Texas Independence and the Mexican War: A Book-Making Activity

Texas Independence and the Mexican War

A Book-Making Activity

“Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat—the Alamo had none.” General Thomas Jefferson Green 1841

“I do not think there was ever a more wicked war than that waged by the United States on Mexico. I thought so at the time, when I was a youngster, only I had not moral courage enough to resign.”—President Ulysses S. Grant, 1879

Introduction

Early in the 1820s Mexico needed a population to develop its huge province of Tejas.[1] Enticing immigrants from the United States seemed the answer. However, it did not take long before it lamented her liberal immigration policy. When President Jackson offered to buy parts of Tejas, Mexico feared the United States was intent on obtaining all of this region for herself. Meanwhile, American settlers, long used to governing themselves, were becoming increasingly restless under the domination of a legislature controlled by Mexicans and asked that Tejas (a Northern Province of Mexico) become a separate state, Texas. This request was interpreted by Mexican leaders as the first sign that the Americans wanted to break away from Mexico. In 1830, Mexico responded by pro­hibiting further immigration from the United States; banning the importation of enslaved people; and placing a high tariff on American imports. To enforce these laws, Mexico sent troops to Tejas. This only served to increase American resolve. The Mexican leader Santa Anna came to power in 1834 and immediately attempted to put Mexico under the control of a strong central government. He reneged on earlier promises and abolished the state legislatures, in effect placing Texas-Coahuila, and the other Mexican states, under the direct control of Mexico City. Texans petitioned for the restoration of their right to self-government and for repeal of the laws banning immigration and trade. Stephen Austin personally took these appeals to Mexico City. There he was arrested and charged with advising the Texans to form a state government without Mexican approval. In short, a rebellion.

Texans then started to amass weapons and ammunition to defend themselves from an anticipated invasion from Mexico. In October, 1835, Mexican authorities in Gonzales, a small town in Texas, ordered the Americans to remove a cannon from the town square. Claiming that the weapon was needed for defense against Indians, Texans refused to surrender the gun. A skirmish began when the Mexicans attempted to remove the weapon by force. This insignificant incident served as the “Lexington and Concord” of the Texas Revolution. It strength­ened Santa Anna's resolve to crush the Texans and enforce Mexico's laws.

In the spring of 1836, Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande River with 4,000 soldiers. Organized resistance was offered at the Alamo, an old Spanish mission where 187 Texans, including Jim Bowie, William Travis and Davey Crockett, resolved to sell their lives dearly. The mission-fort finally fell on March 6th, following a bloody thirteen-day siege. It cost the lives of all the Alamo defenders and more than a thousand Mexican soldiers. Three weeks later, Santa Anna's troops shot another 400 Texans who had laid down their arms and surrendered at Goliad. News of the Alamo and Goliad inspired Texans to declare their independence from Mexico and to fight for it. A constitution was quickly drawn up and Sam Houston was elected governor. More importantly, he was appointed commander-in-chief of the Texan army.

An over confident General Santa Anna and his army were soundly defeated by the Texans at the Battle of San Jacinto. Texas became the Lone Star State but most longed for the prospect of joining the United States.

Thousands of Americans, mostly Southerners, many coming with their enslaved people, flowed across the border into Texas. Their political aim was the annexation of Texas as a “slave state.” Nine years later that goal was accomplished when the United States formally annexed Texas. John Quincy Adams and others insisted that the annexation of Texas was immoral. Meanwhile, Mexico had not conceded Texan independence, so annexing it was akin to a declaration of war. Six-month after the annexation Mexican-American relations unraveled. Newly elected President James Polk, an ardent expansionist, ordered U.S. soldiers into Texas to protect American interests. President Mariano Paredes of Mexico responded by sending his soldiers into the disputed region. By May 1846, after a series of minor conflicts, the U.S. and Mexico were at war.

The war with Mex­ico lasted for nearly three years. In several bloody battles, General Zachery Taylor beat back Mexico's attempts to recap­ture her northern provinces. In the mean­time, Colonel Stephen Kearney captured Santa Fe and then proceeded over­land to California. He ar­rived to find that American settlers had already over­thrown their Mexican rulers. Thus by January 1847, the United States had gained control of New Mexico and California. It took an invasion of Mexico itself by General Winfred Scott, however, to impress the hopelessness of its cause upon the Mexican govern­ment. General Scott fought his way from Vera Cruz to Mex­ico City, and the enemy capital fell on September 14th. Four months later, Nicholas B. Trist, President Polk’s hand-picked envoy, completed a peace agreement. The treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo granted the United States almost the same terms rejected by Mexico three years before, including the acquisition of most of the Southwest. For recognition of the Rio Grande boundary and for all of New Mexico and California, the United States agreed to assume Mexico's debts to American citizens and to pay Mexico 15 million dollars rather than the 25 million that James Polk had authorized his earlier envoy, John Slidell ,to offer.

In this activity students will be challenged to use 38 well-research separate pages to make their own book about the Texas Revolution; the establishment of the Lone Star State; the War with Mexico; and the settlement reached with the Treaty of Hidalgo. This activity creatively combines process and content. Once students have their book in hand it can be used to discuss the aforementioned content areas. Also included are a number of discussion questions, evaluation ideas and extension activities to broaden the experience.

Objectives

1. Students will know the basic facts surrounding Texas independence and the Mexican-American war.
2. Students will appreciate the role key Mexican and American individuals played in the dynamic events of this era.
3. Students will appreciate the complicated relationship that developed during this era between Mexico, Indigenous peoples and the United States.

Standards:

Alert: Due to the coronavirus pandemic and having to teach online this lesson can be adapted to home-school learning. Please feel free to contact me via email if you have questions or need assistance [gschoales@gmail.com]

Thank you very much for purchasing this lesson. I hope that you and your students will profit from the experience and you will give this lesson a favorable review. Gary P. Schoales