The Really Old West and the Mexican War

•

The Relentless Hunger for Land

• Land Pressure – 1800: 5.3 million, 50% west of

Appalachians

– 1850: 23 million, 50% west of Appalachians

– Available land triples 1800-50

Manifest Destiny

• Many White Americans convince themselves God has given them the DUTY to take over North America because they're better than everyone else and He loves them better than everyone else.

– This is a classic case of rationalizing greed and land hunger to feel less guilty about killing people and taking their land

The East

• There is not much open land in the east by the 1840s

• As a result, the need for land drives farmers ever westwards.

Why not settle the Great Plains?

• Hard to farm in

• Full of powerful native tribes

• Border disputes with Spain

• Lack of geographic knowledge

•

The Fur Trade

• Hudson Bay Company and Missouri Expeditions begin it

• Rendezvous System (1824-1840)– Trappers operate on their own or small

groups• 40% marry Native Americans

– Trappers meet traders 1/year at a week long trade festival

Fur Trade II

• Trappers map out the West

• By 1840, fur animals are dying out and the trade fades

The Oregon Trail

Prairie Schooner

The Oregon Trail

• The Oregon Trail– 150,000 settlers, 2000 miles, 6 months

• Missionaries go first in 1830s– They discover Oregon is great for

farms!

• Farmers follow them in the 1840s

• Dangers– 1 in 17 died, most from cholera,

drowning, accidents

Independence Rock

Over 50,000 names carved in it; a mile long

Native Americans of the Plains

• Horse Nomads rule the plains– Hunt Buffalo / Raid Farmers / Trade with

Neighbors• Aided by the Gun and Horse, they dominate

everyone else!

– North: Sioux– South: Commanche

The Sioux

Natives vs. Natives

• Nomads crush groups like– Farming Tribes: Pawnee– Indian Territory Tribes: Cherokee &

Other Southern Tribes

• Too strong for the US to want to challenge before Civil War

Spanish / Mexican Cowboys (Vaqueros)

The Mexican Borderlands

• Northern Half of Mexico had under 1% of its population

• Mostly controlled by tribes hostile to Spain, then Mexico

• Mix of – Creoles (Spanish Descent)– Mestizos (Mixed Origins)– Native Descent Folk

The Borderlands II

• The borderlands were thinly garrisoned and poor

• Relied on ranching and irrigation agriculture• Under 60,000 loyal to Spain, then Mexico• South California• Central Texas• New Mexico

Texas: Early Years

• In 1820, 5,000 mostly Mestizo Tejanos

• Mexico invites the Empresarios to settle Texas

– Land grants to those who bring settlers– 18,000 square miles to Stephen F. Austin!

• 1830: 25,000 in Texas!– But constant Commanche raids too!

Problems in Mexico

• Mexico is torn by conflict– Conservative Creole Landowners vs

Mestizo Urban Liberals

• Santa Anna exploits this to take over in 1830s

Santa Anna

• President of Mexico 11 times (non-consecutive)

• Loses part of Mexico 3 times

• Somehow keeps coming back anyway!

Crackdown on Texas

• Santa Anna tries to disarm the settlers– They are violating Mexican laws against

slavery

• Settlers refuse for fear of the Commanche and of tyranny

• Battle of Goliad (October 1835) leads to WAR.

The Texas Revolution

Revolution

• March 1, 1836: Independence

• Battle of the Alamo delays SA's revenge

• He is then crushed at Battle of San Jacinto (April 1836)

Anglo Encroachments

• Mexico now clearly vulnerable– American merchants move into New

Mexico via The Santa Fe Trail and begin taking over.

– Farmers from Oregon move into Northern California and settle.

– Mormons invade Utah and take over• Grasshoppers are the only defense against

them! (They eat Mormon crops)

James K. Polk

• Elected in 1844

• Pledges to take:

• Texas

• California

Twin Crises: Texas and Oregon

• We split Oregon with the British

• Polk's demands anger the Mexicans, who feel robbed when we annex Texas in 1845

• Polk and Mexico both send troops into South Texas.

Confrontation in South Texas

• 3,500 under Zachary Taylor into South Texas

• Siege of Fort Texas (Brownsville)

• Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma (May 8-9)

– Horse artillery wins the day– Huge victory

The US at the Verge of the Mexican War

Improved American Competence in Warfare

• Lessons of the War of 1812

• West Point—523 officers serve; 452 decorated or promoted

• Improved Logistics

• Volunteer Forces – 111,000 men

• Government Finance-- Over 100 million

• Overcoming Political Opposition

1846

• Taylor invades Northern Mexico– Fall of Matamoros and Monterrey

• Fall of the Borderlands– New Mexico—Phil Kearney– California

• John C. Fremont and “Bear Flag Republic”

• Commodore Stockton

• Battles of Rio San Gabriel and the Battle of La Mesa on January 8 and 9, 1847

1847

• Santa Anna Strikes North– February 23, 1847—Battle of Buena Vista

• Braxton Bragg (Artillery) and Jefferson Davis (Infantry)

The Battle for Central Mexico

The Invasion of Central Mexico

• Winfield Scott's 10,000 invade Mexico– Veracruz– Battle of Chapultepec (September 13, 1847)– Fall of Mexico City– But now what?

1848

• Occupation of Mexico City

• Mexican Instability

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo– US pays 18 million– US gets New Mexico, Arizona, Utah,

Nevada, Texas, and California

The US Post-Mexican War