Conflicts with Mexico

1. Conflicts with Mexico Foundations of America Mr. Blais

2. Colonizing Texas • In the 1800s the Spanish had offered large pieces of land to people who promised to recruit settlers. • The Mexican government later granted large tracts of land to settlers who promised to follow Mexican law and become citizens of Mexico

3. Growing Conflicts • Meanwhile many Americans also began moving into Texas • There were conflicts over slavery, because Mexico forbid it and Americans had been used to using them. • Americans in Texas also wanted a say in the govt. and Mexico wouldn’t allow it

4. Conflict Breaks Out • Mexico’s govt. began to fear the alarming number of Americans in Texas and in 1830 Mexico banned immigration and constructed new army posts in the area. • Anglo-Texans then petitioned the Mexican govt. for changes and when they were rejected Texans believed it was time to break away from Mexico

5. Texas Wages War on Mexico • Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was the supreme leader of Mexico • He lost two early skirmishes again Texas volunteers in the cities of Gonzales and San Antonio. • Sam Houston was then appointed by the Texans as head of their military.

6. The Alamo • Although the Mexican Army initially lost San Antonio, they came to take it back. • 200 Texan volunteers made their stand at a small abandoned missionary known as the Alamo. • Santa Anna shelled the Alamo for days and finally committed his troops to an all out attack. • After fierce fighting all the defenders were killed, including men such as Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett

7. San Jacinto • About a month after the fall of the Alamo, Sam Houston organized his Texas volunteers and attacked a resting Mexican Army on the banks of the San Jacinto river. • The battle of over in 20 minutes and hundreds of Mexicans were killed or captured. • Santa Anna was taken prisoner the next day • A peace treaty was signed an by September 1836 the Republic of Texas (an independent nation) was formed

8. Annexation of Texas • Texan was an independent nation for nine and during those years they had been actively seeking entry in the U.S. • In 1845, after Polk had already won the election, John Tyler urged Congress to annex (add) Texas to the U.S. • By December Texas was a U.S. territory but the border between Texas and Mexico was still unresolved

9. The U.S. Declares War on Mexico • James K. Polk wanted to move against Mexico but he was unsure Americans would back him. • So he sent Zachary Taylor to the disputed border between Texas and Mexico. • Mexico saw this as an incursion into their territory and killed 11 Americans on a cavalry patrol • Polk declared “Mexico had spilt American blood on American soil” and got Congress to declare war

10. Opposition to the War • Many Americans were critical of “Mr. Polk’s War”. • Many felt the war was overly aggressive and unjust. • Others felt it had been provoked and engineered solely by Polk • But the majority of northerners opposed it because they thought it was a ploy by the south to add more slave territory to the United States

11. Mexican-American War • Taylor soon moved his troops into Mexico and won many multiple battles against Mexico’s leader Santa Anna • General Winfield Scott landed troops in Eastern Mexico and won victory after victory throughout central Mexico. • Scott finally captured Mexico city by the end of 1847.