Dec. 9, Texas Revolution & The Alamo

Siege of the Alamo (1836)

  • Santa Anna brings 6,000 Mexican troops

  • Only 187 Texians + American volunteers inside (incl. Davy Crockett)

  • Took ~2 weeks for Mexico to take the mission (surprisingly long)

  • March 6, 1836 – Santa Anna orders “No Quarter” (no prisoners)

  • All 187 defenders killed (Crockett, Bowie, Travis)

The “Stolen Gold” Revisionist Theory

  • Claim: Bowie stole gold from Apache and hid it at the Alamo

  • Historians searched the streets in the 1990s → found nothing

  • Problems with the theory:

    1. 187 men wouldn’t die for someone else’s gold

    2. Apaches didn’t have much gold

    3. If gold was hidden, you’d leave and return later

    4. Mexico wouldn’t attack over Apache gold

  • One possible truth: Travis may have had mercury poisoning, but unproven

Why the Alamo Delay Mattered

  • Santa Anna’s 2-week delay gave Sam Houston time to build and organize the Texan army.

Battle of San Jacinto (April 21, 1836)

  • Santa Anna is president AND commanding general

  • Mexican troops camped at San Jacinto River, cooking breakfast

  • Houston launches surprise attack

  • Mexican army routed

  • Santa Anna captured in his underwear

  • Texans force him to sign Texas Independence Treaty

  • Mexican Congress doesn’t want to accept it

  • U.S. hints it will intervene → Mexico backs down

  • Texas becomes independent April 21, 1836

The Texas Annexation Issue (1836–1845)

What Texas Looked Like

  • Mexico claimed Texas only extended to Nueces River

  • Texans claimed border at Rio Grande

  • Huge disputed area

Why Jackson Refused to Annex Texas (1836)

  1. Would enter as a slave state (below 36°30’) → unbalances Senate

  2. Would look like U.S. started the revolution → risk war with Mexico

  • Result: Texas remains independent for 9 years

Presidents Leading to Polk

  • Martin Van Buren (1837–1841)

    • Economy collapses after Jackson killed the bank

    • One-term

  • William Henry Harrison (1841)

    • First Whig president

    • Longest inauguration speech

    • Dies after 30 days → shortest presidency

    • John Tyler becomes president

  • John Tyler (1841–1845)

    • Technically a Whig, but governed like a Democrat

    • Whigs drop him

    • After Polk wins 1844 election, Tyler begins Texas annexation process

James K. Polk (1845–1849)

Campaign promises (4):

  1. Annex Texas

  2. Gain Oregon

  3. Gain California

  4. Serve one term only

✔ Polk fulfills all four

  • Dies 6 months after leaving office (overwork)

Texas Border Problem After Annexation

  • U.S. accepts Texas with Rio Grande as border

  • Mexico insists border is Nueces River

  • Massive disputed region between the rivers

  • Direct cause of Mexican-American War (next topic)

Oregon Territory

  • Jointly occupied by U.S. and Britain

  • Settled gradually by Americans

  • Oregon Trail = main route (Independence, MO → Oregon)

  • 2,200 miles

  • 400,000+ traveled it

  • Ruts still visible in mountain rock

Donner Party (1846–1847)

  • Left Independence, Missouri, 1846

  • Wealthy Reed family involved

  • Followed “Hastings Cutoff” (supposed shortcut)

  • Actually longer and untested by Hastings

  • Multiple delays:

    • High water

    • Mud

    • Mountains

    • Reed kills a man in self-defense → banished

  • Salt Flats slow them down

  • Get trapped in Sierra Nevada winter

  • Resort to cannibalism

  • Most disasters traced to leaving the main Oregon Trail