Transcript The Young State

The Young State
War With Mexico
p. 326 - 330
► The
Causes of the War
Mexican government never recognized the
Republic of Texas and considered the
annexation of Texas by the United States an
insult to Mexico.
► Mexicans did not recognize the Rio Grande as
the boundary- Mexico insisted the boundary
was the Nueces River.
► Another dispute was over San Francisco. To
help trade expand further, the United States
wanted to acquire the San Francisco, which
was then in Mexico territory.
► Another
Causes of the War
argument was concerning the payment
of damages during the Texas Revolutionary War.
► Earlier, the United States had demanded that
the Mexican government pay the victims of this
damage, but now the U.S. was prepared to pay
all the debts owed. The U.S would also give $30
million for Mexico to accept the Rio Grande as
the boundary and cede, or give up, California
and West New Mexico.
► American President, James K. Polk, sent John
Slidell to negotiate with Mexico.
► No
Causes of the War
representative of the Mexican government
would speak to Slidell because they felt by
agreeing, their enemies would denounce
Mexico as weaklings.
► Diplomatic relations completely broke down
between the U.S. and Mexico.
► In 1846, President Polk ordered General
Zachary Taylor to move his troops across the
Nueces River to the Rio Grande.
►In
War Declared
May 1846, American and Mexican
soldiers clashed just north of the Rio
Grande River.
►President Polk declared war on Mexico on
May 13, 1846 because he declared that,
“Mexico… shed American blood upon
American soil.”
►Some members of Congress and
abolitionists questioned the American
motive for the war.
► The
United States Victory
United States forces were better equipped
and better led than Mexico.
► In February 1847 Taylor defeated a large
Mexican army under the command of Santa
Anna at Buena Vista.
► Troops led by General Winfield Scott captured
Mexico City in September 1847.
► Other American forces moved from Kansas to
occupy California.
► On Februar 2, 1848, representatives of both
governments signed a peace treaty at
Guadalupe Hidalgo.
► In
United States Victory
the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico
abandoned all claims to Texas and accepted the
Rio Grande as the boundary.
► Mexico also gave to the U.S. all territory between
western Texas and the Pacific Ocean. This land is
known as the Mexican Cession and included
California, Nevada, Utah, some of Arizona,
Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming.
► America paid Mexico $15 million for this land and
paid claims against Mexico up to 3.25 million.
► Mexicans in the disputed area had 1 year to
decide if they wished to became American
citizens.
Mexican Cession
The New Mexico Boundary Dispute
► The
question of whether Santa Fe, a major
trading post, would become part of Texas
became a political issue in the United States.
►With
the Rio Grande as the boundary
gave Texas control of about one half of
New Mexico, including Santa Fe.
►Some people in Santa Fe wanted to
become a separate territory or state.
►Many Americans feared that the Texans
would introduce slavery into this area.
The New Mexico Boundary Dispute
► Henry
Clay worked out the Pearce Act as part
of the Compromise of 1850.
► Texas agreed to surrender its claims Santa Fe.
► The U.S. agreed to give Texas $10 million for
the Gadsden Purchase, a strip of land along the
southern edge of present-day Arizona and New
Mexico.