What year did Texas gain its independence?
1836. Before 1836, Texas was controlled by Old Mexico. In 1836, Texas gained its independence. Texas now claimed Santa Fe and most of New Mexico. This land was west of the Louisiana Purchase, and the Mexican government refused to recognize the claim. In 1841, 275 Texas volunteers were unsuccessful in trying to capture Santa Fe. Top of Page e. What year did the Mexican War begin? 1846. In May, 1846, the United States and Mexico fought a war called the Mexican War. The Santa Fe Trail was closed during the fighting, and the price of goods increased. In August, 1846, General Stephen Watts Kearny took possession of Santa Fe. Shortly afterwards, Kearny’s army left Santa Fe, and Kearny appointed Charles Bent as governor. Bent was killed in January, 1847, in Taos. In 1848, the United States won the Mexican War, and the Southwest became a territory in the United States. Top of Page f. Name ONE of the American Indian tribes living along the Santa Fe Trail. Pawnee, Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, Ute,
