The Annexation of Texas Essay - 580 Words

The Mexican War of 1846-1848 was one of major importance to U.S. history, but has since fallen into annals of obscurity. It was the nation’s first war fought on foreign soil: a war that advocated the concept of â€Å"manifest destiny†, the United States God-given right to claim territory for the establishment of a free democratic society (Stevenson 2009). Even though many historians claim the war was forced on Mexico by slaveholders greedy for new territory, President John Polk viewed the war as an opportunity to defend the annexation of Texas, establish the Rio Grande as its border, and to acquire the Mexican territories of California and New Mexico (Stevenson 2009). Annexation of the newly formed republic of Texas incited bitter debate on†¦show more content†¦Mexican President Jose Herrera refused to negotiate (Stevenson 2009). After failed negotiations with Mexico, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to position his troops in the disputed territory, north of the Rio Grande River. Mexico, seeing this as an act of aggression struck first and killed several of Tyler’s men. After receiving word of the skirmish, President Polk petitioned congress, claiming Mexico â€Å"has invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon the American soil† (Tindall Shi 2010, p. 401). In response, congress unanimously passed the resolution and on May 13, 1846, the United States declared war (Tindall Shi 2010). In addition to Polk’s scheme to pull Mexico into war with the United States, he was also hatching a plan in the west. With the help of John C. Freemont and a group of American frontiersmen, known as the â€Å"Bear Flaggers†, he organized a revolt against Mexican rule and liberated most of California before the U.S. invasion began. Likewise, Both California and New Mexico were occupied by American forces prior to the assault on northern Mexico. (Tindall Shi 2010). Securing the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and California ignited widespread support for the war and re-established the national America’s sentiment of manifest destiny. (Tindall Shi 2010). After the bloody assault into the Mexican heart land and capture of the Mexican Capitol, The Mexican government had little choice but to accept theShow MoreRelatedTexas Annexation Essay example965 Words   |  4 PagesNarrative History of Texas Annexation, Secession, and Readmission to the Union Texans voted in favor of annexation to the United States in the first election following independence in 1836. However, throughout the Republic period (1836-1845) no treaty of annexation negotiated between the Republic and the United States was ratified by both nations. When all attempts to arrive at a formal annexation treaty failed, the United States Congress passed--after much debate and only a simple majority--aRead MoreEssay about Annexation Of Texas1066 Words   |  5 Pagesto be dragged out. Were those nine years unnecessary and could it have been done in a shorter period of time? 13 October 1834 was the first revolutionary meeting of the American citizens who’d settled in Mexico, in the area soon to be known as Texas. The people attempted a movement that soon was laid to rest by the Mexican Congress. Attempts at independence were silenced for the time being and the elections of 1835 proceeded forward. With Santa Anna moving to control Mexico, and taxes increasingRead More Reasons For the Annexation of Texas Essay2485 Words   |  10 Pagesthe Annexation of Texas The Annexation of Texas was one of the most debatable events in American history. The question at hand would deeply impact the United States for generations to come. There was on one side a long list of reasons for why to not allow annexation, but there was the same kind of list on the other side for reasons to push forward for annexation. Some of these reasons of both sides were slaves, war, manifest destiny, politics , and constitutional rights. Also the way Texas beganRead MoreThe Annexation Of Texas And The United States928 Words   |  4 PagesIan Harmon U.S. History Dr. Anderson Due: 11/21/14 The Annexation of Texas The 1800’s were a time of growth and expansion in the United States. However, during the century following the civil war not everyone shared the same views. Throughout the country, people had different thoughts on Texas, and what should be done with the new found territory. Whether it was people of the north looking to prevent another slave state from acquiring statehood, or slave owning people of the south trying to gainRead MoreThe Mexican -american War And The Annexation Of The Republic Of Texas Essay1659 Words   |  7 Pages-American War and the Annexation of the Republic of Texas (1836-1845) Since the United States was founded as an independent nation from Great Britain, its people had confronted many economic, political, and social problems. The United States started to expand its territory in the western part of the country. Some examples are the Louisiana purchase from1803 and the Spanish Florida annexation. One of the most significant and controversial in the antebellum years was the Texas annexation which was a resultRead MoreThe Annexation of Texas Caused Problems and Controversy in the United States626 Words   |  3 PagesWhy did the annexation of Texas cause political, military, economic, cultural, and moral controversy in the United States? Even before the Mexican-American War the United States is already doomed with sectional differences. Different people have different beliefs. As to who is siding with slavery and racial equality. This is such a strong point By needing to fulfill the United States’ Manifest Destiny as the latest justification for white settlers to take the land they coveted; This eventuallyRead MoreThe Annexation Of The United States1515 Words   |  7 PagesThe annexation of Texas was a path that many Texans wanted. Nearly ninety percent of Texans wanted to become part of the United States. â€Å"People hadn’t come to Texas to become part of the British Empire; most were particularly incensed by the British insistence on emancipation of the slaves; responding to public sentiment, the Texas Senate demanded that President Houston give them a full accounting of his dealings with Great Britain†. Before annexation, The Republic of Texas was a sovereign nationRead MoreEssay On Man ifest Destiny1432 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom, the Annexation and war with Mexico being one of them. Annexation is the action of invading, most times it was about invading land. There were more Americans living in Texas then there were Mexicans. Eventually Texas became an independent republic in 1836, this simply added to the events leading up to the war with Mexico. The purpose of this essay is to understand the Annexation of Texas, how the war with Mexico began, what happened in the Mexican war, who contributed to the Annexation of TexasRead MoreThe Impact On America s Economy And Politics924 Words   |  4 Pagesarea decreased; thus, Texas, now an independent state, wanted to belong to America. The annexation of Texas into the nation caused the imbalance between the slave states and antislavery states. Slavery had always been a controversial issue that divided the United States into two different ideologies. According to Missouri Compromise- there was an established line that whichever states below the line were slave states and the states that above the line were free states, Texas would come in as a slaveRead MoreExpansionism Under James K. Polk Essay1310 Words   |  6 Pagesareas of land to include: the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico under the Mexican Cession. Just before Polks presidency Texas had freed itself from Mexican rule and desired American annexation. This desire came from thousands of former American citizens that settled in Texas in the 1820s. This was due to the Mexican government supplying huge land grants to entice new settlers to Texas and secure its northern border from America