Cover Page Unit VI: Manifest Destiny

Part Part Part Part I: Florida II:Texas III:Oregon Country IV: The Mexican-American War

Part I: Florida

1) Southerners, Mostly those in Georgia, wanted the US to take over Florida because: a) slaves would escape and run away to Florida b)Landowners would have to continuously deal with Seminole Indians raiding their land.

EQ #1: Why did the United States want control of Florida?

2) Thomas Jefferson tried using diplomacy to buy Florida from Spain but failed. a) Spains control over Florida weakened and the Spanish govt. could no longer stop the Seminoles from raiding land in Georgia. b) To deal with the raids, President Monroe sent Andrew Jackson to Georgia.

EQ#2: How did tensions between Spain and the United States rise between 1804-1818?

i) Jacksons orders were to chase out any raiding Seminoles, but do not invade Florida. ii) Jackson acquired 1700 troops and invaded Florida regardless. iii) Jackson took over Spanish military posts, tried and executed two British subjects responsible for causing Indian attacks, and replaced the Spanish Governor with an American one.

c) Jackson invades Florida

i) Both Spain and the United States feared for war. ii) Spain asked the Jackson be called to Washington and tried for illegal invasion. iii) U.S. responded with, Govern Florida properly or get out.

d) Fear of war

3) in 1819, Spain and the US signed the Adams-Onis Treaty. stating that Spain would yield Florida to the United States on two conditions a) the US would have to pay $5 million dollars in settlers claims against Spain.
b) the US would have to agree to give up parts of Texas west of the Sabine River to Spain to honor Spain's claim to Texas.

E.Q# 3: How did the U.S. acquire Florida?

E.Q.#4: How did the citizens react to the United States acquisition of Florida?

4) People thought that Texas was worth 10 Floridas because the region was well suited for growing cotton. a) the Senate ratified the Florida treaty two days after it was signed. b) Florida became the 27th state in the Union in 1845.

Part II: Texas

1)Texas was valuable to the US due to being well suited to make cotton, the souths cash crop. a) Moses Austin was granted land in 1821 by Spanish officials, but died that same year. b) his son, Stephen Austin, accepted the land and he arrived in Texas just as Mexico declared its independence. Texas now belonged to Mexico.

E.Q.#1 How did the United States create a colony in Texas?

c) Mexico allows Austin to colonize Texas on three conditions:

i)Austin could only choose moral and Hardworking settlers to colonize the land. ii) The settlers had to become Mexican citizens. iii) The settlers also had to join the catholic church.

D) by 1827, Austin attracted The Old Three Hundred which were the first 297 families to colonize his land in Texas.

2) By 1830, Austins colony attracted 25,000 Americans to Texas compared to only 4,000 Tejanos, Mexicans who lived in Texas. a) Americans did not like being governed by Mexico. b) Americans did not like being forced to learn to read and write documents in Spanish.

E.Q. #2: How did tensions rise between the Texas colonists and the Mexican Government?

c) Lastly, Americans did not like having to free their slaves after Mexico outlawed slavery in 1829. d) the Tejanos were upset with the American colonists because : i) they did not have permission to immigrate to Texas. ii) they showed no respect for Mexican culture iii) Lastly, did not become Mexican citizens.

3) The tensions caused the Mexican government to close their borders to any further U.S. immigrations. a) the Mexican Govt. sent troops to enforce these new laws.

E.Q. #3: What did the Mexican Govt do in response to the tensions?

E.Q. #4: How did the American Colonists react to the Mexican Immigration Laws?

4) the Americans did not like these actions and 2 groups sought change. a) William Travis organized a group that called for a revolution b) Stephen Austin travelled to Mexico to speak to General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

d) Austin asked Santa Anna to re-open Texas to immigration and to make Texas a separate Mexican state.
d) Santa Anna responded by throwing Austin in prison for promoting a rebellion.

5) in 1835, Two years later, Austin was released from prison. Upon his return, the Texas Revolutionary Army was organized to start a rebellion. a) Santa Anna responded by sending 6000 troops to Texas to squash the rebellion.

E.Q. #5: How did the Texas War for Independence begin?

6) By Feb. 1836, Santa Annas army reached San Antonio. a) The battle took place at the Alamo, the fort previously used as a Catholic Mission. b) 180 Texas Revolutionists, including Davy Crocket, William Travis, and James Bowie defended the fort against the Mexican Army.

E.Q. #6: How did the Battle of the Alamo effect the Texas Revolutionists?

c) After 12 days, the Mexican Army took over the fort. d) Santa Anna ordered that every last Texan defender be killed after his victory at the Alamo. e) This angered the Texas Revolutionists, including their Commander, Sam Houston.

7) Sam Houston knew that he could not beat the Mexican Army in battle, so he had to use strategy. a) Houston retreated his army as far east as he could with Santa Anna always just one step behind him. b) the goal of doing this was to make it so that it was difficult for supplies to get to the Mexican Army

E.Q. # 7: How did the Texas Revolutionists win the war against the Mexican Military.

c) Santa Anna finally caught up to Houstons army at San Jacinto River and waited for an attack by the Texans d) When no attack came, Santa Anna ordered his weary army to rest and they would attack in two days.

e) While the Mexican Army rested, The Texans burned Vinces Bridge which was the only way reinforcements and retreats could come. f) The Texans issued a surprise attack called the Battle of San Jacinto while the Mexican Army rested. g) The battle lasted 18 minutes, and resulted in the Capture of Santa Anna.

8) Houston offered Santa Anna freedom upon on two conditions : a) Santa Anna had to remove all his troops from Texas b) He also had to grant Texas independence. c) In may 1836, Santa Anna signed the Treaty of Velasco, agreeing to the terms above.

E.Q. #8: How did Texas become independent?

E.Q. #9: How did the Republic of Texas become apart of the United States?

9) now independent, the Republic of Texas wanted to become apart of the United States. a) Texas remained independent for 10 years as the United States were divided on whether or not to annex Texas.

i) Southerners wanted another slave states ii) Northerners did not want Texas to join the union because they opposed slavery and believed that Annexation of Texas would lead to war with Mexico.

i) Candidate Henry clay believed Annexation of Texas would force war with Mexico. ii))Candidate James Polk believed in Manifest Destiny and was eager to acquire Texas.

b) 1844 presidential campaign was influenced by the Expansion of U.S. territory

c) Polk won the election and when he became president, had congress vote to annex Texas. d) In 1845, Texas became the 28th state of the union.