Ap American History - by: Alberto Alonso

Ever since the Manifest Destiny became the United States’ holy goal, Texas had always been in the sight of the United State, for the location and size of the territory were extremely attractive for the expansion. In addition, the state offered the Rio Grande River which promised great trade in the future. These factors made Texas a key component in fulfilling the sacred duty, so when news spread that Texas became independent, there was no time wasted from the United States in integrating them into the union. Even before Texas gained their independence, the United States had become intertwined with the culture of Texas by having hundreds of American citizens immigrating into the territory and spreading American values across the land. As many historians have said “Throughout the United States, especially in the South, support for Texas was warm and widespread. Men, money, and

The thought of annexing Texas was not generally accepted by the vast majority of not only the people living in Texas, but also the citizens of the U.S. The annexation was thought to set off political balance in congress and in the country. Tensions between Texas and Mexico were very high at the time and the last thing the country needed at that time was a war with Mexico. Along with these aspects people also knew that Texas would enter the U.S. as a slave state which also delayed the annexation of the area.

Throughout the late 1830s and early 1840s, political controversy broke out over the annexation of Texas into the United States claiming that it was the destiny of the country to expand through the Manifest Destiny. Many Americans saw the potential addition of Texas as an essential component in Westward expansion, however, war with Mexico was an unavoidable risk and would create even more problems with slavery. Northern and Western regions of the Unites States opposed annexation because while the South wanted to add Texas into the Union to expand the slave industry. Annexation of Texas was also seen as revenge for the vast amount of American deaths during the Alamo and Goliad. Politicians battled back and forth on whether or not Texas should be in American control or not. I believe that the annexation of of

The term “Manifest Destiny” was, in part, an expression of a genuine ideal on the part of Americans. Yet it was also a justification to a push and to assume territory. The idea of Manifest Destiny was sparked by revolutionary American writings that encouraged appropriation of Canada. These writings rationalized that the Louisiana Purchase and the Untied States’ annexation of Texas ordained American complete domination of the North American continent. More broadly stated, Manifest destiny was a conviction that God intended North America to be under the control Americans. It’s an assertion of Anglo-Saxon supremacy.

Polk had said that Mexico were planning on an invasion and declared war on Mexico. This didn’t show that we show not be afraid or fear military ambition. It showed how selfish man can be just to gain more territory because they believed that it was their right to expand the country. Mexico only wanted what was theirs after claiming independence from Spain, and not have it taken away. Texas was under Mexico law, and Mexico banned slavery. Many Americans settlers did live in Texas at the time and knew it was against Mexico’s law but still had slaves anyways. The war lasted for three years, but soon Mexico decided to sign a peace treaty that gave territories to America. America paid Mexico 15 billion for lands that are known today as California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and

Chapter eight starts After Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory, the size of the United States doubled. The U.S. now bordered Mexico, which had won its independence from Spain in the 1820s. In 1836, Texas broke off from Mexico and formed its own republic; in 1845, under the presidency of James Polk, and the U.S. brought Texas into the union, though the Mexican government continued to regard Texas as a part of Mexico. Polk was an expansionist president some would say although I think he just wanted as much as he could get so he ordered General Zachary Taylor(the future president of the United States) to provoke Mexican troops near the Rio Grande. Around the same time In 1846,

Manifest Destiny is our god given right to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. During Manifest Destiny there were many different cases that helped out country like expanding to Texas through the Mexican American War, and finding gold in California which will be later called the gold rush.

Prior to the 1800s, US expansion had been accepted by the government in the thirteen colonies. Despite the government's favor for territorial expansion, the controversy was spread throughout the 13 colonies on the idea of expansion. An American who influenced expansion in America, John O’ Sullivan, conjectured that territorial expansion was destined and it was god’s given right to expand America coast to coast, or in this case into westward territories. This thought was defined as Manifest Destiny and aided the fuel of western settlement, Native American Removal and war with Mexico. Many Americans did, however, oppose expansion and war causing, but their inputs didn’t change the idea of expansion. During the period of 1800-1855, America’s idea to expand territory succeeded in events such as the Louisiana Purchase (1803) and the Indian Removal Act. These events certainly satisfied proponents of expansion and influenced America's westward expansion. Despite these achievements, opponents of expansions opposed because of events like the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American war. America’s shape today is indeed based on these beliefs of expanding America.

The annexation of Texas was a path that many Texans wanted. Nearly ninety percent of Texans wanted to become part of the United States. “People hadn’t come to Texas to become part of the British Empire; most were particularly incensed by the British insistence on emancipation of the slaves; responding to public sentiment, the Texas Senate demanded that President Houston give them a full accounting of his dealings with Great Britain”. Before annexation, The Republic of Texas was a sovereign nation that existed for nearly ten years. The annexation process was proposed by John Tyler. Unfortunately, President Martin Van Buren struck down the annexation of Texas out of fear that this would expand slave territory and ensue war with Mexico. The Treaty of Annexation, Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Mexican-American War and Joint Resolution of Congress all impacted the annexation process.

1949--> Columbus unleashed 200 troops w/ 20 on horseback to terrorize the natives b/c he was upset he couldn't govern

The United States began its life as a small nation consisting of only thirteen states. Over time the leaders of this county recognized that in order to prosper the nation would need to expand beyond the current set borders. Westward Expansion was the only solution, to adopt such a large endeavor meant that the population had to have a reason to migrate west. Expansion had appeal to the Southern land owners for the fact that the Missouri Compromise did not affect territories that were not part of the Louisiana Purchase, while those who did not have land moved west with the promises of land of their own to farm and own, yet congress continued to battle over “slave states” and “free states” to keep the balance. Westward expansion had many contributions to make to the Unites States.

The opponents of territorial expansion attempted to keep the movement contained and support the land that the United States already owned. While fighting was raging over the southern portion of North American, John C. Calhoun addressed to Congress attempts to expand territory. Unlike Andrew Jackson's Letter to Moses Dawson, Calhoun attacked it all as a big mistake (Document 6). Keep in mind though, Calhoun was once a warhawk, yet now he is citing anti-expansional views; ironic regardless. Calhoun wasn’t the first example of expansion containment. In fact, John Quincy Adam’s work on the Convention of 1818 established a northern edge of the Louisiana territory and supported joint occupation of Oregon, both halting any efforts to expand U.S. boundaries. Although the latter of the two failed in 1846, pursuit at the Oregon territory, while heavily supported, wasn’t influenced by expansionists in policy, as the U.S. only sought half of the Oregon territory. Polk’s threat to take it all was simply a bluff and did not reflect his true vision for the area. Containing the fires of territorial expansion was complemented by working with the land that the United States already owned, rather than pushing borders. One such quest to do so, although vetoed by James Madison, was the Bonus Bill of 1817 found in Henry Clay’s American System. It proposed a focus on internal improvements such as roads, canals, and bridges within existing states. Clay intended on bringing people together, rather than separating people by advancement toward the western

Most of the opponents to the annexation to new land were from the north, in these regions the act of slavery was illegal, abolition groups started here with the dream that one day the nation shall prohibited it. Slavery made more remarkable the sectionalism (Document 3) between the north and the south, meaning that most the population where more loyal for the interest of one’s own region rather than the nation as a whole.

In efforts to better understand the Civil War most historians examine the Sectional Crisis and the Compromise of 1850 in the decades leading up to the worst years in American History. Some historians prefer to focus on the underlying theme of the war, others tightly examine individual leaders, events, and political parties, connecting them all together like puzzle pieces to define the years prior to the war. Despite the contrasting views, it is clear to realize the constant prevailing issues of the Antebellum Period, the Sectional Crisis and the Compromise of 1850. In particular, the Compromise of 1850 is deceivingly taught as only establishing 3 pivotal elements: the status of slavery in future territories (popular sovereignty), California statehood, and the fugitive slave law. Granted these elements of the compromise provide a great amount of controversy long after their birth, but one element of the compromise perceives to fail in obtaining recognition. The Texas-New Mexico boundary resolution seems to find itself fading away from its relevancy to the civil war, shadowed by more prominent issues regarding the stability of the Union. Abandoning the traditional teaching of the compromise, the Texas-New Mexico border decision figuratively and literally changed the identity of Texas. This was the long awaited result caused by deep rooted social and political issues dating back to the Texas Revolution.

Many problems had occurred with the state of Texas. Texans thought it would be best to interest security and economic stability to petition to the United States for annexation. In 1837 at the time President Martin Van Buren was against the idea of having Texas annexed because of concerns that it would become another slave state in the United States. Another reason why he did not want to annex Texas was because he did not want to start any problems with Mexico. Things changed in 1843 when President James Tyler examined the annexation issue again. A treaty was sent to Senate but because of anti-expansionist the treaty was denied. When Polk became president he too was in favor of having Texas annexed