MANIFEST DESTINY AND THE WAR WITH MEXICOIf the nation expands, so will slavery - ?

By 1860, more than 250,000 Americans had moved west along overland trails.

By 1850, more than 4 million people had moved past the Appalachian Mountains.

Squatter – a person who settles on land that they do not own.

Americans were also settling in Oregon Territory, California and Texas. These lands were partly owned or controlled by other nations (Britain and Mexico).

A typical trip west took about six months, with people being able to travel about 15 miles/day.

Early pioneers called the Great Plains the “Great American Desert” because it was treeless.

In spite of stories about Indian attacks, many natives were helpful to the early settlers.

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) – an attempt to make peace with the Plains Indians. The U.S. promised territory to the natives, but new settlers kept moving through.

TEXAS

Mexico owned Texas and wanted more settlers to move there. They offered cheap land to new settlers, convincing many Americans to move.

Stephen Austin became one of the first empresarios to convince many Americans to settle in Texas.

The Mexican government wanted the new settlers to adopt Mexican customs, learn Spanish and convert to Catholicism. Most did not and also did not associate with native Mexicans.

Mexico closed its borders in 1830.

1833, Stephen Austin started pushing for Texas’ independence. He tried to work out agreements with Mexican President Santa Anna.

In April, 1834, Santa Anna made himself dictator of Mexico. The next year, Austin urged Texans to organize an army and move toward independence.

THE ALAMO

The most famous battle between the Texans and Mexicans occurred at the Alamo. This was an old Spanish mission, where about 150 Texans held out to fight Santa Anna’s men.

The small band of Texans held out for 13 days. When Santa Anna’s forces attacked, the only survivors were women, children and a few servants.

Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie were among the dead.

“Remember the Alamo” became the new battle cry.

SAN JACINTO

Sam Houston, chief of the Texas forces, was waiting for a chance to fight Santa Anna. On April 21, 1836, while Santa Anna’s soldiers were napping in their camp, the Texans attacked.

The Mexican troops were so startled that Houston’s men were able to kill hundreds and take 700 prisoners, including Santa Anna.

Houston convinced Santa Anna to withdraw from Texas, and sign a treaty recognizing their independence. The Mexican government did not accept the treaty, but ended the military campaign. Texas became a nation.

Sam Houston was elected president of Texas in September of 1836.

Texas asked for annexation as a slave state. Mexico still claimed ownership of the territory. These reasons made statehood more difficult and Texas remained a separate nation for ten years.

In 1844, James K. Polk became President. His goal was to annex Texas and the Oregon Territory and to purchase California from Mexico.

Fifty-four Forty or Fight

Polk insisted that the US had rights to the entire Oregon Territory even though Britain had claimed the land for years.

Polk had campaigned with the slogan, “Fifty-four Forty or Fight” – meaning that the boundary should be drawn at the 54 40’ latitude line.

Britain and the US agreed to divide the territory along the 49th parallel. This later became the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

In 1845, Congress passed a resolution to annex Texas.

This outraged the Mexican government. To make matters worse, the two countries had disagreed over the border between Texas and Mexico.

Mexico set the border at the Nueces River, the US set it at the Rio Grande.

President Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico City to try to resolve the issue. The Mexican president wouldn’t even meet with him.

This ruined any real chances of settling the dispute.

In January, 1846, General Zachary Taylor led American troops into the disputed territory.

On May 9, Mexicans attacked the Americans, starting a war with Mexico.

The strategy involved crossing the Rio Grande, sending a force to capture Santa Fe, and then moving west to take California.

Before the war actually started, settlers in California led an uprising which resulted in California declaring independence.

General Winfield Scott captured Mexico City in September of 1847.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848. Mexico gave the US over 500,000 square miles and set the border with Texas at the Rio Grande River.

The US paid Mexico $15 million and cancelled $3.25 million in debts owed by the Mexican government.

IF THE NATION EXPANDS, WILL SLAVERY?