War on Mexico + Great Compromise 1840-50

4.11.24

Election of 1840 Summary

• Whigs

• Personality driven election

• “Log cabins and Hard Cider” Campaign

Election of 1840 winner AND first wig president

William H. Harrison

William H. Harrison, Famous for:

He died after 6 weeks in office after giving the longest inaugural speech

President John Tyler

“His Accidency”

• Did not agree with the Whigs agenda

• Annexed Texas

Texas Annexation

• Americans began moving to Texas

• Mexico scrapped its constitution, creating a dictator

• 1835 — Alamo

• 36–45: Was its own country

Texas Annexation controversy

• Settlers hoped they would join the U.S. just to add land and space

• People did not want to add Texas due to expanding slavery

Election of 1644

• Disliked Tyler

• Henry Clay: xx

• James K. Polk: wants to add Texas as an expansionist

• Neck and neck race

Winner of Election of 1844

James K Polk

President James Polk, Presidential Promises

• Lower tariffs

• Independent Treasury Act

• Annex Oregon Territory

• Annex Texas

• Serve ONE term

Independent Treasury Act

Will not support any national banks

Annex Oregon Territory

Disputed northwest territory claimed by Britain

Manifest Destiny quote

“…to overspend the continent allotted by Providence for the development of our yearly multiplying millions.”

Manifest Destiny

• Idea that really enthusiastic expansionism,

• this idea of spreading, of growing the United States.

• Age of the Oregon trail

Oregon Country 1818–1846

“Fifty-four, Forty or Fight!”

• Both dipped into the others’ territory

• Settled by drawing a line in the middle

• Fully negotiated

The Mexican War 1846-48

• American troops were constantly outnumbered but punched up

• President Polk put an army into the banks of Rio grand

  • Believed to be a guaranteed claim

• Mexico sees it as an invasion + sends troops down there

Texas Campaign: Battles of Palo Alto & Resaca de Palma

• Americans were killed or captured on “American soil” (disputed land)

• Spot’s Speech

Battle of Palo Alto & Resaca de la Palma general

• General Zachary Taylor “old rough and ready”

  • Fort Texas + falls back, protecting the supply line

  • Europeans bet that Mexico would win

• General Brown

• Won both battles and renamed Fort Texas INTO Brown (Brownsville)

Spot’s Speech

Abraham Lincoln was questioned to where American soil was spilled after being against the war

Battle of Buena Vista

• Many state volunteers to train

• Mexican army led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana

  • DEFEATED ALAMO HAHAHA

• America was horribly outnumbered

• The

The Mexico City Campaign

• General Winfield Scott

  • Old fuss and feathers & super solider of 19th century America

• His army marched inland and had troops live off the land, cutting the supply line

• Paid the citizens really well

Battle of Chapultepec

• Large fortress

• US army regulars + US marines successfully scale and capture the fort

• Victory and final battle!

U.S. Victory & Mexican Cession

Mexico recognised the current boundary and surrender the southwest, which was paid for El

Election of 1848

Zachary Taylor wins, then dies after two years in office

Third party

• Anti-slavery party

• Free soil means west does not have slavery

• Key reason: representation issue (extra votes), U.S. hypocrisy of freedom while owning people, second great awakening, & immoral

• Historians are unsure whether it actually help or hurt the economy C

Compromise of 1850 Lead up

• California gold fields had many people coming into the state

• Webster, Clay, and Calhoun

• Clay puts ona bill and it fails

• Senator Stephen Douglas gets bill through congress by breaking it up into smaller bills

Compromise of 1850 terms

• California to be as admitted as a free state

• A stronger Fugitive Slave Act

• New Mexico and Arizona Territories to be organised without reference to slavery

• Congress to declare it can’t regulate interstate slave states

• New Mexico receives disputed territory from Texas

• Federal government assumes Texas debt