Page 41 - NS-2 Textbook

34 MARITIME HISTORY

ships to search and caphlre any of their vessels involved 30,000 Americans had nloved into the area, and many
in the slave trade. 11,e United States refused to sign such problems had started with the Mexican govermnent.
a treaty;. partly because of their recent sad experience with After a year of skirmishing, Texans declared their inde-
British impressment of sailors. But it was also a result of pendence and organized the Republic of Texas with its
political pressures in Congress by southern planters and "Lone Star" flag. In February 1836 Mexican forces under
New England slavers, "\vho ,vere becoming "vealthy General Santa Anna entered Texas and overran a small
through the illegal trade. The result was that other na- Texan garrison at the Alamo near San Antonio, killing all
tions' slavers would often hoist the U.S. flag when the the defenders. Rallying under the cry "Remember the
Royal Navy was in the area on antislavery patrol. Alamo!" Sam Houston and 800 Texans routed the Mexi-
In 1819 the U.s. Navy was authorized to conduct can army and caphlred Santa Anna at the Battle of San
antislavelY patrols off the African coast in the Gulf of Jacinto about six weeks later. hl April 1836 Santa Alma
Guinea. It was here that the slave-trading posts were set recognized Texan independence.
up in what now are the countries of Liberia, Ivory Coast Texas remained a "hot spot" during the next ten
Ghana, and Togo. In 1820 a federal law was passed that years, hmvever. American settlers pOlrred into Texas, and
defined the carrying of slaves as an act of piracy, making the new goverrunent claimed the Rio Grande as its south-
it punishable by death. At the same time, the Navy was ern border. In 1845 Texas was admitted to the Union, and
assigned the task of helping resettle freed blacks in a new u.s. troops under General Zachary Taylor moved to gar-
country they named Liberia, in recognition of the liberty rison the Rio Grande boundary. In April 1846 a Mexican
of the freed slaves. These people named their capital force crossed the river and attacked elelnents of Taylor's
Monrovia after President James Monroe, who helped conunand, inflicting a dozen casualties and caphtring
them start their new counhy some soldiers. Taylor responded by invading Mexico and
The antislavery patrols were not very successful. In- capturing the border town of Matamoros. A few days
volvement in the Liberian venture and the Itllpopularity later, President James K. Polk called on Congress to de-
of the patrol in Congress "were the nlain reasons. The clare war on Mexico. Both houses of Congress voted by a
campaign against piracy in the Caribbean, which was large majority for war on 13 May 1846.
going on at the smne time, was given more support than A four-ship naval squadron in the Pacific, under
antislavery operations. In 1824 the United States with- command of Commodore John Sloat, was operating off
drew its patrol because of a dispute with the British over the coast of California ·when ·war was declared. Sloat's
rights of visit and search at sea. As soon as the patrol had forces ·went ashore at Monterey, the capital of Mexican
gone, the slavers again took cover lmder the American California, occupied the city without a fight, and raised
flag, much to the frustration of the Royal Navy. the American flag. A day later, on 8 July 1847, another
Not until the Webster-Ashburton Treaty with Britain naval force, under the comlnand of Commander John
in 1842 did the United States send a formal African Montgomery, took possession of Yerba Buena (later San
squadron to cooperate with the British in stopping the Francisco). The naval forces then joined land forces that
slave trade. This effort too was only half-hearted. Ameri- had fought their way across the New Mexico-Arizona
can naval officers considered the slave trade a terrible territory into California, defeating poorly organized
business and wanted to stamp it out. But they were hand- Mexican forces on the way. The little American army pro-
icapped by lack of support in Congress, which was heav- ceeded to cap hue Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Barbara,
ily influenced by the southern proslavery politicians. and other California settlements. The Mexican defense
Also, American juries often failed to convict captured force signed the Treaty of Cahuenga in early 1847, giving
slavers, making the Navy's task even more difficult. California to the United States.
Between 1845 and 1850 the U.S. Navy caphtred only 11,e United States had now brought the entire South-
10 slavers, carrying about 1,000 captives. The Royal Navy ,vest lUlder the protection of the Alnerican flag, and for
took more than 400 prizes with 27,000 African captives in all practical purposes had won the war. The Mexican
the same period. Clearly, the American naval squadron government, however, did not recognize the American
made only a small dent in the slave traffic. Both Ameri- victories, so President Polk planned to carry the 'Val' into
cans and British returned the captives to Africa, where the heart of Mexico. Zachary Taylor's army, though
they were freed. American ships and capital, as well as greatly outnumbered, spent the next few months defeat-
foreign ships illegally flying the Stars and Stripes, contin- ing Mexican forces in a nlunber of battles in northeastern
ued the slave trade until the start of the Civil War in 1861. Mexico. This was not enough to conclude the ·war, so
Polk ordered General Winfield Scott to assemble an army
of 14,000 men to take the capital, Mexico City.
THE MEXICAN WAR
Since Mexico had no navy, there were no sea battles.
Americans began moving into Texas in the 18208, 'when Nevertheless, sea forces had to carry out the operations
that territOlY was still a part of Mexico. By 1835 nearly leading to a successful end to the ,var. Scott's army ,vas