Texas Independence and Mexican-American War

Stephen Austin meets with Mexican President Santa Anna

Jul 18, 1833

Austin wants to fight for self government for Texas
Results in the Texas Revolution

Battle of the Alamo

Feb 23, 1836

Texas drove Mexicans from the Alamo.
Santa Anna came and killed all of the Americans at the Alamo.

Battle of San Jacinto

Apr 21, 1836

Texans defeat Santa Anna.
Texans kill 650 of Santa Anna's soldiers in 18 minutes and captured Santa Anna.

Treaty of Velasco grants Texas Independence

Sep 21, 1836

Samuel Houston was the president of Texas
Known as the Republic of Texas

Slidell's Rejection

Jan 25, 1845

John Slidell went to buy New Mexico and California and to gain approval of the Rio Grande as the Texas border
Mexicans refused to receive him

General Taylor marches troops across the Rio Grande

Jan 25, 1845

Mad because they would not see Slidell
Mexicans thought that this was a violation of their rights

US annexes Texas

Dec 29, 1845

Northerners feared this would unbalance slave states and Senate would favor these states
Texas hoped this would happen

US declares war on Mexico

Apr 25, 1846

Started because Mexicans shed "American blood upon American soil"
Idea of manifest destiny pushed them to fight on foreign lands for the first time

Treaty of Guadalupe ends war with Mexico

Feb 2, 1848

Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande border for Texas and ceded New Mexico and California to the US.
US paid $15 million and promised the Mexicans living there freedom of property, religion, bilingual election, and open elections

Gasden Purchase

Dec 30, 1853

Established borders of the borders of lower 48 states
US paid Mexico another $10 million for Oregon