5.3 Mexican-American War

What were James K. Polk’s goals regarding US expansion?

1. Annex Texas to support cotton cultivation

2. Settle dispute w/ Great Britain over Oregon

3. Purchase California from Mexico

How did Polk acquire California?

—> Originally Polk sent an American Delegation to purchase the land for 15 million dollars

• Mexican delegation declined

What happened to Texas?

It was originally Mexican territory

• Mexico invited American migrants to settle there to make a life under Mexican territory

  • Would use Americans as buffer between Mexico and indigenous groups (Comanche)

• Eventually Americans launched revolution and made Texas an independent republic

Why did the US avoid annexing Texas?

• To avoid a war, as the Mexican government still claimed ownership

• Whigs and abolitionists unhappy with prospect of adding another slave state

What did Polk promise?

He would annex Texas

When was Texas annexed?

1845

What was the dispute over Texas?

Where the border was

What did Texans claim the border was?

Rio Grande

What did Mexicans claim the border was?

Nueces River

Who was general of the American troops sent to Nueces River?

Zachary Taylor

How did Polk justify declaring the war?

“American blood had been spilled on American soil”

Who opposed the annexation of Texas?

Anti-war whigs after Congress announced the war

Who was one of the whigs against the war?

Abraham Lincoln; demanded to know the exact spot at which American blood was spilled

What did the Mexican-American war end with?

Treaty of Guadalule Hidalgo 

What were the effects of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? (1)

US Gained over half of Mexico’s Territory

• Result of Mexican cession

• Largest land acquisition in US history

  • 2nd only to Louisiana purchase

  • Granted the US the disputed territory in Texas (border at Rio grande) 

  • Gained the New Mexico and California territory for 15 million dollars

What were the effects of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? (2)

Slavery Dispute

• Wilmot Proviso (1846)

  • David Wilmot tried banning slavery in all land gained from the war

• Southern Democrats felt Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo fell short

• Calhoun was concerned about Mexicans and American Indians

  • Believed America = white men’s domain 

What were the effects of the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? (3)

Conflict with Mexicans and American Indians

• Comanche Nation

  • Regularly attacked/raided Mexican settlements prior to war

    • US expansionists argued taking land would actually help protect Mexicans

  • American troops fought series of conflicts with Comanche and Kiowa

• Texas Revolution

  • Anglos: white American settlers; Tejanos = Mexican natives

    • Fought alongside one another in the revolution

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo complicated things

  • Former Mexican citizens in Mexican Cession would become US citizens

  • States made exclusive citizenship laws

    • ONLY WHITE MEXICAN MEN GAINED CITIZENSHIP

  • Anglos expelled Tejanos from land and marginalized their societal standing

    • Reduced to unskilled agricultural laborers

• Cortina Wars

  • Aimed at resisting American expansion

  • US forces and Texas Rangers defeated Cortina

    • Confined him to the Mexican side of the Rio Grande

Who resisted the violence regarding Tejanos?

Juan Cortina