Turmoil in Mexican Government
- Mexican government had enormous difficulty maintaining control over their northern territories
- This was mainly because of Civil war and religious turmoil
- Mexicans believed that they never really lost Texas, it was just a rebellious state that they would later reconquer
Response to Annexation of Texas
- In doing this, the US inherited Texas border dispute with Mexico
- This eventually led to the start of the Mexican-American war in 1846
- During the war, the US captured additional territory (Mexican Cession of 1848)
- There continued to be territory disputes with Texas, the federal government and the New Mexico territory was resolved with the Compromise of 1850
The Fall of Santa Anna
- After Mexico lost the war against Texas, Santa Anna signed the Treaties of Velasco
- The Treaty recognized Texas’ independence
- There was a new Mexican government that said Santa Anna wasn’t the president and said that the treaty was void
- Santa Anna went into exile
- He later talked to Andrew Jackson who brought Santa Anna back to his Mexican home
- He rose back into power when the previous president was making people angry
- He became president again
- He wanted Mexico to have more money so he raised taxes
- People got mad at him so they locked him in jail
- He became the general of the army again to fight in the Mexican-American War
- Santa Anna lost and went back into exile
- Rebels wanted Santa Anna to come back to Mexico so he became presidenta gain
- During this presidency he sold land to the US
- He was overthrown again
La Reforma
- Characterized by liberal reform
- It modernized Mexico and made it a national state
- Land reform/redistribution
- Separation of church and state
- Wanted to increase education for the poor
- Mexico fought the church by limiting the traditional land holdings of the church
- This revitalized the market with land
Juarez Rises to Power
- Benito Juarez is remembered as being a progressive reformer
- He was dedicated to democracy, equal rights for his national’s indigenous peoples.
- Also, his antipathy toward organized religion, especially the Catholic Church, and what he regarded as defense of national sovereignty
- The period of his leadership is known in Mexican history as La Reforma del Norte
- He constituted a liberal political and social revolution with major instructional consequences.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
- Brought an end to the Mexican – American War
- The treaty was named after the town it was signed in (Guadalupe Hidalgo)
- Signed on Feb 2nd, 1848
- When Mexico was defeated with the fall of the capital, Mexico City, in 1847, the Medican govt. surrendered
- This began the negotiation period between the two
- After two failed attempts to negotiate a treaty with Santa Anna, the US was determined that the only way to deal with Mexico was to conquer them
Nicholas Trist
- He was the negotiator for the US
- The Mexican government had named its special commission to negotiate
- Against the president’s recall, Trist negotiated the peace treaty in defiance of the president
The Terms
- Mexico ceded to the United States Upper California and New Mexico
- America got everything gained everything to the southwest – Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Colorado, etc.
- Mexico relinquished all claims to Texas and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary with the United States
- Polk chose to forward the treaty to the Senate
- Senate barely ratified the treaty
Davy Crocket
- Died March 6th, 1836 in the Alamo
- Was a three time congressman
- Was a soldier and a hunter
- Leader of the Tennesse volunteers – group of 65 men from TN who all went and fought at the Alamo
Stephen Austin
- Known as the father of Texas
- Very successful in this colonization – colonization of Texas
- Brought 500 families to the area
- Has many towns and stuff named after him
- He was to try and persuade the Mexican into giving Texas self-government
- When he got out he got approval and support from the US government and army
- He became leader of citizens in Texas when he was let out of prison
- When he ran for president he lost
- San Houston beat him – would lead Texas to Independence
- Houston was president of Texas – Austin was secretary of state
Santa Anna
- Sometimes called Napoleon of the West
- Mexican political leader, general and 11 time president
- Led army to victory at the Alamo
- He conquered and killed many Texans and pushed forward
- Started with two small weaves that the Alamo held off
- Wealthy land owner
- Had form political views
- He was president and military leader for a span of 40 years
- Post Mexican War: After the war, Santa Anna lived in Exile in Cuba, Columbia and the US, come back, fail, exiled, REPEAT.
James Boyle
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