Chapter 14 Cornell Notes

Section 1 A New Constitution Texas patterned their basic governing document after the constitutions of other states Constitution of 1845: Governor: 2 year term Legislature: House of Representatives – elected every 2 years Senate – elected every 4 years Supreme Court, district court, country courts Amended: change to the constitution Constitution protected slavery and did not allow women to vote

Section 1 Texas Legislature at Work First Government Officials Governor of Texas J. Pickney Henderson US Senators Sam Houston Thomas J. Rusk US Representatives David Kaufman Timothy Pillsbury

Section 1 Political Parties 1850s: Strongest political party was the Democratic Party because the Democratic Party had favored annexation and was very strong in the South Whig Party: The other major party in US – represented business men and commercial interests Know-Nothing Party (American Party): popular in 1854-55. Tried to keep new immigrants from voting or holding public office Known as Know Nothing because when asked about their organization they would say they know nothing Texas Democrats patterned their own party organizations after the American Party, nominating candidates at political meetings called conventions No major political party represented African Americans

Section 1 Federal Aid for Reservations Federal government stationed troops in western Texas to prevent clashes between settlers and Native Americans However, settlers continued to push west and clashes between the 2 groups continued Federal government created reservations Wacos and Tonkawas reservation new present day Graham Comanches reservation near Clear Fork and Brazos Texans were mad about reservations, because they believed raids were happening by the Native Americans on reservations. Federal government moved all reservations North of Red River in 1859

Section 2 War Declared Mexico never considered the Republic of Texas as an independent nation and considered the annexation of Texas as an insult to Mexico Mexico also saw the boundary as the Nueces River, instead of the Rio Grande Commerce: American commerce had spread to the Pacific, and they wanted to acquire a Pacific port in Mexican California. James K. Polk was determined to get that port US was willing to pay for the war damages from Texas Revolution, give Mexico 30 million, and in return cede California to US, but when Slidell in Mexico (fall 1845) to discuss, Mexico refused to talk to him President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move his troops across the Nueces River to the Rio Grande

Section 2 Causes of the War May 1846, American and Mexican soldiers clashed just North of the Rio Grande Polk said Mexico shed American blood upon American soil, but Mexican leaders could have claimed Mexican blood was spilled on Mexican soil May 13 Congress declared war Abolitionists, people wanting to end slavery, considered it a scheme to get more slave areas Texans answered the call and 5,000 joined the Texas army

Section 2 US Victory American troops were better equipped than Mexican General Winfield Scott: Captured Mexico City in Sept. 1847 Women, like Sarah Borginnis, took active role in war: cooking, washing, loading cartidges, and dressing wounds Feb 2, 1848: representatives of both governments signed a peace treaty at Guadalupe Hildalgo, small town near MX city Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo Mexico abandoned all claims to Texas and accepted Rio Grande as the boundary Mexico surrendered all territory west of Texas to the Pacific to US – land known as the Mexican Cession (present day California, Nevada, and Utah and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming US paid mexico 15 million for land Mexicans living in new uS territory were granted US citizenship and had a year to decide if they wanted to stay

Section 2 New Mexico Boundary Dispute Santa Fe becoming part of Texas became a political issue Santa Fe did nto want to be part of Texas Compromise of 1850: Texas agreed to surrender its claims to a portion of the disputed area in return for 10 million from the US allowing Texas to pay of its war debt

Section 3 Texas Population Boom 1850: 212,592 Texans which as a 50% increase from 1847 Next 10 years, population nearly tripled to 604,215 Attraction to Texas: Lure of cheap land, annexation, and legal slavery Most new arrivals came from southern US 1860 new counties had to be created because of population increase, including Dallas, Tyler, Upshur, Polk

Section 3 Mexican Texans Mexicans moved North into Texas Most lived in the wedge shape between the Nueces River and Rio Grande, in the San Antonio-Goliad area, and along the Rio Grande from Del Rio to El Paso Most of the people living in South Texas were Tejanos, but most political leaders were Anglos Most were farmers and ranchers that owned their own lands, but most worked as cowhands, sheepherders, and ranch laborers

Section 3 Politics and Bias Jose Antonio Navarro: Mexican American who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence Santos Benavides: Mexican who was a prosperous merchant and became mayor of Laredo0 and chief Justice of Webb County Juan Cortina: Protector of Mexican and Tejanos rights Bitter feelings towards Mexicans and Tejanos in Texas lasted a long time, mainly because of Goliad and the Alamo Despite prejudice and discrimination, many Mexicans retained their cultural heritage which has mixed in a lot with our culture in Texas today

Section 3 German Texans German Communities in central Texas: New Braunsfels and Fredericksburg By 1860, 1/5 of residents of Houston, Galveston, and San Antonio were Germans Why did Germans come to Texas? Potato blight that struck Ireland in the mid-1840s also effected Germany

Section 3 Other European Arrivals Immigrants came from Ireland England France Poland Czech Norway These arrivals from other countries brought with them art, languages, music, literature, and traditions that create a more diverse Texas culture

Section 3 The Alabama – Coushettas The Tiguas and the Kickapoos   The Tiguas and the Kickapoos Settled along Trinity in East Texas Texas legislature purchased the land for them to make a reservation Texas recognized the Tiguas and the Kickapoos as Native Tribes to Texas Tiguas were thought to be descendents of the Pueblos in New Mexico Kickapoos were recognized in 1989 as a sovereign nation