”REMEMBER THE ALAMO!”

The drive for expansion, which fueled the dreams of many Americans in the first half of the nineteenth century, made eventual conflict with Mexico inevitable, Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821 and encouraged the economic development of its northern province of Texas (which consisted of what we now know of as the state of Texas and parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado). American economic investment was encouraged in the region: American settlers who would agree to become Mexican citizens, become Catholics, and encourage others Americans to come to Mexico were given large tracts of land for next to nothing. These settlers numbered nearly 30,000 by 1836.

Predictably, many Americans who settled in Texas were not diligent in fulfilling their obligations to the Mexican government, causing the Mexican government to act to reassert control over Texas. In 1836 the American settlers and some Mexicans living in Texas revolted against Mexican control of Texas, On March 2 they declared that Texas was an independent state and established a constitution (in which slavery was legal). Led by Davey Crockett and Jim Bowie, 165 Texans were defeated at the Alamo on March 6 by over 3000 Mexican soldiers, but their cry of “Remember the Alamo!” became the rallying cry for those fighting for the independence of Texas, A declaration of independence was issued in early March of 1836 by a convention of Texans opposed to continued Mexican rule.

Many American adventurers eager for land now poured into Texas and helped the Texans defeat the Mexican army on April 21, 1836, An independent Republic of Texas was proclaimed. General Sam Houston, who had led the army that defeated the Mexicans, became president of the Lone Star Republic. Most people living there (the vast majority being Americans) desired to become part of the United States. Andrew Jackson gave stirring speeches favoring the annexation of Texas and offered diplomatic recognition to the Lone Star Republic just before he left office. However, most Whigs were against annexation, fearing it would cause war with Mexico and domestic dissension. Abolitionists in the North were opposed to it, since they feared the entry of another slave state (which Texas would undoubtedly be) into the Union. Jackson feared that the annexation of Texas would hurt the chances of his chosen successor, Martin Van Buren, in the 1836 presidential election. He never acted on the annexation issue, causing the Republic of Texas to turn to Europe for potential allies.

Martin Van Buren also refused to support legislation that would make Texas part of the United States. William Henry Harrison, a Whig, defeated Van Buren in the 1840 presidential election but died after one month in office. Harrison’s vice president was John Tyler, a Democrat who had been placed on the ticket to appeal to Southerners. Tyler favored the annexation of Texas and by mid-1844 had completed negotiations with the Texans on a treaty that would bring Texas into the United States. John C. Calhoun, the secretary of state, wrote a note to the British government concerning the situation in Texas; in the note he stated that the continuation of slavery would be good for Texas. This was enough to doom the treaty when it went to the Senate for approval.