Lecture Notes: Annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War
Introduction
Speaker: Daniel Stalcup, living historian at the Alamo.
Topic: Connection between the annexation of Texas and the Mexican-American War.
Focus: Two main options discussed at the 1845 Constitutional Convention:
Pro-USA annexation plan.
Independence plan brokered by England.
Background of Texas Independence
March 2, 1836: Texas declares independence from Mexico.
April 21, 1836: Wins independence after the Battle of San Jacinto.
Texas' Early Annexation Attempts
Post-revolution: Texas petitions the Jacksonian government and is denied due to tensions with Mexico.
1837: Van Buren administration also denies annexation, citing balance issues between slave and free states and anti-annexation sentiment.
1838: Anson Jones, the Texas Foreign Relations Committee chair, withdraws annexation offer and looks to Europe.
European Influence
Early 1840s: European influence in Texas begins to gain traction.
1843: England brokers a deal between Texas and Mexico for Texas to remain independent in exchange for Mexican recognition.
Renewed Interest from the United States
Summer 1843: John Tyler proposes annexation but is shot down.
Key Issue: Texas Presidential Election focuses on annexation, with Anson Jones taking a neutral stance.
Pro-Annexation Plan
1844: President Polk elected in the USA, running on a pro-annexation platform.
United States Plan:
Texas admitted as a state.
Subject to US laws.
Texas keeps public lands.
Texas Constitutional Convention of 1845
April 1845: Anson Jones summons a special Congress session.
May 1845: Constitutional convention to establish Texas governance framework.
Result: Creation of a document forming the basis of Texas’s five constitutions.
Key Figures: Thomas Jefferson Rusk (president of the convention), Jose Antonio Navarro (only native Texan delegate).
Annexation and Formal Recognition
July 4th, 1845: Anson Jones signs the annexation deal.
December 29th, 1845: President Polk signs documents.
February 1846: Formal ceremony admitting Texas to the Union.
Mexican Opposition
Mexico’s Stand: Refuses to recognize Texas borders as the Rio Grande; only up to Nueces.
Prelude to the Mexican-American War
Summer 1845: Polk sends envoy to Mexico to negotiate for land; orders General Taylor to Corpus Christi.
Early 1846: Taylor marches to Rio Grande, builds Fort Texas.
Conflict Begins:
April 24th, 1846: Mexican cavalry overwhelms US scouts.
May 8th, 1846: First battle at Palo Alto, leading to Resaca De La Palma confrontation.
Outbreak and Conclusion of the War
May 13th, 1846: US declares war on Mexico.
September 1847: Mexico City falls.
February 2nd, 1848: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed.
Key Result: Confirms Texas sovereignty and ends conflict.
Conclusion
The Texas Revolution catalyzed the quest for independence, but annexation and the Mexican-American War were crucial in resolving the issue of sovereignty.