TEXAS, MANIFEST

DESTINY AND WESTWARD EXPANSION

Chapters 13 and 17

GONE TO TEXAS1821 - 1823

Mexico gains independence from Spain

Stephen Austin brings 300 families to Texas to settlewith Mexican permission.

The stipulations were: (1) they must become Mexican citizens(2) they must become Catholic(3) no slavery allowed

These stipulations were largely ignored by the new settlers

THE LONE STAR REBELLIONTexans (among them Davy Crockett, Jim

Bowie and Sam Houston) resented “foreign” government

1830: Mexico freed its slaves & prohibited them in Texas, much to the anger of citizens

1835: dictator Santa Anna started to raise an army to suppress the Texans

1836: Texas declares its independence. After armed conflict and slaughters at

the Alamo (13 day siege) and at Goliad (both Mexican victories), Texan war cries rallied citizens, volunteers, and soldiers

THE LONE STAR REBELLIONAfter the Battle at San Jacinto, Mexico

agreed to withdraw its troops from TexasThe Rio Grande as the southwest border of

TexasTexas was supported in their war by the

US, but Andrew Jackson was hesitant to formally recognize Texas as an independent nation Jackson did recognize Texas independence on

his last day before he left office, in 1837. Texans wanted to become part of the

Union, but the slavery issue blocked this.

The end was an unsettled predicament in which Texans feared the return of Santa Anna.

LOG CABIN & HARD CIDER OF 1840

1840: Whigs nominateWilliam H. Harrison (Old Tippecanoe) dueto his being issueless and enemyless John Tyler (Va.): VP

A Democratic editor also helped Harrison’s cause when he called Harrison a poor old farmer and identified him with many poor Westerners (who drank hard cider and lived in log cabins)

With slogans of “Tippecanoe and Tyler too!” the Whigs promoted this “poor man’s president” idea

The election was a protest against the hard times of the era (which party has been in office??)

W.H. HARRISON AS PRESIDENT (BUT NOT FOR LONG)

Daniel Webster (Secretary of State)

Henry Clay (in the Senate)

W.H.H. dies four weeks after his inauguration

John Tyler becomes presidentThe first to succeed to the presidency from

the vice-presidency (“acting” president?) More of a Democrat than a Whig (didn’t like

the B.U.S.; Clay and Webster don’t like him)Becomes a president without a party (“His

Accidency”)

In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.ARTICLE II, SECTION 1, CLAUSE 6(BACK)

Manifest Destiny

What a prodigious growth this English race, especially the American branch of it, is having! How soon will it subdue and occupy all the wild parts of this continent and of the islands adjacent. No prophecy, however seemingly extravagant, as to future achievements in this way [is] likely to equal the reality. - Rutherford B. Hayes

Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. - John L. O'SullivanTexas has been absorbed into the Union as the inevitable fulfillment of the general law which is rolling our population westward....It was disintegrated from Mexico in the natural course of events, by a process perfectly legitimate on its own part, blameless on ours....California will, probably next fall away from Mexico, imbecilic and distracted...The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on its borders....All this without agency of our government, without responsibility of our people--in the natural flow of events, the spontaneous working of principles.... - Democratic Review, 1845

AMERICANS BELIEVED IN MANIFEST DESTINY = OUR NATION HAD A GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO ALL OF NORTH AMERICA (FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA)What about the native populations?What about foreign nations that had claims in the West?

There were opportunities to be hadMountain men went west to trap and

trade.Missionaries hoped to convert Native

Americans to Christianity.Lumberjacks and miners went to

capitalize on timber and minerals.Farmers moved west to farm vast, rich

lands.Entrepreneurs made their way to

California

AMERICAN PROGRESS BY JOHN GAST

NEWS FROM SUTTER’S MILL 1848: gold was

discovered in northern California.

President James K. Polk announced the gold discovery in his State of the Union address on December 5, 1848.

Americans caught “gold fever.”

By 1854 as many as 300,000 people had migrated to California.

LET’S HEAD BACK TO TEXAS AND EXAMINE ITS ANNEXATION IN THE CONTEXT OF MANIFEST DESTINY

ProponentsAmericans who

believed in Manifest Destiny wanted to admit Texas to the Union.

Viewed the Texas Revolution in the spirit of the American Revolution.

Southerners supported annexation because Texas allowed slavery, and its admission would boost the South’s political power (and expand farmland)

Opponents Americans were

concerned that the U.S. would have to bear the substantial Texas debt.

Northerners opposed annexation because it would spread slavery westward and increase slave states’ voting power in Congress.

Congress was concerned that the Constitution said nothing about admitting an independent nation.

THE 1844 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

Clay (straddled the Texas issue…seemed

for it AND against it) vs. Polk James K. Polk, the strongly pro-annexation (no question) candidate and dark horse, wins

Clay lost the close election largely when he lost New York thanks to the Liberty Party candidate(anti-Texas annexation) taking votes from himTheir actions inadvertently won the election for Polk…which led to Texas getting annexed!

And that is the problem Third Parties present…they don’t win but they can haveserious implications for the election result

THE ELECTION AND TEXASMexico warns that it would consider the

annexation of Texas as a declaration of war.

Voters in Texas overwhelmingly approved annexation once Polk was in office (statehood on December 29, 1845)

The annexation of Texas enraged the Mexican government.o Mexico never had recognized the Republic

of Texas and broke off diplomatic ties with the U.S.

o In the twentieth century, it will be said"¡Pobre México! ¡Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos!"

Polk (an advocate of manifest destiny) wanted the nation to acquire the land between Texas and the Pacific Ocean.

However, these territories (New Mexico to California) belonged to Mexico

Polk sought an opportunity to gain them

1845: special envoy John Slidell offered to cancel the $3 million in claims against Mexico in exchange for Mexico’s recognition of the Rio Grande as its boundary with the U.S. Additionally…

…He was authorized to pay Mexico up to $30 million to purchase New Mexico and California for the U.S.A.

No Mexican representatives would meet with him

Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor (“Old Rough and Ready”) to take his troops into the disputed border territory. The U.S. used the event of a minor

skirmish to declare war on Mexico.

General Winfield Scott (“Old Fuss and Feathers”) marched his forces into Mexico City. U.S. forces soon controlled New

Mexico and CaliforniaWhen their capital fell, the Mexican

government was forced to give in. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)

forced Mexico to turn over a huge tract of land known as the Mexican CessionThe U.S. paid Mexico $15 million.

In England, “Brother Jonathan” meant a country bumpkin

The name described Americans during the Revolution.

In this 1847 British cartoon, Brother Jonathan is dreaming about the Mexican War (as the devil looks down).

What is ironic about the title, “The Land of Liberty” and really all of this cartoon?

The Gadsden Purchase completes our southern continental conquest by 1853 ($10,000,000)

A southern trans-continental railroad??

WILMOT PROVISO

What is to become of the Mexican Cession? Slave or Free?

The Wilmot (Pa.) Proviso Slavery should never exist in

lands gained from Mexico A way to thwart the attempts

of the “slavocracy” to gain power in Congress

Tried to get this passed at the beginning of the conflict

Never does become law “Mexico will poison us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson The Civil War was ultimately

Santa Anna’s revenge

AND FINALLY, OREGON 1846: Polk tells

British that joint occupation no longer acceptable

“54’ 40” or fight!” England prepares

for war, proposes division of the area

Senate approves division of Oregon along 49o north latitude in 1846

SO, WAS JAMES K. POLK THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES? What did he promise in his campaign of

1844? To serve one term To lower tariffs (for revenue) To support the annexation of

Texas To settle the Oregon boundary

dispute with Great Britain To reestablish an independent

treasury system To acquire territory from

Mexico that eventually became California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming