Joining the Union
Complete three of the following assignments, and return to me either in as a single attached Microsoft Word document or cut and pasted into the window that will appear when you click the submit work button in the window to the right of this assignment. Answer in complete sentences, with examples from what you read to support your ideas. Grammar and spelling matter, so please proofread carefully.
A: When the U.S. annexed Texas, many residents of what was Mexico were annexed, as well. Many times, these citizens were given short shrift when it came to land records and other legal issues. Some former Mexican citizens prospered under the new government, however.
Read this essay (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. about the influx of soldiers and others into what is now New Mexico shortly after the annexation of the Republic of Texas.
• What were the attitudes of the soldiers and other people moving from the U.S. into the newly annexed lands about the residents there?
• What shaped these impressions?
• What does that say about racial attitudes in the U.S. at the time?
• Does the author indicate that there are any residual issues surrounding the annexation and the effect that had on the people living here? Explain your answer.
B. After Texas joined the United States, there were still disputes about the international border and other issues between the U.S. and Mexico, which resulted in a war between the nations in 1846. Take a virtual tour of important historical sites in Texas (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. from the Mexican War, 1846-48 and answer the following questions in complete sentences.
• How did this war affect the new relationship between the United States and Texas?
• How did most of the Texans feel about this war?
• How did citizens of the rest of the United States feel about it? Explain your answers.
C. Choose this assignment and it counts for all three requirements for this topic!
One of the biggest arguments against annexing Texas to the U.S. was centered around the issue of slavery. The abolitionist movement was picking up steam during the 1840s, as was the worry on the part of many in areas that slavery was the norm that their livelihood was being threatened. Do some internet research on your own to answer the following questions in a 2-3 page essay:
• What was the economic impact of slavery on Texas?
• In which areas of Texas were there the most slaves?
• Why was it such a hot topic?
• Why did the United States not try to solve the slavery crisis the way Britain did in the Caribbean — by adopting compensation for slave owners and a system of gradual emancipation and apprenticeship for slaves?
Include the site addresses for the places where you found answers to these questions.
D. Cynthia Ann Parker (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. is a famous name in Texas history. Read a short biography of her, then answer the following questions using complete sentences and examples from the bio provided and other information you can glean from your textbook and other web sites.
• Why did she continually try to flee her first family’s homes?
• Why were they so surprised at her actions?
• Why do you think she may not have been fully accepted back into white society?
• Many people pitied her, and that reveals some assumptions they held about Comanches and Native Americans in general. What was that assumption?