Conflict with Mexico during the Republic Era

Conflict with Mexico

We will analyze the cause & effect of Texas’s foreign
disputes with Mexico.

I will analyze the cause & effects of Texas’s foreign
disputes with Mexico during the Texas Republic Era
using a timeline graphic organizer.

Vocabulary Words

❏

Foreign affairs: dealing with other countries

❏

Domestic affairs: relating to issues within a home country

The Quest for Statehood

❖The relationship between Texas and Mexico was a key issue in the early
republic’s foreign relations. Mexico refused to acknowledge Texas
independence. The Mexican government claimed that Texas was still a state in
rebellion against its rightful government.

❖Many leaders including Sam Houston hoped that Texas would be annexed by
the United States and become a new state in the union.

❖However, U.S. officials refused to even recognize the Republic. U.S. President
Andrew Jackson warned Congress that acknowledging Texas independence
might anger Mexico and could lead to a costly war.

❖Another obstacle to annexation was slavery. In the early 1800s, northern and
southern states were at odds over slavery. Northerners who opposed slavery
argued against statehood because it would add Texas as a slave state.

❖Jackson sent a representative to investigate the conditions in Texas.

-
Henry Mofit’s report stated that: Texas was too small, not enough population,
too much debt, and had a very powerful enemy (Mexico).

Americans were not sure the Republic could last. Lack of recognition would ignite
continued conflict between Texas and Mexico.

Multiple Select

Why was foreign recognition important to the Republic of Texas? Select ALL that apply

• It would validate Texas independence

• to gain foreign support

• could lead to foreign loans and trade

• Mexico could annex Texas

• could lead to annexation by the U.S.

Multiple Select

Why didn't the U.S. want to annex Texas? Select all that apply

• Lack of population

• too much debt

• the issue of slavery

• it would anger Mexico

• It would lead to a war with Spain

The Cordova Rebellion

►The Cordova Rebellion – Most of the Tejanos lived in the southern part of Texas
along the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers. Anglos discriminated Tejanos, even those that fought in the Texas Revolution. Tejanos had their property stolen and some were forced to flee Texas. Tejanos rebelled against Anglos. A group of Tejanos in Nacogdoches led by Vicente Cordova reacted to the poor treatment against Tejanos and led a rebellion against Anglos with the help of Native American allies. Lamar removed Cherokees from E. Tx.

►Despite the hardships that Tejanos faced, they always maintained their culture and
helped to create traditions that would eventually become part of Texas. As a
result, Lamar decided to remove the Cherokees from Texas.

►Jose A. Navarro – Was an important figure in the Republic and one of the few
Tejanos in power. He pushed for the protection of Tejano rights and discrimination
against Tejanos while serving in the Texas Congress.

►William Goyens - During the Texas Revolution, Goyens was given the important task
of keeping the Cherokees friendly with the Texans. He was a wealthy business
owner, but had to deal with other townspeople threatening him to take away his
property. Goyens had the resources to challenge them in court, whereas other free
African Americans did not. Many African Americans chose to leave rather than
deal with being discriminated against.

The Santa Fe Expedition

►Santa Fe Expedition – Because the Mexican
government didn’t recognize Texas an
independent nation, there was no clear
boundary between Mexico and Texas.

►In June 1841, Lamar sent troops to west
Texas to secure the boundary between
Santa Fe, New Mexico and Texas to access
the valuable trade along the Santa Fe Trail.
Along the way Texans were attacked by
Native Americans. When the exhausted
Texans reached New Mexico in October
1841, Mexican troops were waiting for them
and arrested them.

► The expedition was a failure; it was
expensive and it renewed Mexican interest
in Texas. It set the stage for years of conflict
between the two countries.

Dropdown

Lamar had hoped to open up the Santa Fe ​

Select answer

to Texas. The Expedition was a failure because the expedition cost a lot of ​

Select answer

Texas Navy & Mexico

► During Lamar’s presidency, Lamar sent the Texas navy to

interfere during a rebellion in Mexico. Rebels in the Mexican state
of Yucatan rebelled against the government. Once hearing
about the rebellion, President Lamar saw both an opportunity to
hurt Mexico and a possible source of income.

► Late 1841, Lamar sends navy to the Yucatan / Mexico and

together with the Yucatan rebels to aid and profit from the rebellion. In return, the rebels agree to pay Texas $8, 000 a month for the use of the navy.

► Once Houston became president, he was determined to cut

spending. As a result, he ordered the navy home and auctioned the ships off in Galveston.

The Archives War

►Upset over Lamar’s actions (Texas navy interferes with rebellion in Mexico, then Mexico sent troops into Texas to San Antonio, Goliad, Refugio and Victoria. General Adrian Woll captured San Antonio during Houston’s second term.

►Mary Maverick- Published her journal as a record of her lifetime and helped preserve
Texas history. Much of what we know about life in San Antonio in the 1800s is because of
Mary Maverick’s diary entries.

►Jack Coffee Hays- Best known Texas Ranger who met General Woll at Salado Creek
and forced him to retreat back to Mexico. Hays is remembered as the ideal Texas
Ranger. Fearless, capable and loyal who would later become a hero in the
Mexican-American War.

Mary’s diary entry describes the
morning invasion of Mexican soldiers
against San Antonio in March 1842
known as the Archives War.

The Archives War continued

►President Houston took advantage of the insecurity along the
frontier to call Congress into session and moves government documents to Washington- on the Brazos.

►December 1842, he ordered Texas Rangers to bring the government
documents there. Austin residents opposed the move because they
suspected it meant their city would no longer be the capital.

►This conflict, called the Archives War, ended with the documents
back in Austin. This event will lead to Texans wanting to seek revenge during the Mier Expedition.

The Mier Expedition

►As a result of the Archives War and angered by the attack
on San Antonio, people demanded war against Mexico. President
Houston would send General Somervell to the Rio Grande. His
mission was to recapture prisoners captured by General Woll.
However, General Somervell soon realized that he would need
more supplies.

►300 soldiers disobeyed orders to turn back. The soldiers
invaded the Mexican town of Mier for supplies.

►When they arrived, they ordered the townspeople to provide
them with supplies. When they failed to do so, they attacked the
town but were met with 900 Mexican soldiers. After running out of
supplies, the Texans surrendered and were marched to Mexico
City were President Santa Anna ordered that every 10th man be
executed by drawing beans from a jar.

►Their actions would be known as the Mier Expedition during 1842.
It would be the last conflict between Mexico and Republic of
Texas until the Mexican-American War.

Open Ended

Lets discuss with our partners: Why was there continued political disputes between Mexico and Texas?