| Date post: | 03-Jan-2016 |
| Category: |
Documents |
| Upload: | julianna-blair |
| View: | 218 times |
| Download: | 4 times |
“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 Rebellion3) 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 Rebellion10) 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 Destiny2) 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
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.”
VS.
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 Mexico5) 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 Guadalupe-
Hildalgo 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 fur-trading 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 Questions4 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)
