A. A

B. B

Section 2-Polling Question

Would you be willing to move far away from home if you were offered free land?

A. Yes

B. No

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Chapter 12 Manifest Destiny (1818-1853)

Section 2 Independence for Texas

Why did Texans fight for their independence from Mexico?

Conflict Over Texas• Conflict began in

1803

• Louisiana Purchase- Americans claimed land in present day Texas

• Spain protested

• In the Adams-Onis Treaty the US agreed to drop its claim to this region

Land Grants• Few people lived in Texas• Most were TejanosTejanos

(Mexicans living in Texas)• Native Americans

(Comanches, Apaches, and Kiowas) also lived in this area

• The Spanish offered large amounts of land to people who agreed to bring families to settle there

• The people who received this land and recruited the settlers were called empresariosempresarios

More Land Grants• American Moses Austin

received the first land grant in 1821

• Moses Austin died before he could establishestablish his colony

• Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821

• Austin’s son, Stephen F. Stephen F. AustinAustin, received permission from the Mexican government to organize a colony

• 300 American families settled in Texas

• From 1823-1825 Mexico sold land at extremely low costs

• In return settlers agreed to learn Spanish, become Mexican citizens, convert to Catholicism, and obey Mexican law

• Most settlers came from the US

A. A

B. B

C. C

D. D

How did Mexico attract settlers to Texas?

A. It jailed the empresarios for keeping most of the land in Texas for themselves.

B. It removed all taxes on American-made goods.

C. It offered land to people who agreed to settle it.

D. It agreed to allow freedom of religion.

Growing Tension• By 1830- There were more

Americans in Texas than Mexicans

• Plus they did NOT adopt Mexican ways

• The US had twice offered to buy Texas from Mexico

• The Mexican government became alarmed at the American influence and passed a decree that stopped all immigration from the US

• Trade between Texas and the US were discouraged by placing a tax on goods imported from the US

• These policies angered Texans who depended on US trade and also had friends and relatives who wanted to come to Texas

• Slave holders in Texas were also upset at the Mexican governments plan to end slavery

Attempt at Reconciliation• 1833- General Antonio Antonio

Lopez de Santa AnnaLopez de Santa Anna became the president of Mexico

• Stephen F. Austin traveled to Mexico City with the Texans’ demands to remove the ban on American settlers

• Also to make Texas a separate state of Mexico

• Santa Anna agreed to remove the ban on American settlers, but not on the second request

• Austin sent a letter to Texas suggesting plans for independence get underway

• The letter was intercepted and Austin was arrested

Attempt at Reconciliation Continued• Austin was in jail• Santa Anna named

himself dictator and overthrew Mexico’s constitution in 1824

• Santa Anna placed Texas under greater control

• The Texans’ lost all power

• Austin was released from prison and saw that dealing with Santa Anna was impossible

• He knew war was inevitable

The Struggle for Independence• 1835- unrest among Texans

sometime resulted in fighting• Santa Anna sent an army to

punish the rebels• In October- Some Mexican troops

tried to seize a cannon held by the Texans in Gonzales

• The Texans taunted them with a white flag that said “Come and Take It”

• After a brief battle, the Mexicans were driven back

• Texans considered this the first fight of the Texas Revolution

• Volunteers joined (including Tejanos and African Americans)

• December 1835- Texans freed San Antonio from a larger Mexican force

The Battle of the Alamo• Santa Anna was furious

and marched north to San Antonio in February 1836

• The Texans were barricaded inside a nearby mission called the AlamoAlamo

• The Texans had cannons, but little gunpowder

• The Texans had only about 180 soldiers

• Santa Anna’s army had several thousand

• The Texans had brave leaders like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie

More of the Battle of the Alamo• The Texan commander was 26

year old William B. Travis• Travis was determined to hold

his position at the Alamo• Travis sent messages asking

for help from Texans and from the US

• For 12 days, The Alamo defenders kept Santa Anna at bay with rifle fire

• March 6, 1836- Mexican cannon fire smashed the Alamo’s walls

• The Mexicans entered the Alamo killing all the defenders

• Only a few women and children and some servants survived

• The defenders killed hundreds of Mexicans, but more importantly bought Texans some much needed time

A. A

B. B

C. C

D. D A B

C

D

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Why was the battle at the Alamo important to the Texans?

A. The tragic loss led to their overall defeat in the war.

B. Their victory at the Alamo was the turning point of the war.

C. The Texans’ stand gave them much-needed time and inspiration.

D. Davy Crockett became the first president of Texas.

During the Alamo• Texan leaders were

writing a new constitution• March 2nd, 1836-

American settlers and Tejanos declared independence

• The Republic of Texas was established

• Texans could not vote because of Mexican occupation, so Texas leaders set up a temporary government

• Sam Houston was named commander in chief

Goliad• Houston ordered troops

at Goliad to abandon their position

• Before they could leave they were met by Mexican troops and had a fight

• Several hundred Texans surrendered

• Santa Anna ordered them all executed

• The Texans called it the “Goliad Massacre”

The Battle of San Jacinto• Houston gathered an

army of about 900 at San Jacinto (Near present day Houston)

• Nearby was Santa Anna with more than 1,300

• April 21- Texans launched a surprise attack yelling

• “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad”

• They killed more than 600 and captured more than 700 more (including Santa Anna)

• May 14, 1836- Santa Anna signed a treaty that recognized the independence of Texas

The Lone Star Republic• September 1836- Sam

Houston was elected president of Texas

• Houston sent delegates to Washington D.C., asking the US to annexannex Texas

• Andrew Jackson refused the request… why?

• Another slave state would upset the balance of slave states and free states in Congress

• Texas would remain an independent country… for now

Continued Difficulties• Texas still had

problems with Mexico• Also had debt• Many wanted to join

the US• Southerners favored

Texas annexation, Northerners opposed it

• The slavery issue kept Texas from joining the US

1844 Election• 1844 presidential

campaign changed the situation

• Manifest Destiny was a popular idea at the time

• When Polk became president, Congress passed a resolution to annex Texas

• Texas joined the Union in 1845

Why did Texans fight for their independence from Mexico?

-Americans in Texas were upset about the actions of the Mexican government, including limitations placed on immigration from the US

-Taxation on US imports, which discouraged trade and hurt Texans’ livelihoods

-Plans to end slavery

Chapter 12 Section 2 Quiz

6. Mexicans who claimed Texas as their home were called

Mex

ican

s.

Tex

ans.

Tej

anos.

em

pres

ario

s.

25% 25%25%25%A. Mexicans.

B. Texans.

C. Tejanos.

D. empresarios.

7. The Mexican government arrested Stephen F. Austin because he worked for

the

Amer

ican

gove

r...

Tex

as in

depen

dence

.

Pre

side

nt San

ta A

nna.

ove

rthro

win

g the

go...

25% 25%25%25%A. the American government.

B. Texas independence.

C. President Santa Anna.

D. overthrowing the government.

8. During the battle in Gonzales, Texas bore a flag on the cannon on which was printed,

"Com

e an

d Ta

ke It

."

"Fre

edom

or D

eath

."

"Tex

ans

Are A

mer

ica.

..

"Tex

as o

r Die

."

25% 25%25%25%A. "Come and Take It."

B. "Freedom or Death."

C. "Texans Are Americans."

D. "Texas or Die."

9. After which victory did Santa Anna sign a treaty recognizing the independence of

Texas?

Golia

d Mas

sacr

e

the

Alam

o

Bat

tle o

f San

Jac

into

Bat

tle o

f the

Rio G

rande

25% 25%25%25%A. Goliad Massacre

B. the Alamo

C. Battle of San Jacinto

D. Battle of the Rio Grande

10. Who did the provisional government of the Republic of Texas name as commander

in chief of the Texas forces?

Dav

y Cro

cket

t

Sam

Houst

on

Jim

Bowie

John T

yler

25% 25%25%25%A. Davy Crockett

B. Sam Houston

C. Jim Bowie

D. John Tyler

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