Turmoil Over Texas

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Turmoil Over Texas

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 farmer...

... middle of paper ...

...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."

Bibliography

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

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