Bellwork During colonial America, why did the colonists move west? Do you think that they might have had a different reason to move west during the mid- 1800’s?

American History Section 11, Unit 1 Lure of the West

Objectives What arguments did western expansionists use to win support for their views? Why did the Mexican government invite American settlers into Texas? What conflicts between the Texans and Mexican government led to revolution? How did Texas independence affect Tejanos?

Expansion Before 1820, few Americans ventured into Spanish territories of Texas, California, and New Mexico– even fewer went into the distant Oregon Country. However, after 1820, U.S. settlers became driven by economic opportunities to go to the Far West.

Manifest Destiny In 1845, the magazine editor John L. O’Sullivan coined the phrase Manifest Destiny. – It was the idea that the U.S. was destined to extend its territory to the Pacific Ocean. O’Sullivan urged the U.S. to ignore other claims to the territory.

Manifest Destiny “Away, away with all these cobweb tissues of rights of discovery, exploration, settlement… The American claim is by the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence [God] has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty.” –John O’Sullivan Question: What is O’Sullivan saying?

Manifest Destiny Many Americans supported manifest destiny. Northerners troubled by economic instability and urban crowding believed that expansion would lessen population pressures and would create new markets. Southerners were hungry for more land to produce cotton.

Manifest Destiny However, the South had to counter northern fears of the spread of slavery. Southern states suggested that if they moved west, the Upper South wouldn’t use slaves anymore and would shift the slave population westward. – The argument appealed to northern whites who opposed slavery, but did not want free blacks to live amongst them.

Oppositions Not all Americans supported manifest destiny. Some objected to expansion because the lands were already claimed by other nations. Others feared that expansion would produce a nation too large to govern. – Most Americans, however, saw the new land and opportunity as a reason to spread westward.

Mexican Texas U.S. settlement in foreign territory was very visible in the Mexican territory of Texas. By 1815, a few hundred Americans already crossed the Sabine and Red rivers and settled in northeastern Texas.

Mexican Texas The immigration increased after Mexico won its independence in After more than 10 years of fighting Spanish rule, Mexicans established the Independent Republic of Mexico. Mexican authorities encouraged U.S. immigration to it’s northern territory to boost Texas’s non-Indian population– which was about 4,000 in 1821.

Mexican Texas Officials hoped that more non-Natives would act as a barrier between Mexico’s northern settlements and the Apache and Comanche raiders. The tactic was risky, since Mexican officials feared that the U.S., which tried to buy Texas, would take the territory.

Mexican Texas A few thousand Tejanos– native Mexicans living in Texas– stood little chance of blocking invasion from the U.S. However, Mexico had hoped to recruit American settlers and turn them into loyal Mexican citizens.

Mexican Texas Mexico was assured by the belief that with enough loyal Americans on their side, they can build a defensive force large enough to prevent U.S. invasion. As a precaution, however, the Mexican government planned to recruit other foreign settlers to offset American presence.

Mexican Texas To also create more safeguards, Mexico did not open settlement to just anyone. Mexico gave generous land grants to empresarios– businesspeople– who agreed to recruit and take responsibility for new settlers. These businesspeople attracted thousands to come to Texas. Stephen F. Austin-- empresario

Mexican Texas Now while most contracts were given to empresarios, some were given to Tejanos and prominent Americans. Between them, the empresarios relocated around 7,000 Americans to Texas. Question: how might the sudden influx of Americans into Mexican Texas cause a problem?

Revolution Stirs By 1830, non-Mexicans outnumbered the Tejanos by about two to one. They new arrivals made very little effort to learn Mexican culture or learn Spanish. In 1830, Mexico, fearing rebellion or a U.S. invasion, closed the Texas border to further immigration from the U.S. and stopped the importation of slaves into their territory.

Revolution Stirs However, such actions did not prevent immigration. By 1835, approximately 25,000 Americans, including 3000 slaves, lived in Texas– some illegally.

Revolution Stirs The recent immigrants deeply resented the 1830 measures. Slaveholders feared that Mexican authorities would soon stop slavery– a justified fear as they had banned slavery in 1827.

Revolution Stirs However, the Texans had negotiated a law to classify slaves as indentured servants. If the law were overturned, however, then the cotton industry in Texas would collapse.

Revolution Stirs In 1834, the tense situation got worse when General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna seized control of the Mexican government. Santa Anna eliminated state representation by replacing elected representatives with his own appointees.

Texas Revolution The loss of state power angered the residents of Mexican states– including Texas. Outraged American settlers and Tejanos rose up to revolt in Small rebellions and skirmishes turned into the full-scale rebellion known as the Texas Revolution. Green- disputed areas of Texas and Mexico Orange- accepted territory of Texas

Texas Revolution In December of 1835, Texas rebels captured San Antonio. Other volunteers soon joined them. Santa Anna, leading several thousand Mexican troops, arrived at San Antonio in February 1836 to restore Mexican rule.

Texas Revolution From the Alamo, a stronghold built by Spanish missionaries, 187 Texas rebels fought off repeated attacks by Santa Anna’s troops. Two months later, the Mexican troops overran the Alamo and killed all 187 rebels, while sparing 30 citizens.

Texas Revolution The Mexican’s paid a heavier price for the Alamo, however, losing around 1,500 soldiers. However, the Mexicans won several more battles, including defeating the Texas army near Goliad and executing around 350 prisoners.

Texas Revolution The Texans– who declared independence on March 2– were shaken by these defeats. However, on April 21, 1836, the Texas Army fell under the command of Sam Houston.

Texas Revolution Under Houston, a Texas army surprised Santa Anna near the San Jacinto River, shouting “Remember the Alamo!” and “Remember Goliad!”

Texas Revolution During this battle, the Texans killed about 630 Mexican troops in less than 20 minutes and took Santa Anna prisoner in the Battle of San Jacinto. With his troops diminished and supplies low, Santa Anna agreed to remove his troops and grant Texas its independence.

Outcome Texans set up the independent Republic of Texas, electing Sam Houston the first president and Lorenzo de Zavala the first vice president. The Mexican government refused to recognize the Republic. Lorenzo de Zavala

Republic of Texas In 1837, Sam Houston petitioned the U.S. Congress for annexation (to join the nation), to no avail. Northern delegates feared another slave state joining the union and feared the reaction by the Mexican government. From 1836 to 1845, Texas existed as a independent republic– the Lone Star Republic.

Life in the Republic One of the Republic’s first tasks was to bring more settlers to Texas. In 1842, the Texas congress awarded Henri Castro, a French banker, an empresario grant in central Texas. In 1844, Castro brought in his first 35 French colonists to found the town of Castroville west of San Antonio. First flag of the Lone Star Republic

Life in the Republic The Texas government also allowed a German company to recruit settlers in The company’s principle agent, Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels and several German families founded New Braunfels in central Texas. Between 1844 and 1847, around 7,000 German settlers poured into the land. Question: While these immigrants fared well, how do you think the Tejanos fared in the new republic?

Life in the Republic However, life was not perfect in the new Republic. Tejanos did not fare as well as others in the new Republic. During the revolution, many Tejanos fought and died along with other Texans. However, after the revolution, an anti-Mexican sentiment began to grow.

Discrimination Many Anglo-Texans rushed to seize Tejano lands and property and some even attacked Tejanos and drove them out of the country. Many felt that the discrimination was due to the fact they had large tracts of land during the Mexican occupation of Texas.

Discrimination Regardless of the reasoning behind the discrimination against the Tejanos, many lost much of their land and were forced to either colonize new areas within Texas or simply leave Texas for other areas entirely.

The Republic While people in Texas were gaining– and losing– fortunes in the new Republic, the issue of the annexation of Texas would again brew as a new president is elected.

Questions? If you have any questions, please ask now.

Next lesson In the next lesson, we are going to discuss American Expansionism and the issues regarding Texas annexation

Review 1.How did the South try to ease northern fears about the spread of slavery westward? Did it work? 2.Why did the Mexican government urge for more American citizens to live in Texas? What did they hope to gain from it? 3.How did the Texans ultimately win their independence? 4.What was the Alamo? What was the outcome of the Alamo? 5.What two (2) events lead up to the Texas Revolution? 6.What was the “manifest destiny”? Why did northerners and southerners support it? 7.Why were the Tejanos discriminated against? What effect did this have on them?