Expansion in Texas

Americans Settle in the Southwest   Very few Mexicans lived in the area of Texas despite its:   Natural resources   Climate good for agriculture   Mexicans were intimidated by Native Americans in the area   Most residents of Texas were Tejanos   Texans of Hispanic descent   Mexican government was indifferent of problems in Texas   Too Far away

Americans Settle in the Southwest   Mexico encourages U.S. Settlers to settle in Texas   Protect territory from Native attacks   Land Grants   Gift of public land to an individual or organization   Given to empresarios (agents)   Empresarios would recruit Americans to settle on the land   Land was cheap   Just had to obey Mexican Laws   Observe official religion  Roman Catholic

Americans Settle in the Southwest   Stephen Austin   Emparesario who established a colony between the Brazos and Colorado rivers   “No drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer, and no idler”   1825 Austin issued 297 land grants   “Old Three Hundred   Washington – on – the - Brazos   Americans love Texas   Immigration to Texas jumped   Start to think about extending U.S. Boarders

Texas Begins to Fight   Tensions between Mexicans and U.S. Emigrants   U.S. Emigrants were Protestants   Spoke English   Brought Slaves (Mexico had banned slavery)   United States had offered, twice, to buy Texas from Mexico  They refused   John Q. Adams & Jackson

Texas Begins to Fight   1830 the Mexican government sealed its borders   Heavy tax on American goods   Stopped all immigration from the United States   Encouraged the immigration of Mexican and European Families   Anglo population doubled   1,000 Anglos a month   “G.T.T”   ,500 Tejanos -12,00 Native Americans - 45,000 Anglos and 5,000 African Americans

Texas Begins to Fight   1833 Settlers chose Stephen Austin to negotiate with Mexican Government   Self-government for Texas   Remove immigration ban   Remove trade ban on United States   Austin met with Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna   Agrees to lift trade ban

Texas Begins to Fight   Austin writes to leaders back in Texas   Better start organizing own government   Asks Santa Anna again   Will not budge   Austin returns home   Arrested on January 3, 1834   Letter had been intercepted   Imprisoned in Mexico City for treason   Santa Anna overthrows gov. makes himself dictator

Texas Begins to Fight   Santa Anna names himself dictator   Overthrows the Mexican Constitution   Austin is let out of jail in July   Returns home to help settlers start their own government

Battle of Gonzales   In October 1835, Mexican troops ordered Texans to lay down their arms   Gonzales, Texas   “Come and Take It”   Mexicans retreated  No orders to attack   Go back to San Antonio   Texans follow   Texans drive the Mexicans out   Texas declares independence   Start drafting a constitution   Most of the Texan army goes home

The Battle of the Alamo   Who should take over the Texan army?   Sam Houston is chosen   Let out of jail a few months earlier   Santa Anna organizes a force of 6,000 troops   Try to stop Texas from drafting a constitution   Came across 180 Texans holed up in the Alamo   Abandoned Catholic Mission   Mexicans start attack and the battle ensues for 13 days! Starts on February 23 rd, 1836

The Battle of the Alamo - Texans had 180 men v. several thousand Mexicans - Texans had Davy Crockett -Arrived with a band of sharpshooters from Tennessee

The Battle of the Alamo - March 6, 1836 Mexican cannon fire smashed the walls and the Mexicans launched an all out attack - About 99% of the Texan troops were killed only a few women and children survived

The Lone Star Republic   6 weeks after the defeat at the Alamo Texans struck back   Defeated Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto   “Remember the Alamo”   630 Mexican soldiers killed in 20 minutes   Captured Santa Anna   Wouldn’t let him go until he signed the Treaty of Velasco   Granted independence to Texas

The Lone Star Republic   Sam Houston became president of the Republic of Texas   “Lone Star Republic”   Set up an army and a navy   1838 Houston invited the United States to annex Texas   Incorporate a territory into an existing political unit   U.S. is split between North & South on adding Texas   North feared unequal balance in congress & war with Mexico   South wanted to extend slavery

Election of 1844   James K. Polk- Democrat   Wanted to Annex Texas & Oregon Territory   Vowed to buy California from the Mexicans   Expanded the country   Keeping the balance of Northern & Southern States   Henry Clay- Whig   Realized that he would loose  Changed his stance to support annexation   Angered his supporters who threw their vote to a 3 rd party candidate

The Lone Star Republic   1844 Presidential election was all about westward expansion   James K. Polk would win   Slaveholder   Favored expansion into Texas   December 29, 1845   Texas became the 28 th state in the Union   Greatly ticked off Mexico   Withdrew their ambassador from Washington   War is inevitable