Friday, April 26

[2Kelsey G]

Mexico Fighting for Independence

The Beginnings

• The struggle for Mexican independence dates back to the decades after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire, when Martin Cores (son of Hernan Cortes)
• Martin Cortes Led a revolt against the Spanish colonial government in order to eliminate privileges for the conquistadors. (his mother was not Hernan's wife but his interpreter)

Conspiracy of the Machetes

• Pedro de la Portilla was the leader
• In 1799 he arranged a meeting with about twenty other powerless youths
• The meeting discussed the situation that Criollos found themselves in, in relation to Peninsulares (Crillos were "Europeans born in America, and Peninsulares were Europeans born in Spain
• Those present agreed to rise in arms to rid the country of Peninsulares

C.o.t.M

• The plan agreed on was to free prisoners, and with them storm the viceroy's palace, thus capturing high officials and funds
• The conspirators then intended to proclaim the independence of Mexico, declare was on Spain, and kill or expel the Peninsulares
• To accomplish this, they were counting on 1,000 pesos or silver, two pistols, and some 50 cutlasses and machetes
• They failed

Gritos de Dolores

• Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a local priest and member of a group of educated Crillos met in saloons and in 1810 arrived at the conclusion that a revolt against the colonial government
• September 16, 1810, he declared independence from the Spanish crown, and war against the government in what was known as the Grito de Dolores
• October 30, Miguel Hidalgo's army encountered Spanish resistance at the Battle of Monte de las Cruces, fought them and achieved victory
• However, the rebel army failed to defeat the large and heavily armed Spanish army in Mexico City
• The surviving rebels fled to the U.S.- Mexican border but were met by the Spanish. They were executed and their Hidalgo;s head was displayed to the public

Sides in the battle

• Patriots: Mexican Insurgents, Europeans and volunteers after 1819, Mexican ex-royalists, and Army of the Three Guarantess
• Royalists: Spanish royalists before 1821, and Mexican royalists
• Guarantees: Catholic church would be the official religion of Mexico, they wanted to be a successful country, and own monarchy at the crown

For the next 10 years

• The Mexicans were being held in check by the Spanish
• Mexico was about to give up and listen to their motherland Spain when....

Change in fortunes

• In 1820, when the Royalists general Iturbide changed sides and joined the rebels
• He feared that Spain would fall into liberal hands, he made common cause between the rebels who desired to break with Spain, and the Mexican conservatives, to desired to avoid liberal reforms
• Iturbide brought the Royalists army to his side, and then declared himself emperor but his reign was exceedingly short
• He was overthrown by Santa Anna after only a year, and Guadalupe Victoria was elected the first president of the Mexican Republic

Spain tires to regain Mexico

Battle of Tampico

• Mexicans defeat Spanish
• On July 31, 1827 a force of 1500 Mexicans under Santa Anna laid siege to 3,000 Spanish and Cuban soldiers , under Barrades, who landing in Tampico, with the intention of overthrowing the Mexican government
• The Spaniards were cut off from reinforcements and surrendered September 11

Results of the Battle for Mexican Independence

• First Mexican Empire established
• Spain loses Mexico and loses a lot of respect from the world

Settling Texas

• The new country emerged essentially bankrupt form the war against Spain
• Mexico encouraged settlers to create heir own militias for protections against hostile Indian tribes
• Texas was very sparsely populated and in the hope that an influx of settlers could control the Indian raids, the government liberalized immigration policies for the region
• The first group of colonists, known as the Old Three Hundred, had arrived in 1822 to settle an empresarial (business) grant that had been given to Stephen F. Austin
• The Mexican- born settlers in Texas were soon vastly outnumbered by people born in the United States
• The scared the Mexican government

• The property tax law, intended to exempt immigrants from paying taxes for ten years, was overturned, and tariffs were increased on goods shipped form the Untied Staets
• Texas settlers had to comply with the federal prohibition against slavery of face military intervention
• The Texan settlers didn't comply and a few years later, they outnumbered the Mexicans 4:1 and had almost as may slaves as they did people

Reasons for Settling Texas

• Cheap land for the Americans
• New frontier
• A weak country, doubted too many laws because they wanted the settlers there for protection from the hostile Indians

The 2 Major Conflicts

• The Battle of the Alamo

                -Texans lost

                -All Texans died

                 -Lasted 13 days

                 -Famous people there: Travis, Crockett, Bowie, Austin, Santa ANna

• The Battle of San Jacinto

                   -Texans won

                    -18 minute battle

                    -Sneak attack, caught them sleeping

                    -Famous people: Santa Anna, Houston

Republic of Texas

• Results of Texas Revolution:

                     -Republic of Texas 1836- 1845

                      -Mexico will try to regain Texas but fails

Texas Revolution Summary

• The Texas Revolution, also known as the Texas War if Independence, was the military conflict between the government of Mexico and Texas colonists that began October 2, 1835
• Resulted in the establishment of the Republic of Texas after the final battle on April 21, 1836
• Conflicts between the two nations continued in to the 1840s, finally being resolved with the Mexican America War of 1846 to 1848 after the annexation of Texas to the United States

Mexican- American War

• Also known as the Mexican War, the U.S- Mexican War, the Invasion of Mexico, the U.S. Intervention, or the United States war Against Mexico
• Armed conflict between the United States of America and the Untied Mexican States from 1846 to 1848 in the weak of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas
• Why: Mexico considered pat of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Revolution

Hypocrite?

• Having recently attained Independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico as fraught with internal struggles that verged on civil war, however it was relatively untied in refusing to recognize the Independence of Texas

Manifest Destiny

• Meanwhile, President Polk's spirit of Manifest Destiny was focusing U.S. interest on westward expansoin
• It is speaking about westward expansion and how beneficial it is
• Remember the Louisiana purchase was less than 50 years (1803) ago during this time

Polk wants war

• His message to Congress on May 11, 1846, stated that "Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil"
• Congress approved the declaration of war on May 13, with southern Democrats in strong support

Santa Anna: Second Chance

• Once the U.S. declared war on Mexico, Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (he is exiled at this point) wrote to Mexico City saying he n longer had aspirations to the presidency, but would eagerly use his military experience to fight off the foreign invasion of Mexico as he had before
• Santa Anna had secretly been dealing with representatives of the U.S., pledging that if he were allowed back in Mexico through the U.S. naval blockades he would work to sell all contested territory to the United Sates at a reasonable price
• Once back in Mexico at the head of an army, Santa Anna broke his promise on both agreements. Santa Anna declared himself president again and unsuccessfully tired to fight off the U.S. invasion

Random Notes

• November 1845, John Slidell attempts to purchase Alta California from Mexico
• Thornton Affair: Mariano Arista fires on American troops across the Rio Grande
• Battle of Monterrey: Taylor, with 6,220 men, defeat Pedro Ampudia , who had 10,000 men
• Battle of Buena Vista: Taylor, with 4,500 men, crushes Satan Ana, who had 20,000 men
• Battle of Chapultepec: "Halls of Montezuma" 13,000 Americans attack a fort outside Mexico City
• We were successful in capturing Mexico City
• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. American purchases the Mexican Cessipp ends the war
• We won the war
• Mexico lost over half of its territory by giving up the Mexican session