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Stephen Austin establishes a colony in Texas
• Austin Established a colony between the Brazos and Colorado rivers
• “no drunkard, no gambler, no profane swearer, and no idler” was allowed. -
Stephen Austin meets with Mexican President Santa Anna
• Santa Anna suspended the 1824 Mexican constitution and arrested Austin for inciting revolution.• After Santa Anna revoked local powers in Texas and other Mexican states, rebellions erupted and the Texas Revolution had begun. -
Mexico places restrictions on American immigration
-Mexico was tired of American's coming to Mexico
-Put restrictions on American's to try and get them in the US -
Battle of the Alamo
• The Texans drove Mexican forces from the Alamo• Santa Anna then swept forward and destroyed the American garrison that was in the Alamo. 187 U.S. soldiers died. -
Battle of San Jacinto
• Santa Annas troops executed 300 rebels at Goliad• Sam Houston then comes and defeats Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. The Texans killed 630 soldiers of Santa Anna’s Army in eighteen minutes and captured Santa Anna. Led to Treaty of Velasco. -
Treaty of Velasco grants Texas Independence
• The Texans set Santa Anna Free once he signed the Treaty of Velasco, which granted Texas its independence.• In September, the Republic of Texas was formed and Houston was their president. -
U.S. Annexes Texas
• Sam Houston invited the US to incorporate Texas into the US. • The US divided along sectional lines, due to slavery. Northerners felt that the annexation of more slave territory would tip the uneasy balance in the senate. -
Slidell's Rejection
• Slidell was sent to Mexico to purchase California and New Mexico and to gain approval of the Rio Grande as the Texas Border.• When he arrived, Mexican officials refused to see him. -
General Taylor marches troops across Rio Grande
• Polk thought Mexican aggression would unify Americans behind a war so he ordered General Taylor to march to Rio Grande and Block the river. • Mexicans viewed this as a violation of their rights. -
U.S. declares war on Mexico
• Taylor positioned his forces at the Rio Grande• Polk persuaded the House to recognize a state of war with Mexico by a vote of 174-14 -
Gold discovered at Sutter's Mill, California
• James Marshall was discovered gold at Sutter’s Mill• Soon after people heard, residents treveledc to the sacremento valley. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends war with Mexico
• Mexico agreed the Rio Grande as the border of Texas and gave New Mexico and California to the US• The US agreed to pay 15 million for California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming -
Zachary Taylor elected president
• Taylor supported California’s admission as a free state• He also felt the south could counter abolitionism by leaving the slavery issue up to the individual territories -
California applies for statehood
• California held a constitutional convention, adopted a state constitution, elected a governor and legislature, and applied to join the union.• The new constitution forbade slavery -
Gadsden Purchase
• President Pierce authorized James Gadsden to pay Mexico another 10 million dollars for another piece of territory south of the Gila River.• Established the current borders of the lower 48 states
