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John Jacob Astor
In the Early 1800's an American merchant named John Jacob Astor created one of the largest fur businesses. This business was called the American Fur Company. "His company bought skins from western fur traders and trappers who becam known as mountian men." (Deverell and White, 308). When the demand for skins decreased some mountian men moved back east. Their stories then inspired other Americans to move west (Deverell and White, 310). -
Mexico's Independence
"In 1821 Mexico became independent. In 1824 it adopted a republican constitution that declared rights for all Mexicans. The new Mexican government hired empresarios, or agents, to bring settlers to Texas." (Deverell and White, 312). They would then pay these agents/empresarios in land. (Deverell and White, 312). -
Mormonism Begins
A young man named Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in western New York. These members became known as mormons (Deverell and White, 311). -
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
"Mexican general and politician, he was president of Mexico and became a dictator. He fought in the Texas Revolution and seized the Alamo but was defeated and captured by Sam Houston at San Jacinto." (Deverell and White, R59). -
Alamo
The Texan rebels, numbering fewer than 200, challenged the Mexican force for Texas' independence. Texans fought, but lost at the Alamo. In a letter from William Travis to other americans he wrote "VICTORY OR DEATH." (William Travis as cited in Deverell and White, 314). -
Goliad
At the battle of the Goliad Santa Anna ordered the execution of the 350 prisoners who had surrendered from the Alamo (Deverell and White, 314). -
Battle of San Jacinto
"Mexican troops were resting, when Houston's forces swarmed the camp shouting, "Remember the Alamo! Remember the Goliad!" The fighting ended swiftly. Santa Anna's army was destroyed." (Deverell and White, 314). The Texans then captured Santa Anna and forced him to sign a treaty to give Texas their independence. -
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile-long trail, "which stretched from places suc as Independence, Missouri, or Council Bluffs, Iowa, west intoto Oregon Country," (Deverell and White, 310). Many pioneers walked this trail while traveling west. Many settlers soon replaced the mountian men in the 1840s (Deverell and White, 310). -
Santa Fe Trail
"The Santa Fe Trail was another important path west. It led from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico." (Deverell and White, 311). This trail helped many American traders exchange cloth and other manufactured goods for horses, mules, and silver from Mexican traders in Santa Fe. In other words this trail gave American settlers a lot of profit while traveling west (Deverell and White, 311). -
Bear Flag Revolt
In the Bear Flag Revolt Americans declared California to be an independent nation. "Above the town, the rebels hoisted a hastily made flag of a grizzly bear facing a red star. Californios laughed at the roughly made bear, thinking it "looked more like a pig than a bear." (Deverell and White, 320). -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the official ending of the war. This treaty made Mexico give up lots of its northern territory to the U.S.." Known as the Mexican Cession, this land included the present-day states of California, Nevada, and Utah. In addition, it included most of Arizona and New Mexico and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The United States also won the area claimed by Texas north of the Rio Grande." (Deverell and White, 323). -
James K. Polk
"James K. Polk was the eleventh president of the United States, he settled the Oregon boundary with Great Britain and successfully conducted the Mexican-American War." (Deverell and White, R59). -
Mormons Persecutions
In the Early 1850's many mormons were being persecuted for their beliefs and practices. This is mainly because many mormon men practiced polygamy. However, "this practice was outlawed by the church in 1830." (Deverell and White, 311). -
Brigham Young
After the murder of Joseph Smith in 1844, Brigham Young became the head of the Mormon Church. "Young chose what is now Utah as the group's new home...Mormons took the Mormon Trail to the area near the Great Salt Lake, where they prospered. By 1860 there were about 40,000 Mormons in Utah." (Deverell and White, 311). -
Gadsden Purchase
The Gadsden Purchase stated that the U.S. Government would pay Mexico $10 million in exchange for the southern parts of what are now Arizona and New Mexico. This treaty finally gave an existing boundary between Mexico and America. (Deverell and White, 323).
