Monday, November 20, 2006

Manifest destiny
-the idea that it was God's will that the U.S. posses the whole of the north American continent
Issue of the spread of slavery
-arose with the annexation of Texas
-Mexico was independent from Spain in 1821
-at the time 80,000 Mexicans lived in California ot the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico.

By 1830 Mexicans wanted to attract Americans to the Rio Grande Valley to settle.

• American immigrants were to:

1. Respect Mexican law
2. Become Roman Catholics
3. Become Mexican citizens

Americans but remained protestant and American.

• in addition Americans brought slaves. This violated Mexican law.
• Mexicans passed a law forbidding further American immigration but Americans kept coming and coming...

In March 1836, texans (Mexicans and Americans) declared texas a republic independent of Mexico.

• Mexico decided to fight the texans
• general Santa Anna captured the alamo in San Antonio and killed all 187 defenders
• Mexiacans massacred another 300 texans at Goliad
• Texans won at San Jacinto and captured Santa Anna who signed a treaty recognizing texas independence.

Mexico reneged, pressured Texas, and Texas petitioned for annexation by the U.S.

-neither president Jackson or president Van Buren moved to annex Texas war with Mexico because they didnt want to stir up northernors opposed to the spread of slavery.

-Britian encouraged texas to remain independent

when president Harrison died in office vice president Tyler became president

• Tyler broke with the Whig party
• with an eye on upcoming election of 1844, Tyler came out in favor of teh U.S. annexing Texas and secretary of state Calhoun began negotiating with Texas.
• Calhoun released a letter to the press that made clear that texas was desired to protect slavery
• northern senators objected and annexatoin was delayed
• annexation became the election issue

Whig Henry Clay and democrat Martin Van Buren candidate came out against annexation

DemocratJames Polk ran on a platform favoring annexation of texas and acquisition of Oregon

Polk won nomination and election of 1844

-Lame duck president Tyler submitted a joint resolution of annexation of Texas and Congress'

• Congress passed the resolution in March 1845
• Texas agreed
• Texas was a free state for 9 years

Texas entered the union as a slave state in December 1848,

• Texas was the 28th state making the balance in teh senate 15 slave states to 13 free states.

Oregon

• -Americans had flooded into the fertile Wilamette River Valley of Oregon just as they had Texas
• -Oregon had been joinly occupied with Britain since 1818.
• -Democratic party's platform called for all of Oregon.

He proposed a U.S.-Cananda boundary at 49 degrees North

• the British ambassador turned down without chekcing with London.
• British government didn't want a fight and they in turn proposed 49 degree North
• Polk asked senate; senate approved splitting up between U.S. and Britain at 49 degrees North
• several democratic senators from the north felt betrayed that Tyler went for all of texas but no all of Oregon.
• sectional split opened on democratic party

Mexican War

1. president Polk wanted California and New Mexico.
2. Texas and Mexico had never agreed on a boundary
3. U.S. and Texas claimed the Nueces River
4. president Polk sent a diplomat to a Mexico with an offer to by California and New Mexico for $30 million.
5. to pressure Mexico, Polk sent naval squadron to patrol Mexico's Gulf coast.
6. Mexico refuses and Pulk ordered U.S. troops to move all the way to Rio Grande in January 1846.
7. April-Mexico troops crossed the Rio Grande, attacked U.S. army and killed 11 soldiers.

president Polk asked Congress for declaration of war

• Most Whigs opposed war but voted for it anyway rather than appear unpatriotic

-The war was fought in Mexico and California/New Mexico

-to complicated matters, in June 1846, a group of American settlers backed by captain John Fremont captured the town of Sohoma, California, and raised the "BEAR" flag of an independent California.

-Fremont's forces and sailors from the pacific fleet subdued California

-In Mexico, U.S. forces marched on Mexico City and captured it.

There was a significant anti-war sentiment in the U.S.

• war was supported in the South and West and amoung the democrats
• Whigs and people on teh Northeast opposed the war.
• anti-slavery people believed the war was fought to extend slavery.
• Congressman Abraham Lincoln demanded to know where on U.S. soil the Mexicans shot American troops. He wanted to knowthe exact spot-the Bloody spot.

The Mexican Cession immediately raised the question of slavery being extended to new territories.

• Congressman David Wilmot offered to Congress what is known as the Wilmot Provsio in August 1846.
• Wilmot proposed neither slavery or involuntary servitude be allwed to exist in any territory gained fro Mexico.
• In the House of Representatives, northern democrats and northern Whigs outnumbered south democrats adn south Whigs.