AFP NOTES 2/6

LECTURE 6 CONTINENTAL EXPANSION

A Entrepreneurial Expansion
Filibusters (part 1)
-filibusters were used much much more in the early days of the republic
-not as annoying as they are now
-well, maybe as annoying, but not as unheard of

B Inheriting Spanish America Case Studies
lots of different people tried to 'inherit' spanish america
-lots of different plots to take back spanish territories like florida
3 step process, laid out in the Mobile act of 1804
1) emigration until a majority are american
2) Agitation for independence
3) Amalgamation leads to statehood

Baton Rouge
September 1810
-wants to become part of america
-pressures state to appeal for annexation
-ends up succeeding
Texas (first republic)
-mexicans revolted against spanish rule
-spanish presence in texas was extremely weak, texans managed to kick them out
-april 1813, they declared themselves a new republic
-lasted only until august 1813 when they were defeated by loyalist army
-the texan army was only around 1500 men strong, half of which were americans

St Mary's Island
-'republic of florida'
-
Amelia Island
-mcGregor seized amelia island in venezualan revolutionary cause
-immediately became haven for pirates
-'mos eisley of the united states'
-independent from june-> december 1817
C Andrew Jackson
-first rises to prominence during the creek war, fought concurrently with the war of 1812 (1812-1814)
-james monroe (secretary of war) sent a message to jackson warning him to take no measures attacking spain
-by the time he got the order, he had already launched the first florida campaign
First Florida Campaign, 1814
-launched without american governmental approval or support
-felt the need to justify the attack
-baia is a cocklicker
-just saying
notes notes notes
-gave jackson huge political gains
-attacked in the 'first seminole war' in nov 1817
-secretary of war decided to give jackson authority to prosecute and end the war

Second Florida Campaign, 1818
-Jackson essentially shanked the floridians
-jackson stationed troops and ports all over florida

-there's a problem here--- america had essentially gone to war with spain without a formal declaration
-adams justifies his action that the executive can authorize military action if it is taken as even proactive defense
-the real reason for justification of jackson's actions was that they really couldn't do anything about him
-he was way too far away

Texas (second republic)
-one problem here
-neither spanish nor french treaties allowed for the annexation of texas, and america really wanted it
-1821- stephen austin
-1823- imperial colonization law
-american colonists continued pouring into mexico
-1835, santa anna proclaimed unified constitution for all mexican territories
-texan settlers threatened to secede if they had to accept the constitution
-why?
-constitution restricted religion, press, slavery, colonists wanted to keep free all three
-march 1836- declaration of texan independence
-april 1836- battle of san jacinto
-after the alamo
-americans kicked the crap out of the mexicans
-mexican surrendered forces signed the treaties of velasco
-treaty gave all the ground between the nueces to the rio grande to the republic of texas
-september 1836, texas votes overwhelmingly to be annexed by america
-this poses a problem to america, which has a real delicate balance between slave and non-slave states
-president van buren refuses the petition
-william henry harrison dies after entering office
-john tyler became president, is given the title 'his accidency'
-tyler wants texas to be incorporated in the union, to protect from british incursion into texas