The Mexican-American War

These flashcards cover key terms and concepts related to the Mexican-American War.

Manifest Destiny

The ideology that the expansion of the US across the American continents was both justified and inevitable.

James K. Polk

The 11th President of the United States, who was in office from 1845 to 1849 and was a strong advocate for US expansionism.

Annexation of Texas

The incorporation of Texas into the United States in 1845, a significant event leading to the Mexican-American War.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican-American War and resulted in the U.S. acquiring a vast amount of territory from Mexico.

Wilmot Proviso

An unsuccessful proposal introduced in 1846 that aimed to ban slavery in any territory acquired from Mexico.

Cortina Wars

Conflicts initiated by Juan Cortina in response to the marginalization and land claims against Mexican-Americans in Texas.

Mexican Cession

The region of the present-day western United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

Anglo

White Americans, particularly those settlers who moved into Texas during and after the Texas Revolution.

Tejanos

Mexican residents of Texas, many of whom faced discrimination and displacement following the Texan annexation.

Rio Grande

The river claimed by Texas as its southwestern border, leading to conflict with Mexico.

Zachary Taylor

U.S. General whose troops were involved in the initial conflicts leading to the outbreak of the Mexican-American War.

Abraham Lincoln's Spot Resolution

A demand by Abraham Lincoln for clarity on the specific location where American blood was shed, used as a critique of the war declaration.