Western Expansion and Conflict

The Mexican War

The Mexican War Fighting

Breaks Out!

Mexicans felt TX annexation

was the 1st step to U.S. taking
over Mexico.

Conflict arises between U.S.

and Mexico
1. Mexico claimed Nueces River
was border between Texas and
Mexico.
2. U.S. Claimed Rio Grande was
border

3. U.S. businesses wanted to be

paid for damages done to

business and property
4. Mexico asked U.S. Settlers to
leave California territory.

Because of
rising conflict
President Polk
sends General
Zachary Taylor
and lots of
soldiers to Texas

Taylor gets to Rio Grande, notices

Mexican Soldiers across border,
orders Fort built. (now called
Brownsville)

April 25, 1846 Mexican

troops cross the Rio
Grande and attacks
U.S. troops
General Taylor sends
word to President Polk
that fighting begun.

Polk ask Congress for a

Declaration of War
May 13, 1846 Congress
Declared War against Mexico

Texans in the Mexican War

Many Texans
welcomed the
opportunity to fight
Santa Anna
6000 Texans
volunteered to fight

TX Governor
James P.
Henderson
temporarily left
office to fight in
war!

Texans in the Mexican War

Albert Sidney Johnson and
Mirabeau Lamar also volunteered
to fight.
Texas Rangers served as scouts

Texans in the Mexican War

Famous Rangers John S. Rip
Ford, John C. Hays, and Ben
McCulloch

Texans in the Mexican War

Rangers caused problems, not
following U.S. Army officers orders,
attacked Mexican Villages, General
Taylor threatens to send Rangers to
jail.
Mexican called the Rangers los
diablos Tejanos the Texas Devils

A U.S. Victory
Zachary wins several battles
Major fighting ends Sept. 14,
1847, U.S. troops raise U.S. Flag
over National Palace in Mexico
City.
War cost U.S. $98 million

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Feb. 2, 1848 diplomats sign

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
ending the Mexican War

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

1.

2.

Treaty Terms
Mexico recognizes TX
annexation and the Rio Grande
as the border.
U.S. covers $3.25 million in
claims U.S. citizens had against
Mexican Government.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

3. Mexico agreed to cede 529,000

square miles of Northern

Territory to U.S. for $15 million
4. Mexican citizens living in area
granted U.S. citizenship rights

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Compromise of 1850 By Henry
Clay
U.S. pay TX $10 million to give up
Santa Fe claim
TX accepts treaty, needs to pay
off debt

Tejanos and War

As conflict with Mexico increased
discrimination against Tejanos
increased
Many Tejanos feared losing
everything so they packed up and left
TX
Others were forced to leave (threats
and violence)

New Migration to Texas

1860; 604, 215 population in TX
Most Texans were farmers
African American population in
1860 was 183,000
Fewer than 800 free African
Americans lived in TX

New Migration to Texas

12,000 Mexican population
(southern part of TX)
20,000 Germans in TX (largest
immigration group)

Conflicts on the Frontier

Once TX became a state the u.S.
Federal govt. takes on the
responsibility to protect Texans
from Native Americans
Western Frontier Indian Territory
TX settlers moving west into
Indian Territory

Conflicts on the Frontier

TX Rangers patrolled Indian
Territory
Did a good job with help of the
Colt 6 shooter
U.S. govt. ends up paying
Rangers to guard TX frontier.

Establishing Frontier Forts

1.
2.
3.

Federal Govt. built Forts to

protects people
Fort Duncan near Eagle Pass
Fort Martin Scott protected
Fredericksburg
Fort Worth protected Trinity
River

Establishing Frontier Forts

4. Fort Lincoln in Medina County
5. Fort Belknap along Brazos River
6. Fort Clark protected San Antonio

and El Paso area

7. Fort Lancaster protected West TX
8. Fort Davis protected West TX
Fort System did not work to protect

The Reservation Policy

Move Indians into reservations,
limited areas of land reserved for
American Indians
Brazos Indian Reservation for Caddo,
Tonkawa, and Waco tribe
Comanche Indian Reservation
Lipan Apache Reservation failed, not
ready to settle down.

The Removal of Texas Indians

Many Texans did not trust Indians
Often shot any Indian they saw off
reservation
Indians in Brazos and Comanche
Reservations were forced into
Oklahoma.

The Removal of Texas Indians

Texans wanted all Indian removed
except for Alabama-Cooushatta
That tribe helped out during TX
revolution
1854 TX Granted 1,280 acres of
land in Polk County to tribe

The Removal of Texas Indians

Today Alabama-Coushatta
Reservation, the Tigua
Reservation, and Kickapoo
Reservation are the only Indian
Reservations in TX.