The Mexican War, American Indians, and the Texas Rangers

1. The Mexican War, American Indians, and the Texas Rangers Unit 7, Section Two Notes

2. Mexican and U.S. Disputes After Texas joined the United States, Mexico refused to recognize the border that Texas claimed: the Rio Grande. Mexico claimed that the border between Texas and Mexico was the Nueces River. Also, many people in Mexico feared that the United States was trying to take over all of Mexico by adding Texas to their country. These disputes and fears led to tension between the two countries.

4. The Spring of 1846 To protect the Texas border, President Polk sent Zachary Taylor and his soldiers into Texas and to a region claimed by both Mexico and the United States, near the Rio Grande River. When the Mexican and U.S. soldiers clashed in the spring of 1846, both groups claimed that they have been attacked on their own soil.

5. A Call for War After hearing what happened in Texas, President Polk addressed the U.S. Congress and asked them to declare war on Mexico. He stated that Mexico had “invaded our territory, and American blood has been shed on American soil.” Congress overwhelmingly supported him, and war was declared on Mexico on May 13, 1846.

6. Texans Volunteer More than 5,000 Texans immediately joined the war effort, excited to have a chance to fight Santa Anna again. Former Texas president Mirabeau Lamar and vice president Edward Burleson both joined the U.S. Army, along with a number of Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers often worked as scouts for the U.S. government. Though, at some times, Rangers refused to follow the orders of U.S. officers and attacked Mexican towns for no reason. The Mexicans called them los diablosTejanos, or “the Texas devils.

7. A U.S. Offensive and Victory U.S. General Zachary Taylor and his troops continued to fight battles in Texas. After winning many, they began an offensive, in which they marched into Mexico and attacked. U.S. troops captured the cities of Monterrey, Buena Vista, and the capital of Mexico, Mexico City. Santa Anna and his army were defeated. On September 14, 1847, U.S. troops raised the American flag over the National Palace in Mexico City.

9. Loss of Life and Money Though America won the war, it wasn’t without sacrifice. Of the 116,000 U.S. soldiers who served in the war, 13,000 lost their lives. Most did not die in battle, but from disease or accidents. The war with Mexico also cost the U.S. nearly $98 million. Mexico also lost countless soldiers, civilians, and property.

10. The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo After almost two years of fighting, the war ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe on February 2, 1848. With the treaty: Mexico abandoned all claims to Texas. The Rio Grande became the accepted boundary. Mexican Cession – All lands between Texas and the Pacific Ocean were surrendered to the U.S., and the U.S. paid Mexico $15 million. Mexicans living on the former Mexican land were guaranteed American citizenship and the right to keep their land.

12. The Compromise of 1850 The Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo decided the southern boundary of Texas, but not its western boundary. With the Compromise of 1850, Texas gave up claims to the land to the north and west (the former disputed territory between Mexico and Texas), and the U.S. paid Texas $10 million to pay off their debts.

14. The Issue of Slavery Now that the U.S. had achieved Manifest Destiny, many people worried about how the new lands would affect the issue of slavery in the United States. Would the new states enter the U.S. as slave states or free states? The Compromise of 1850 stated that the new land would have to be territories first and later apply for statehood. This put off the debate for a little while. But eventually, the issue led to American Civil War.

15. Tejanos and the War The Mexican War and the Treaty of Guadalupe greatly affected Tejanos. As the war began, Texans questioned the loyalty of Tejanos and saw them as enemies. Discrimination against Tejanos increased. Many were forced to leave Texas out of fear or because of threats made against them and their families. Even after the war, when Tejanos were guaranteed American citizenship, discrimination against Tejanos throughout Texas continued.

16. Conflicts on the Frontier After the Mexican War, many new immigrants began settling in Texas, and most moved on to American Indian lands. This caused conflicts between the Indians and settlers. The American government sided with the settlers, stating that the American Indians did not have rights to the land. To defend the settlers, the Texas governor sent out the Texas Rangers. With their skills riding horses and the help of a Colt six-shooter, the Rangers had an advantage over the Natives.

18. Establishing Frontier Forts While the Rangers fought the Indians in the open plains, the federal government began building forts to protect settlers. Fort Martin Scott guarded settlers in Fredericksburg, while Fort Worth guarded the banks of the Trinity River. As the settlers moved further west, the government had to build more forts in that direction. Still, the forts didn’t always help, because people continued to move west and the forts were not always well stocked with soldiers and supplies.

19. The Reservation System As conflicts worsened, the U.S. government worked with the Texas state government to create reservations, or areas of land set aside for Native Americans. Texas would really own the land, and the federal government would help manage it. Most of the time, the reservations didn’t work because it went against the Indian’s traditional way of life. As a result, money was spent and violence between Indians and settlers continued.

20. The Removal of Texas Indians The reservation system did not end the violence, and many Texans called for the end of the system in the late 1850’s. Settlers wanted the American Indians totally removed from the state, and the federal government agreed, though not all Texans felt it was a good idea. One man, Robert S. Neighbors, tried to help the Native Americans adjust to their new life in Oklahoma after they had been kicked out of Texas. When he returned to the state, he was killed by an angry Texan at Fort Belknap.

21. Reservations Left In Texas The state did recognize the rights of one group to stay – the Alabama-Coushatta. They had helped the Texans flee east during the Runaway Scrape. Because of their service, they and the Texans were friendly. Today, the Alabama-Coushatta Reservation is one of the only reservations left in Texas.