During the 18th and 19th centuries, what we now know as the western United States was under much contention with the federal government. This period was very difficult for the leaders of the government to decide how to divide up the vast regions of land in the west. It seems impossible to think of Silicon Valley, Oregon or even Washington as being barren, unsettled territory. But just a few centuries ago, those in power were making influential decisions that would effect us today.
The Webster’s definition of the word expand sums up the ideas and goals of this time: to make or become greater in size, scope or range. Furthermore, expansion is the act or process of expanding. In this paper, I will examine the settlement of Texas as further expansion of the west and I will determine what caused much turmoil between the Mexicans and Americans in that time period.
In the 1800’s, the Mexican territory was defined as encompassing the land west of Louisiana and north of Mexico, (Peterson). Like most of the other provinces in the west, this territory was not very populated. Through the 1820’s, most people believed that the United States would buy eastern Texas from Mexico. Many thought that the portion of Texas had been part of the Louisiana Purchase and that the United States had ‘given’ it away to Spain in exchange for Florida in the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty, (Hensen 45). The Texas settlers expected that the annexation would stimulate immigration and provide buyers for the land.
Mexico began to become attractive because “Mexico and the United States had no reciprocal agreements enabling creditors to collect debts or to return fugitives,” (Hensen 46). Hence, Texas was a safe haven for many of the farmers from Mississippi who were forced to default on their loans at the end of the War of 1812, (Hensen 46). So, instead of having their property seized by the government, men, women and children packed up their belongings and headed out west were they could live without fear.
This was the beginning stage of the changing and expanding of the west. Stephen Austin was granted the right to bring 300 American families to this territory by the Mexican government, which was now independent. Not only were these families migrating to the unsettled land, but once they arrived, they were there to stake the land and claim it as their own to the dismay of many Indians already residing on the land.
Once the Americans began settling in Mexico, they entered into a quid pro quo situation with the Mexican government: these families received about 4,000 acres of land each, and in exchange, they had to convert to Catholicism, (Peterson). Although there was a law made in 1830 banning the expansion of Americans into Mexico, there were over 20,000 Americans calling Mexico home by 1835, (Peterson). The Austin settlement in 1821 was soon followed by 26 other groups of Americans settling along east Texas along the Sabine River and south central Texas (the Brazos and the Colorado), (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, Faragher 244).
The Americans were attracted to Texas because of inexpensive land. “Undeveloped land in the United States cost $1.25 an acre for a minimum of 80 acres ($100) payable in specie at the time of purchase,” (Barker 35). Each head of the family, be it male or female, could claim a headright of 4,605 acres at a cost of four cents per acre payable over six years, a total that was later reduced by the state powers, (Barker 36).
Although the land was plentiful and affordable, this opportunity had its drawbacks as well. This sudden expansion into foreign land by the Americans created much turmoil among the native people of Mexico. The two groups of people differed vastly and this put much strain on the new relationship. For example, the Mexicans were dominantly Catholic, while the Americans were Protestants. Another source of turmoil was the issue of slavery. In Mexico, slaves were forbidden and many of the American settlers came to the new land in search of slaves to pick and grow cotton. “National and state laws banned the African slave trade, but allowed Anglo-Americans to bring their family slaves with them to Texas and buy and sell them there until 1840,” (Hesten 47). Grandchildren of the slaves would be freed gradually upon reaching certain ages. The Americans,with their newfound confidence from settling this land and successfully breaking the rules, generally believed that they were superior to the Mexicans.
This feeling of superiority gave way to a lack of contact between the colonists who settled with Austin and the Indian people. They never even bothered to learn Spanish and most of these immigrant Americans didn’t become Mexican citizens or even adopt the Catholic religion, (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, Faragher 244).
This arrogance and non-compliance was a dominant source of this turmoil between the two peoples that eventually caused governmental upheaval.
The turmoil between the Americans and the Mexican government boiled because they were getting restless with the Mexican rules. During this period, the Mexican government was wielding an internal battle between the Federalists and the Centralists. The Federalists were asking the government for more power in the states and less in the central government, while making forward progress with this recent immigration. In contrast, the Centralists wanted more power in the central government and they were strongly opposed to immigration, (Peterson).
All the while, the American government was regretting the previous treaty in 1819 signed by Adams that gave up the territorial rights to Texas. The Americans tried to buy Texas from Mexico for $1 million, and then $5 million, but the Mexicans declined the offer and Jackson’s ambassador told him to take it by force, (Peterson).
The balance was unearthed in 1828 when the Centralists gained control of the government in Mexico City. With this newly acquired power, they decided to exert their control over the northern province, (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, Faragher 245). It was now clear what was really happening in Mexico with this shift of power.
The American settlers who claimed to become Mexican had an ulterior motive. Instead of conforming to Mexican government, the Americans planned to take over Texas.
It was only evident that war broke out in 1835 between the Mexicans and the American-Texans. “Shouting ‘Remember the Alamo’ for the first time, the Texans completely surprised their opponents and won an overwhelming victory. Santa Anna signed a treaty fixing the southern boundary of the newly independent Republic of Texas at the Rio Grande on May 14, 1836,” (Armitage, Buhle, Czitrom, Faragher 245). Despite their efforts, the congress in Mexico refused the treaty and refused to recognize Texan independence.
Texas was finally annexed from the United States in 1844, which then enabled the US to acquire Mexico’s northern provinces of California and New Mexico as well.
Despite the inherent turmoil suffered from many peoples during the settling of Texas, this territory is considered a major expansion for the United States and it follows perfectly with the notion of manifest destiny. Charles Creighton Hazewell, an expert on Mexican-Texas history once said that, “The mere thought of the changes that have occurred there bewilders the mind; and the inhabitants of orderly countries, whether that order be the consequence of despotism or of constitutionalism, wonder that society should continue to exist in a country where government appears to be unknown.”
Armitage, Susan, Buhle, Mari Jo, Czitrom, Daniel, Faragher, John, 1999. Out of Many (A History of the American People) 2nd Edition, New Jersey, Prentice Hall.
Barker, Eugene, 1970. The Life of Stephen F. Austin New York, AMS Press
Henson, Margaret, 1993, The Cartwrights of San Augustine, Austin, Texas, Austin Texas State Historical Association
Peterson-Davison, Dolores, 2000, Lecture Notes on Westward Expansion
