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Stephen Austin meets with Mexico's president in Santa Anna
Mexican politics became increasingly unstable. Austin traveled to Mexico City late in 1833 to present petitions for greater self-government for Texas to Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. -
Battle at Alamo
Santa Anna and his army surrounded the Alamo for 13 days starting on February 23rd. William B. Travis, Davy Crockett and James Bowie and other Texian defenders were inside the abandoned mission in San Antonio. Almost all of the Texans were killed. The battle inspired other Texans and Americans to continue the fight for independence. -
Treaty of Velasco grants Texas Independence
Santa Anna signed two peace treaties with Texas president David G. Burnet. The public treaty consisted of ten articles; a second, secret treaty consisted of six additional articles. The secret agreement was to be carried out when the public treaty had been fulfilled. The public treaty provided that hostilities would cease and that Santa Anna would withdraw his forces below the Rio Grande and not take up arms again against Texas. -
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. -
U.S. Annexes Texas
The United States annexed the Republic of Texas and admitted it to the Union as the 28th state. The U.S also inherited Texas's border dispute with Mexico which would quickly led to war. -
Slidell's Rejection
In late 1845, President James K. Polk, "Polk the Purposeful", sent an emissary, John Slidell, to Mexico to purchase California and New Mexico. He was also asked to gain approval of the Rio Grande as the Texas border. When SLidell arrived, Mexican officials refused to meet with him. -
General Taylor marches troops across Rio Grande
General Taylor violated Mexico's territorial rights. Mexico responded to Taylor’s invasion of the territory it claimed by sending troops across the Rio Grande. Mexican soldiers killed 9 U. S. soldiers. Polk immediately sent a war message to Congress, declaring that by shedding “American blood upon American soil,” Mexico had started the war. -
U.S. declares war on Mexico
President declares war on Mexico in May of 1846 becasue the Mexicans had attack Americans on American soil. -
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ends war with Mexico
Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande border for Texas and ceded New Mexico and California to the United States. The United States agreed to pay $15 million, which included present-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The treaty guaranteed Mexicans living in these territories freedom of religion, protection of property, bilingual elections, and open borders.v -
Gasden Purchase
President Franklin Pierce authorized James Gadsden to pay Mexico an additional $10 million for another piece of territory south of the Gila River. Along with the settlement of Oregon and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the Gadsden Purchase established the current borders of the lower 48 states.
