Chapter 1



Section 3

A New Western Border

The Texas-New Mexico Border Dispute

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo established the Rio Grande River as the southern border of Texas…created a dispute over the western border (half of present-day New Mexico and Santa Fe would be in Texas)…

o People spoke Spanish

o Close ties to Mexico

o Still angry over Lamar’s Santa Fe Expedition

Texas’s Efforts to Gain Control of New Mexico

Governor James Henderson sent a representative to Santa Fe to gain control of the area…U.S. commander refused to surrender New Mexico to Texas control…

1847 – Governor George Thomas Wood pledged to continue the fight to secure the western boundary at the Rio Grande River…created counties of Worth, Presidio, Santa Fe, and El Paso…citizens of El Paso agreed they were part of Texas (secured the area west of the Pecos River for Texas)

Disagreements over Slavery and Territories

1848 – Zachary Taylor elected president

o Supported admission of California as a free state

o upset the balance of slave/free states

o residents of New Mexico and Utah wanted their

territories admitted to the Union

o Abolitionists (person who wants to end slavery) wanted

to outlaw slaver in Washington D. C.

o Many wanted to limit Texas state borders

President Taylor wanted to admit California immediately…

o Residents were struggling with the problems of the Gold Rush…needed a state government for stability

o Given his word to residents of California

Congress wanted to wait…

o Wanted to resolve the issue of slavery

in all of the territories

o Wanted a federal law to provide help

finding runaway slaves (Fugitive Slave Law)

Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky offered a compromise…

1. California admitted as a free state

2. Organization of New Mexico and Utah territories allowing the residents of these territories to decide the question of slavery

3. Abolition of slave trade in Washington, D.C.

4. Fugitive Slave Law

5. Texas would give up western lands in return for $10 million

The Compromise of 1850

1. California became a free state

2. New Mexico and Utah became territories

3. The slave trade (not slavery) was ended in

Washington, D. C.

4. Texas gave up some of its disputed territory to

the north and west

5. Texas received $10 million

6. The Texas New Mexico Act of September 9, 1850,

created Texas’s present-day borders

Some Texans opposed this bill {gave up too much land}…most supported it because the $10 million helped Texas free itself from debt and left money for money for many needed programs….

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