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“Gone to Texas”
1) In 1819, Secretary of State John
Quincy Adams negotiated the
terms of the Adam-Onis
treaty with Spain. Under this
agreement, Spain ceded the
Florida territory in exchange
for a surrender of U.S. claims
to Texas. However, Mexico
declared its independence
from Spain in 1821 and the
sparsely settled province of
Texas was reopened to
American settlement in 1823.
“Gone to Texas”
?
2) The explosion of “King Cotton” during the early 1800s
produced rapid expansion and settlement of the
southwestern United States. The “Deep South” states of
Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas was a
blanket of cotton picked by black slaves.
“Gone to Texas”
4) In 1823, the Mexican
government under Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna granted
a huge tract of Texas to
Stephen F. Austin with the
understanding that he would
bring three hundred Roman
Catholic American families to
settle the territory along the
Brazos River.
“Gone to Texas”
8) By 1835, the 35,000 American settlers in Texas outnumbered the
native Mexican population in the territory by a ratio of 10 to 1.
Several disputes between American settlers and Mexican
authorities forced Stephen F. Austin to travel to Mexico City to
negotiate with the government in 1833. When Austin arrived,
Mexican dictator Santa Anna had him arrested and imprisoned for
eight months.
The Lone Star Rebellion
1) In an effort to gain control of its northern province,
Mexican dictator Santa Anna eliminated all local rights
and began to raise an army to suppress the
troublesome Texans. In March 1836, the Texans
declared their independence and nominated Sam
Houston as their Commander in Chief.
The Lone Star Rebellion
2) A few days after Texas independence, over 5,000 Mexican forces
under the command of Santa Anna trapped 200 Texas
revolutionaries within the walls of an old Spanish mission in San
Antonio known as the Alamo. Commander William B. Travis
refused to submit, declaring, “I shall never surrender nor
retreat…Victory or Death.”
The Lone Star Rebellion
3) The revolutionary forces
under Sam Houston
were unable to attack
the Mexican Army in
order to relieve the
forces within the Alamo.
After a thirteen day
siege and
bombardment, Santa
Anna raised a blood red
flag to signify that the
defenders would be
given “no quarter.”
The Lone Star Rebellion
8) In the months following the
Alamo, Sam Houston lured
the Mexican forces to a bend
in the San Jacinto River. Santa
Anna believed that he had the
Texans surrounded and he
decided to wait a few days
before planning his attack.
On April 21st, 1836, Houston
suddenly turned the Texas
forces and unexpectedly
attacked the Mexicans during
their afternoon siesta
(afternoon rest).
The Lone Star Rebellion
10) Santa Anna was later captured
near the battlefield and was
forced to sign two treaties,
agreeing to withdraw Mexican
forces from the territory and
recognizing the Rio Grande River
as the southwestern border of
independent Texas. After being
released by Houston, Santa Anna
claimed that the treaties were
illegitimate because they were
signed under force.
The Lone Star Rebellion
11) Texas independence was celebrated in America as a
great victory and President Andrew Jackson officially
recognized their independence. However, Mexican
authorities made it clear that they still considered Texas
as a province in revolt. The United States would be
risking war with Mexico if Texas was annexed as a state.
The Lone Star Rebellion
12) Americans were divided over the question of Texas.
Southerners rejoiced over Texas independence and
desperately wanted to add the new territory.
Abolitionists in the North bitterly opposed the
annexation because it would result in the extension of
slavery. This bitter debate would force Texas to remain
independent for eleven years as the “Lone Star”
Republic.
Manifest Destiny
1) In an 1845 essay titled Annexation, journalist
John L. O’Sullivan made an impassioned
argument for the annexation of Texas.
Sullivan wrote that it was America’s “manifest
destiny to overspread the continent allotted
by Providence for the free development of our
yearly multiplying millions.”
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny - Concept that God ordained
(approved) US expansion across the continent
to spread our government (democracy) & faith
(protestant Christianity)
Manifest Destiny
2) The term “Manifest Destiny”
coined by O’Sullivan became the
catch phrase for American’s
intense desire to settle western
territories. Americans saw
westward expansion as a
birthright and many believed that
it was part of God’s divine plan
for the United States. Many
politicians of the era encouraged
expansionism by declaring that it
was the “Manifest Destiny” of the
United States to extend our
western border to the Pacific
Ocean.
Manifest Destiny
Ex. – Western adventurer John Gilpin wrote, “The American
realizes that 'Progress is God.' The destiny of the American
people is to subdue the continent -- to rush over this vast field
to the Pacific Ocean... to change darkness into light and
confirm the destiny of the human race... Divine task!
Immortal mission! The pioneer army perpetually... strikes to
the front. Empire plants itself upon the trails.”
Manifest Destiny
3) Events like the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the Lewis and Clark
expedition, the War of 1812, and Spain’s 1819 surrender of the
Florida territory only fueled American desires to spread
westward. The march of Manifest Destiny during the 1830s
and 40s extended American settlement to the northern
Mexican province of Tejas (Texas), the vast Northwest territory
of Oregon, and the long Pacific coastline of California.
James K. Polk and the Election of 1844
VS.
4) In the Election of 1844, the Whigs nominated party leader Henry
Clay of Kentucky as their candidate for President. Soon the
expansionist wing of the Party united behind obscure westerner,
James K. Polk of Tennessee. Polk was the Democratic Speaker of
the House and had served two terms as the Governor of
Tennessee. He was personally supported by Andrew Jackson and
was touted by the Democrats as a “Young Hickory.”
James K. Polk and the Election of 1844
6) James K. Polk and the Democrats strongly supported an
expansionist platform and called for the annexation of Texas and
Oregon. Henry Clay tried to take both sides of the Texas issue by
stating that he personally favored annexation, but also favored a
postponement of the issue. Southerners felt that this was too
light of a commitment and anti-slavery Northerners were
alienated by Clay’s questionable support of the South.
James K. Polk and the Election of 1844
8) The prevailing spirit of Manifest Destiny gave the
Democrats a decided advantage. President James K.
Polk governed over the greatest period of expansionism
in American history. In four years, Polk annexed Texas,
settled the dispute over the Oregon Territory, and
engineered a war with Mexico for the California
Territory.
Problems with Mexico
1) Despite grave warnings from the Mexican government, the “Lone
Star” Republic of Texas was finally annexed by the United States
in early 1845. Based on the treaties signed by Santa Anna after
the Battle of San Jacinto, Texas claimed the Rio Grande River as its
southern and western boundary. Mexico claimed the Nueces
River as its boundary line.
Problems with Mexico
5) Upon the annexation of Texas, a
detachment of troops under
General Zachary Taylor was sent
to Corpus Christi, Texas to ensure
the defense of the new territory.
However, General Taylor was
specifically instructed to remain
north of the Nueces River while
the U.S. attempted to negotiate
with Mexico. Once Slidell’s
negotiations failed, President
Polk ordered General Taylor to
move 4,000 men south to the
northern bank of the Rio Grande
on January 13th, 1846.
Problems with Mexico
7) Ironically, as Polk presented his cabinet with a weak list of
provocations, news arrived that Mexican cavalry had crossed the
Rio Grande and attacked a small U.S. patrol on April 25th. Polk
sent a forceful war message to Congress, declaring that, “Mexico
has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our
territory and shed American blood on the American soil.”
Problems with Mexico
14) Despite scattered opposition, the nation overwhelmingly
supported the war against Mexico. Assertions of Manifest
Destiny often accompanied justifications for the war. Some
Americans felt justified by the prospect of spreading democracy,
others believed the Mexicans to be racially inferior and felt
compelled to take their lands in the name of progress.
The Mexican American War
3) Mexico was so politically and economically unstable that it was
unable to defend against an overwhelming American invasion.
The sparsely settled northern territories of California and New
Mexico were easily taken by U.S. troops before significant
Mexican forces could be dispatched to defend them. The war was
relatively brief, with only 18 months of actual fighting.
The Mexican American War
4) American forces easily conquered the entire nation with a three
pronged invasion:
A) General Taylor moved his troops south to take Monterrey and
Buena Vista in central Mexico
B) General Winfield Scott landed the bulk of the army at Vera Cruz and
marched inland to take the capital of Mexico City
C) General Stephen Kearney and General John C. Fremont took
California and New Mexico
C) Mexico City
3) The bulk of Winfield Scott’s Army marched west and
eventually took Mexico City by September 1847.
Mexico City fell soon after American forces took the
hillside castle of Chapultepec.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
1) In a small town of GuadalupeHildalgo outside of Mexico
City, it was finally negotiated
that Mexico would surrender
California, New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and
Texas to the Rio Grande. The
United States agreed to
forgive all Mexican debt and
pay $15 million dollars for
the ceded territory.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
2) Anti-slavery Whigs opposed the treaty
because they wanted none of Mexico and
Southern extremists opposed it because
the wanted all of Mexico.
3) American troops lost 13,000 men during the
war, with close to 90% as a result of
disease.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
4) The war would also serve as a training ground for
many future Generals of the Civil War like Robert
E. Lee, Thomas J. Jackson, and Ulysses S. Grant.
Oregon Treaty
1) By the mid 1840s American settlement in Oregon had
greatly outpaced the British. Over 5000 American
pioneers had settled in the Willamette River Valley,
south of the Columbia River. British settlers north of the
Columbia only numbered around 700.
Oregon Fever
3) Both nations could point to previous exploration to
defend their claims to Oregon. The British had
extensively explored the Columbia River and the
Hudson Bay Company had established several furtrading outposts north of the river. With only sparse
settlement, the 1804-06 Lewis and Clark expedition was
the basis for the American claim to Oregon.
Oregon Treaty
2) The British offered to settle
the Oregon dispute by
surrendering the territory
south of the Columbia
River. During the election
of 1844, James K. Polk
and the Democrats boldly
demanded that the
British surrender the
entire Oregon territory to
the United States.
Oregon Treaty
5) The British had no desire to fight a war over far-flung
territory and they agreed to divide Oregon at the 49th
parallel. The Oregon Treaty was a great diplomatic
victory, but many expansionist Northerners were
incensed that President Polk settled for only half of
Oregon when he had demanded all of Texas.
Review Questions
4 Units
– Unit #1 Colonization: Early America (Columbus-1700s)
• (Native Americans - Colonies)
– Unit #2 The Revolutionary Period (1760s – 1780)
• (French and Indian War - Revolutionary War - Major Events and
People)
– Unit #3 The Early National Period (1780 – 1824)
• Part 1 (Articles of Confederation - Constitution – Washington)
• Part 2 ( Jefferson - War of 1812 - Missouri Compromise)
– Unit #4 The Age of Jackson (1824 – 1850)
• ( Election of 1824 – Mexican American War – Manifest Destiny)