5 CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEPARATION OF TEXAS FROM MEXICO - HISTORY - 2025

The consequences of the separation of Texas from Mexico are linked to the loss of more than half of its territory, in addition to the generation of a feeling of defeat that lasted for decades.

Mexican independence was in 1821. Prior to this period, the territory occupied by Texas was inhabited by English speakers. This was caused by the granting of occupation made by the Spanish to the United States.

After independence, in 1835, the new constitution called The Seven Laws was promulgated. In this it was decreed that Texans had to convert to Catholicism, speak Spanish and could not have slaves.

The centralist constitution was not well followed by Texans. After several skirmishes, they declared independence in 1836.

Main consequences of the separation of Texas from Mexico

Texas Declaration of Independence Act

1- Loss of a large part of the territory due to the delimitation of Texas

Mexico never recognized the independence of Texas. For this reason, the limits of the territories of Texas and Mexico were not delimited.

The Mexicans recognized the Sabina River as the limit; and the Texans, further south, on the Rio Grande. In 1845 Texas is annexed to the territory of the United States. The dispute over this limit was the cause of the war between Mexico and the United States.

2- Smear of the Mexican president

Another consequence was that the President of Mexico, Antonio López de Santa Anna, fell into social disrepute.

President Santa Anna went with 6,000 men to Texas to stop the insurrection. He won the battle of the Alamo but, due to not taking the proper precautions, was later defeated.

As a consequence of the defeat, he was taken prisoner. They forced him to sign the Velasco treaty, which recognizes Texas independence.

This treaty was never recognized by the Mexican Congress, as it was signed by a prisoner president. After the war, Santa Anna was repudiated for "selling homeland"

3- US invasion of California and New Mexico

The United States gains more territory. As a consequence of the independence of Texas and the expansionist zeal of the United States, this nation invaded the territories of California and New Mexico.

Mexico had no money or weapons to deal with the situation. She also had internal problems due to the confrontation between conservatives and liberals, so she could not face the attack.

Between 1842 and 1844 an expedition was sent to recover Texas under the command of General Mariano Arista, but it was a failure. This resulted in the fall of the then president Anastasio Bustamante, and the return to power of the disowned Antonio López de Santa Anna.

4- Moral defeat of the Mexican people

After the battles of Molino del Rey and Chapultepec, the United States flew its flag at the National Palace for 9 months.

In Mexican sentiment, this was a wound that never fully closed.

5- Signature of the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty

Without arms and with an internally convulsed state, the Guadalupe-Hidalgo treaty was signed. This treaty was called the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Definitive Agreement between the United Mexican States and the United States of America.

Said treaty agreed to the establishment of the border between Texas and Mexico at the height of the Rio Grande, the rights of Mexicans in Texan territory were guaranteed and it was agreed that the next disputes would be solved by means of arbitrators.

Territories lost to Mexico

Mexico lost New Mexico, Alta California, Texas, and part of Tamaulipas.

The United States won the current states of California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas; and part of the states of Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma.

All of these states represent a total of almost two and a half million square kilometers.

References

1. "Causes and consequences of the Mexican War" in Magazine of the Causes and Consequences of the Mexican War. Recovered in September 2017 from Iapem at: iapem.mx
2. "Causes and consequences" of History of Mexico-Spanish Reconquest. Recovered in September 2017 from History of Mexico at: samanthavp.wixsite.com
3. "Texas Independence" in Wikipedia. Retrieved in September 2017 from Wikipedia at: es.wikipedia.org
4. "Separation from Texas" in History of Mexico. Recovered in September 2017 from the History of Mexico in: historiademexicobreve.com
5. "Causes and Consequences of the 1847 war between the United States and Mexico" in Virtual Library Antorcha. Recovered in September 2017 from Biblioteca Virtual Antorcha at: antorcha.net
6. "Separation of Texas-Principal Causes" in History of Mexico. Recovered in September 2017 from the History of Mexico in: mundohistoriamexico.com
7. "How the US seized more than half the territory from Mexico" in Notimérica / Europapress (9/14/2017). Recovered in September 2017 from Notimérica / Europapress at: notimerica.com