular in the United States.
• Whigs
dropped their opposition, fearing they
would be labeled disloyal as the Federalists
were for opposing the War of 1812.
The United States easily defeated Mexico.
The U.S. had many advantages, including
greater wealth and a better-equipped
military.
General Winfield Scott led an
overwhelming campaign in Mexico from
Veracruz to Chapultepec, forcing Santa
Anna to abandon his capital Mexico City
and the war.
Halls of Montezuma
• Polk was excellent military planner
• Taylor occupied northern Mexico and John
C. Fremont established independent
Republic of California
• Winfield Scott and troops advanced
toward Mexico city while enduring tough
battles
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
• Nicholas P. Trist was peace commissioner
• Mexico accepted Rio Grande as border
with Texas and ceded New Mexico and
Upper California to the US
• US paid Mexico $15 million
• Polk wanted more but to get he’d have to
continue fighting an unpopular war
• Senate ratified for similar reasons
Slavery Question
•
•
New territories would be free or slave?
David Wilmot proposed anti-slavery laws in
any land from Mexico. Wilmot Proviso didn’t
pass Senate since southerners had power
• Calhoun argued Congress couldn’t control
• Two compromises offered
1. Polk and southerners liked plan to extend
Missouri Compromise line to Pacific
2. Senator Lewis Cass said let local leaders
decide (popular sovereignty)
Election of 1848
• Whigs- Zachary
Taylor
• Democrats- Lewis
Cass
• Free Soil- Van Buren
(Barnburners)
• Taylor won election
with 1.36 million to
Cass’s 1.22 million.
Van Buren got 10%
• Slavery issue never
discussed
Gold Rush
• Between 1849-60 over 200,000 people
went to California looking for gold
• Spanish population now minority
• Order difficult to keep, few women
• Taylor wanted California as state and
letting people decide on issue of slavery
• Outlawed; southerners angry since tipped
balance in Senate to North
Compromise of 1850
• Clay’s Proposal
-California admitted as free state
-SW territory had no mention of slavery
-Southerners could bring in slaves
-Slave trade (not slavery) over in DC
-Congress pass more effective fugitive
slave law
• Caused greatest debate in history of
Senate
• Calhoun demanded North yield on every
point and wanted right of states to secede
from Union
• Webster defended Clay’s proposal
• Taylor’s death and Milard Fillmore taking
over paved way for compromise
• Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois pushed
each measure through Senate separately