Mexican-American War:Manifest Larceny

"I want Mexico next!"

In 1844, James Polk became POTUS while running on a strong "Manifest Destiny/ Expansion" platform which called for the annexation of California and Texas. As soon as Texas was granted statehood (December 29, 1845), Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the United States and prepared for a potential war with the United States.



Almost immediately, the perfect pretext for this war began...a boundary dispute. For decades, in Spanish and Mexican History the western border of Texas Territory was the Nueces River. But in 1836, the Republic of Texas claimed the Rio Grande River as it's new boundary (a difference of millions of acres) based on a verbal surrender agreement with Santa Anna.  However, this verbal agreement was never recognized or legally ratified by the Mexican government.

Zach Taylor's Troops Camp on the Nueces

President Polk (July 8, 1845) ordered General Zachary Taylor and 4,000 troops into the disputed area...

"The assembling of a large Mexican Army on the borders of Texas , and crossing the Rio Grande with a considerable force will be regarded as an invasion of the United States and the commencement of hostilities...you may in your discretion cross the Rio Grande, disperse or capture the forces assembled to invade Texas, defeat the junction of troops uniting in that purpose, drive them from their positions on either side of the river, and, if deemed practicable and expedient, take and hold possession of other places in the country (Mexico).

General Taylor (October 4, 1845) wrote back to Washington, D.C....

"Mexico having as yet made no positive declaration of war, or committed any overt act of hostilities, I do not feel at liberty under my instructions...to make a forward movement."

On January 13, 1846, orders were sent to Taylor ordering him to provoke Mexico into war.

Mexican General Pedro Ampudia complained to General Taylor in a letter...

"Your advances on the Rio Grande have not only insulted but exasperated the Mexican nation...If you insist on remaining upon the soil of the department of Tamaulipas (Mexican Territory), it will clearly result that arms, and arms alone, must decide the question."

In April of 1846, hostilities erupted and Polk had his war.  General Taylor announces success in the provocation of Mexico...

"Hostilities may now be considered as commenced."

And that is how to start a war...thank goodness we've never done that before!



"What'll Become of Me?"

Click on this link to read my original post about "12 Years A Slave"

http://coachfogs.blogspot.com/2014/01/12-years-slave.html



This week my students watched the Academy Award-winning movie "12 Years A Slave"...so many scenes in this movie have seared my memory with thoughts of good and evil, love and hatred, cruelty and kindness, hope and despair, etc.

Yesterday in class, we discussed the scene where Solomon was rescued as Master Epps, Patsey, and others looked on...


From "12 Years A Slave" page 308 Solomon writes:

On my way back to the carriage, Patsey ran from behind a cabin and threw her arms around my neck.

"Oh! Platt," she cried, tears streaming down her face, "you're goin' to be free - you're goin' way off yonder where we'll neber see ye any more. You've saved me a good many whipping, Platt; I'm glad you're goin' to be free - but oh! de Lord, de Lord!...what'll become of me?"

I disengaged myself from her, and entered the carriage. The driver cracked his whip and away we rolled. I looked back and saw Patsey, with drooping head, half reclining on the ground...

"What'll become of me?", is a very interesting and poignant question...many historians have spent years trying to complete the story of Solomon, Patsey, and others who lived on Master Epps plantation. Unfortunately, most of the hard work has come up empty.  Their lives seemed to have disappeared...but, hopefully not forgotten.

But, the question still begs to be asked (maybe in different ways)...



What'll become of me?

What'll become of African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, etc.?

What'll become of (us) the United States of America?

200 years from now what will they be saying "became of us?"

I hope they will see some progress and good amidst our empty words/ hypocrisy...

  

"Promises" and Lies

“They (Native Americans) have neither the intelligence, the industry, the moral habits, nor the desire of improvement which are essential to any favorable change in their condition. Established in the midst of another and a superior race, and without appreciating the causes of their inferiority or seeking to control them, they must necessarily yield to the force of circumstances and ere long disappear.”

 

                                                                       -Andrew Jackson (1833)

                                                                                           

 

Jeremiah Evarts

1781-1831

 

 

Jeremiah Evarts was a leading opponent and outspoken critic of the United States government "Indian Policy"...especially The Indian Removal Act. He was quick to point out the hundreds of legal documents/ promises (and hypocrisy of these "promises") made between the government and Native American Nations. Evarts wrote several books and gave many speeches denouncing the government actions against Native Americans.

 

An excerpt of some of his words...

"If this case should unhappily be decided against the Cherokees, it will be necessary that foreign nations should be well aware, that the People of the United States are ready to take the ground of fulfilling their contracts so long only as they can be overawed by physical force...A good father (Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, etc.) does not tell lies to his children (Native Americans), nor break his promises to them; especially promises that have been respected over the lapse of many years...if these very promises, and a thousand others, should now be broken, there will be an end of reliance on our promises...and we shall be remembered in infamy for future generations."

 

Evart ends with a question that is as applicable today as it was in 1829...

 

"Is it possible that our national rulers shall be willing to

expose themselves and our country to the curses of Almighty God?"

 

 

 



 

 



 

 



The Underground Railroad: Myth vs. Reality

 

 

Trying to understand the truth/ realities of the Underground Railroad must go much deeper than public school textbooks, simplistic "fairy tale" curriculum, Hollywood movies, fictional novels, etc.  To truly understand the realities of The UGRR, we must dive deeply into the primary sources! 

Myth #1: Large numbers of white people participated in the UGRR.

Reality: Less than 1% (any color) of the population was involved in the UGRR.


Myth #2: There were hundreds of conductors and stations (and easily found) on the UGRR.

Reality: There were very few conductors and stations (not so easily found) on the UGRR.


Myth #3: Large numbers of slaves attempted to escape.

Reality: Less than 5% of slaves attempted to escape.


Myth #4: Large numbers of slaves succeeded.

Reality: Less than 1% of fugitive slaves succeeded.


Myth #5: Slaves (male and female) ran in large groups.

Reality: Most slaves (mostly young men) ran alone.


Myth #6: Slaves ran North (following The North Star) to escape.

Reality: Slaves ran in all directions (Florida...Mexico...The West...The Caribbean...).

Reality: Many slaves didn't run...study the history of The Maroons.

If only it was as easy as the history "lessons", glamorized Hollywood depictions, a candle in the window, friend of a friend, or "wading in the water"...millions would have escaped and the evil institution of slavery would have ended "happily ever after!"

But as the radical abolitionist, John Brown predicted...it would take war.

The Whitman "Massacre"

Dr. Whitman...deaf or a very focused reader?!?

 



The Whitman "Massacre" took place on November 29, 1847 near present day Walla Walla, Washington.  The Whitmans (Dr. Marcus Whitman- "led" the first wagon train on the Oregon Trail in 1836...see Moses Harris) were accused by the Cayuse (Liksiyu) Indians of killing nearly 200 Cayuse who were under their medical care.

Chief Tiloukaikt

Dr. Whitman had declared himself as a "medicine man" as a way to undermine Cayuse doctors/ cultural traditions and failed in his treatments.  In Cayuse culture, when a patient who was being cared for by the doctor/ healer/ medicine man died, the relatives had a right to "revenge" by killing the healer.

 The Whitman Mission 

 

The Cayuse felt that Dr. Whitman had failed in his treatment. In addition, they felt The Whitmans were evil, arrogant, culturally insensitive (repeatedly referred to the Cayuse as ignorant savages), and had purposefully withheld treatment from these "American diseases".  To the Cayuse (and me), the Whitmans were not "pioneer heroes" or "innocent good-hearted missionaries"...this could more properly be called "The Whitman Judgment".

 

 

Were these "explorations" really exploitations..."discoveries" really exterminations... Today, less than 200 Cayuse are living in America. 

 

The American Jellyfish

The question (probably because of 9-11 Anniversary and thinking about The Constitution, Bill of Rights, and "All Men Are Created Equal") I have been contemplating lately could be asked several ways...

"How many times has America died?"

"How many times has America been reborn?"

"How many Americas have there been?"

To answer these questions, I have considered many events that are considered major turning points in our history...The Revolution, The Constitutional Convention, The Civil War, The World Wars, The Civil Rights Movement, 9-11...

My answer...in my opinion, there have been 4 distinct Americas so far (3 deaths and rebirths).

The First America- The Revolution, The Constitution, The Bill of Rights, political parties, Liberty v. Order...a land for the well-educated, land holding white men, Westward Expansion, slavery, Native American destruction, women as second class "citizens", deep national Sectionalism, etc.

This First America was inevitably destroyed by The Civil War...

The Second America- Reconstruction, White Power, Immigration, The Red Scare, The Great Depression, The World Wars, non-stop lynching, massive Industrialization, etc....all dominated by the overarching shadow of Jim Crow.

The Second America was "destroyed" by The Civil Rights Movement...

The Third America- Another Red Scare, The Civil Rights Movement, The Feminist Movement, The Era of Protest, Vietnam, Watergate and the mistrust of government, "the end" of The Cold War, The War on Drugs, etc.

The Third America was destroyed on 9-11...

The Fourth America- Terrorism, racial profiling, police brutality, biased 24/7 "media" coverage, educational dropouts, unemployment, immigration issues, Big Brother always watching and controlling, drone attacks, a "Jerry Springer" Society, mistrust of everybody...

When the Fourth America dies...will we be reborn? 

Better or worse?

Will we want to be judged by our words or our actions?

Can we be the hero?!?

IMO...Only if we grasp tightly, read, understand, and live "The Bill of Rights".

How many Americas do you think we've had?  What would be your turning points?

Why Are We Here?

I said "nothing"...but, I meant "Killing the Jellyfish!"

At the start of a new school year, I try to explain to my students why it is vitally important to take a United States History class...and the "correct" answer is not "because its the law", "I need this credit/ grade", etc.

Here are the three reasons we discussed:

1. To explore United States History Content (1800-present) through lecture, discussion, video clips, primary sources, etc.

2. To develop "Critical Thinking" Skills (CTS) or "Reading Your World" and we ask the question..."Why did this happen?"

The tools we use to think deeply about the content are:

A Common Lens
The Big Umbrella
The Jellyfish Theory
Analyzing Truth v. Myth
Analyzing Positive/ Convenient Memory

3. To develop a "Critical Consciousness" or "Talking Back to Your World." This step requires a person to take their CTS and convert it into ACTION!

This action may involve:

Being a part of a grassroots movement
Peaceful Protest, Boycotts, etc.
Being a "active" citizen, parent (future), voter, etc.
Standing up for justice, equity, etc.
KILLING JELLYFISH

I truly hope my students take their responsibilities seriously!