The Road to the Mexican War

1
The Road to the Mexican War

• 1821-1848

2
Texas

• Originally claimed by Spain
• 1821- Mexico gets independence from Spain Texas
  now part of a northern state of Mexico
• Mexico wants to develop Texas
• Offers free land grants under two conditions
• Obey Mexican law and follow Catholicism

3
Stephen F. Austin

• 1823- led 300 families to Texas ( the old 300)
  many independent Scotch-Irish
• Each family- 200 acres for farming 13,000 acres
  for grazing 6 year exemption on taxes
• Other Americans convinced to settle in Texas
• By 1830- 20,000 white Americans and thousands of
  slaves in Texas
• Developed a Texican culture

4
Mexican Reaction

• 1829- Mexico abolished slavery
• 1830- stops all immigration to Texas because of
  slavery and Protestantism
• Tariff on American goods
• Mexican army to enforce Mexican law
• 1833- Stephen F. Austin- went to Mexico City to
  petition the government to make Texas a separate
  state within Mexico
• Austin arrested for treason and spent 18 months
  in a Mexican jail
• Relations between Texans and Mexicans grew worse

5
The Texas Revolution

• 1835-1836
• Battles between Texans and Mexicans
• Feb.23-March 6, 1836- the battle of the Alamo
• Mexican victory led by President Santa Anna
• March 2,1836- Texas declared their independence-
  the Lone Star Republic
• Wrote a constitution and had a provisional
  president and vice president

6
Texas Victory

• April, 1836- Battle of San Jacinto
• Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna
• Santa Anna captured and forced to sign a peace
  treaty
• Mexico recognized Texas independence Rio Grande
  was the border Santa Anna set free
• Returns back to Mexico and refused to recognize
  the treaty signed under duress
• Sam Houston elected President

7
The Texas Question

• 1836-Britain and France recognized Texas as the
  Lone Star Republic and hoped to establish close
  ties with Texas
• March, 1837- U.S. recognizes Texas
• Question- Should the U.S. annex Texas?
• Abolitionists-no because of slavery
• Northern Whigs- no because several slave states
  could be organized from Texas
• South-yes

8
Friction with Mexico

• 1843- Santa Anna notified the U.S. that Mexico
  would declare war if the U.S. annexed Texas
• 1843- S/S John C. Calhoun notified President Sam
  Houston that the U.S. wanted to talk about
  annexation
• 1844-Treaty between the U.S. and Texas drawn up
  but rejected by the Senate because of slavery and
  a possible war with Mexico
• President Tyler tried to pass a joint resolution
  of Congress annexing Texas but Congress adjourned

9
The Election of 1844

• Democrats dont nominate Van Buren because he is
  against Texas nominate James K. Polk- wants
  Oregon and Texas
• Whigs-Tyler not renominated but rather Clay
• Clay uncertain about Texas
• Liberty Party- northern Whigs supported James
  Birney
• Polk wins and Democrats control Congress
• Clearly a mandate for territorial expansion

10
The Annexation of Texas

• February, 1845-Tyler gets a joint resolution of
  Congress
• Resolution provided-Texas comes into the Union as
  a state not a territory
• Might be divided into as many as 5 states
• Texas pay its own debt
• The Missouri Compromise line would allow slavery
  in Texas
• Dec. 1845- Texas admitted into the U.S.

11
The Causes of the Mexican War

• Mexico considered the annexation of Texas a
  hostile act and warned it would lead to war
• After annexation- border dispute- U.S.-Rio
  Grande Mexico- Nueces River
• U.S. intrusions in California and the Bear Flag
  Revolt in June, 1845
• Manifest Destiny and territorial expansion
• Immediate cause- confrontation between U.S. and
  Mexican troops in the disputed area in January,
  1846