God given right to expand
Reasons
Hunger for land
New markets for goods and services
New immigrants created need for more living space
Desire for expansion of trade with China
Panic or depression in 1837 caused many to flee the East
Spreading democracy
Mexican independence from Spain in 1821
Land grants
To people who would settle in Texas under two conditions
Obey Mexican laws
Follow Roman Catholic Church
Stephen Austin
Led a group of settlers
Mexicans not happy
Texans not obeying rules
Slaves
Texas asked to become separate state
Mexico refused
Imprisoned Austin
President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna led an army of 6000 men into Texas
The Alamo
1836
Necessary to stall Mexicans until Sam Houston could raise an army
Davy Crockett
All 187 killed
Inspiration for Texans
Sam Houston defeated Santa Anna
Texans declared independence
Mexican government refused to recognize
France and Great Britain recognized independence
Lone Star Republic
President Sam Houston
Texas became a state
Slavery issue
Great Britain's interference was alarming
1845-28th state
Mexico was furious and recalled ambassador
American were increasingly moving to the west
Polk was determined to get New Mexico and California
Offered to buy them from Mexico
Mexico flatly refused
Still mad about Texas
Polk decided to use force
Polk baited Mexico with dispute over southern border of Texas
Rio Grande(Texas) or Nueces(Mexico) River
Zachary Taylor ordered to move troops accross Rio Grande River
Mexicans attacked
16 Americans killed or wounded
Congress declared war
Opposition to the war
Unpopular in the Northeast
Henry David Thoreau
Didn’t pay poll tax
Thrown in jail
"The Duty of Civil Disobedience"
Daniel Webster
Thought Polk had forced Congress into declaring war
Americans won
Americans fired up with dreams of expansion
Volunteers from Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee
Frontier hunters crack shots
Indian fighters
Americans trained well by graduates of new Military Academy at West Point
Mexicans top heavy with generals
Ordinary soldiers not well trained
Americans had light mobile artillery
Zachary Taylor became hero
"Old Rough and Ready"
Santa Anna stepped down and new government made peace
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848
1848
Mexico recognized Rio Grande as border with Texas
U.S. got New Mexico and California
Mexico lost about 1/3 of its territory
Mexico was paid $15 million
Polk refused to run
Extension of slavery to the territories was the major issue
Lewis Cass
Democrat
Avoided the issue of slavery
Martin Van Buren
Free-Soil Party
Disgusted Democrats who favored abolition
Zachary Taylor
Whig
Also avoided the issue of slavery
Taylor won
Free-Soil got 10% of vote
