Rio Grande, Part 2

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VOICE ONE:

This is Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And this is Steve Ember with the
VOA Special English program, EXPLORATIONS. Today, we finish the
story of one of the most important rivers in the United States, the
Rio Grande. The river flows from the mountains of Colorado south to
the Gulf of Mexico. It forms the border between the United States
and Mexico for two thousand kilometers.

VOICE ONE:

By the early Fifteen-Hundreds Spanish explorers arrived in the
southwest of what is now the United States. They moved up the Rio
Grande looking for gold and treasure. They found none. The native
Pueblo Indians of New Mexico were friendly until they were treated
badly by the Spanish. Then the Indians pushed the invaders out. But
the Spanish returned in Sixteen-Ninety-Three. After some fighting,
they finally made peace with the Pueblo Indians.

More and more settlers arrived and established new towns along
the Rio Grande. Soon people from other countries began arriving.
They came from France, England, and, by the end of the Seventeen
Hundreds, from the newly formed United States to the east.

VOICE TWO:

By the early Nineteenth Century, Americans had begun settling in
the Rio Grande area, especially in the territory of Texas, east of
New Mexico. The Spanish government in the American southwest began
to lose control as Spain became less powerful in Europe.

Soon more and more people settling near the Rio Grande began to
think of themselves as Americans. In Eighteen-Twelve, the Mexican
territory of Texas rebelled and declared itself an independent
republic. Spain regained control of Texas, but the seeds of
revolution had been planted. In Eighteen Twenty-One, Spain withdrew
from the Americas.

VOICE ONE:

A new age was beginning in North America. Two young nations, the
United States and Mexico, would now decide their own futures and the
future of the Rio Grande area. One of the most important questions
facing the two countries was who would control Texas.

That was not an easy decision to
make. In Eighteen-Twenty-Three, the Mexican government agreed to
permit a group of Americans to live in Texas. Mexico said the
Americans, led by Stephen Austin, could stay there permanently.

More Americans settled in Texas. Many people wanted to make Texas
a part of the United States. At the same time, more Mexicans wanted
to push all Americans out of Texas.

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VOICE TWO:

South of the Rio Grande, there were three revolutions in Mexico's
first eight years of independence. North of the river, Americans
were more and more unhappy with Mexican rule. In
Eighteen-Thirty-Two, Stephen Austin went to Mexico City to ask that
Texas become a separate Mexican state.

At this time, General Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna was struggling to gain control of Mexico and
become its ruler. He faced a number of rebellions in different parts
of the country. General Santa Anna told Stephen Austin he would make
Texas a separate Mexican state. Yet events were moving in another
direction.

VOICE ONE:

In Texas, demands for change became demands for independence from
Mexico. This led to an invasion across the Rio Grande of thousands
of soldiers led by General Santa Anna. He planned to quickly crush
the rebellion. As Santa Anna moved his army into Texas in
Eighteen-Thirty-Six, a group of Texans signed a document declaring
Texas an independent nation.

To answer this, General Santa Anna led a strong attack against a
group of rebels near the city of San Antonio. The place they
attacked was called The Alamo. There were one-hundred-twenty-eight
men in the building defending it against the many thousands of
soldiers in Santa Anna's army. After many days of fighting, the
Mexican army broke through the defenses of the Alamo and killed
everyone inside.

VOICE TWO:

Santa Anna and his army began a march across Texas. They burned
towns and villages. They chased the small army of Texans but were
unable to catch them. The Mexican soldiers were tired. The Texans
attacked, shouting "Remember the Alamo". There was a fierce battle.
Only forty Mexican soldiers escaped. All the others were killed,
wounded or captured. General Santa Anna was among those captured.

General Santa Anna met with Texas leader, General Sam Houston.
The Mexican leader agreed that in return for his freedom Texas would
become independent from Mexico. He agreed that the Rio Grande would
be the border between Texas and Mexico. General Santa Anna went home
to Mexico City. The new Republic of Texas looked to the future.

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VOICE ONE:

The future was not all good. President Santa Anna declared war on
Texas eight years after his defeat by the Texan army. However, he
never carried out his threat of war. He was removed from office. And
the next year, Eighteen-Forty-Five, the United States government
invited Texas to become a state.

This was not acceptable to Mexico. War began. In
Eighteen-Forty-Six, Mexican soldiers crossed the Rio Grande. The
Americans quickly defeated the invading army and began moving into
Mexico, toward Mexico City. Other American soldiers began moving
west into New Mexico. The government in Santa Fe quickly
surrendered.

VOICE TWO:

In February Eighteen-Forty-Eight, Mexico surrendered to the
American army. The Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo declared the border
between the United States and Mexico to be along the Rio Grande and
then west to the Pacific Ocean. The new land belonging to the United
States included New Mexico, Arizona and Upper California. For all
this territory, the United States paid Mexico fifteen-million
dollars.

Becoming a part of the United States presented both political and
social problems for Texas. The state of Texas permitted slavery.
Governor Sam Houston opposed joining the Confederate states that
also permitted slavery and were seeking to separate from the United
States. He was removed from office. Texas joined the southern states
in the Civil War. After the northern forces won the long war and the
country united, Texas was re-admitted as a state.

At this time, the expanding population of the Rio Grande country
faced other problems. Criminals from both sides of the Rio Grande
attacked the people. Also, Indian tribes such as the Apache and
Comanche resisted the spread of white settlers into their lands. The
settlers were destroying the Indians' way of life. The Indians
attacked and killed many white settlers. By Eighteen Seventy Four,
government troops had forced many Indian tribes out of their
traditional lands.

VOICE ONE:

The United States army also was ordered to take action to stop
criminal activities along the Rio Grande. It was given permission to
chase criminals across the river into Mexico. Also, the army acted
to stop Indian attacks.

Over time, fighting ended in the Rio Grande Valley and the
surrounding territory. The United States and Mexico developed
friendly relations.

Yet tensions continue along the border between the two countries
today. One problem is illegal immigrants. The other is illegal
drugs. No one knows for sure how many people cross the border from
Mexico to the United States. Officials have estimated that the
number is in the millions. The illegal immigrants come from Mexico,
and from Central and South America. Most come to the United States
for economic or political reasons. A few come to sell illegal drugs.
Many of the illegal drugs in the United States are transported
across the border.

VOICE TWO:

The river itself can create problems too. The Rio Grande flows
where it wants to flow. Dams, canals and other man-made devices
cannot always control it.

Most of the water from the upper Rio Grande does not flow into
the Gulf of Mexico. Almost all of the water is completely used for
agriculture and by cities and towns along the upper part of the
river.

VOICE ONE:

Down the river, many springs and several other rivers flow into
the Rio Grande, renewing the water supply. Two major dams create
electric power and provide water for agriculture and other needs of
people living along the lower part of the river. Yet man-made
controls do not prevent changes in the path the river takes in many
places. Some changes make it difficult to know exactly where the
border is between the United States and Mexico. The great river, the
Rio Grande, continues to flow across the land and through the
history of two countries.

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VOICE TWO:

This Special English program was written by Oliver Chanler and
produced by Paul Thompson. This is Steve Ember.

VOICE ONE:

And this is Shirley Griffith. Listen again next week for another
EXPLORATIONS program on the Voice of America.