Mexican War 1846-1848

REVIEW OF TEXAS What does annexation mean? Answer the following questions What does annexation mean? How did Polk justify annexation? What were some problems about annexation? (US/Mexico)

Causes of the Mexican War (3) Manifest Destiny Texas Annexation by the United States Dispute between Mexico/U.S. over the boundary of Texas

Manifest Destiny: Review Belief that it was America’s God-given right and duty to expand west to the Pacific Coast John O’Sullivan (you better know what Manifest Destiny is by now)

Manifest Destiny . . .Again JOHN GAST‘S - "AMERICAN PROGRESS," (1872)

Is the United States an empire? Westward expansion Is the United States an empire? Define empire Negative or positive connotation? Is it justified? (Think about how the U.S. came to be)

“America is a Nation with a mission - and that mission comes from our most basic beliefs. We have no desire to dominate, no ambitions of empire. Our aim is a democratic peace - a peace founded upon the dignity and rights of every man and woman.” “The U.S. is not an empire. I’m the President of the United States, I’m not the emperor of the United States. My job is to execute laws that are passed.”

Westward expansion recap Reasons to Move: Nationalism Population Increase Economic Development Technological Advances Reform Ideals Treaty of Paris 1783 Lands from Britain Louisiana Purchase & Lewis/Clark Expedition War of 1812 Monroe Doctrine Adams-Onis Treaty Missouri Compromise Trail of Tears

Mechanics of expansion How has the U.S. acquired titles to the land? American Idea: “land is empty and wild” Locke: land is not owned unless developed Doctrine of Discovery “The Doctrine of Discovery is a key premise for non- Indigenous government claims to legitimacy on and sovereignty over Indigenous lands and territories. It is used in particular by former British colonies, specifically, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America.” -Thanks, Google

Mechanics of Expansion Why Treaties? Legal basis Spectrum of coercion “empire that doesn’t look like an empire” Empire of Liberty to Cotton Kingdom

Recap: Election of 1844 Democrats choose dark horse candidate JKP Firmly committed to manifest destiny & supported “reannexation” Recall: Clay lost because he straddled the issue

Texas Annexation-Review By March 1845 Congress had already approved Texas Annexation Texas becomes the 28th state in December of 1845 through joint-resolution-what is this? WAS ANNEXATION FAIR? REACTION: Mexico cuts off all diplomatic ties with the U.S.

Mexican territory: The lords of the Plains

Comanche nation Located in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico Highly organized tribe; raided surrounding areas 1750-1850: most power political actor in the Southwest; added groups thanks to T.O.T. Economy: buffalo trading Texas: Mexicans invite Americans in…looking for an ally against Comanche! ORIGININALLY Supported American Expansion

FAST FORWARD: Boundary Dispute Texas=Republic of Texas/U.S. State Texas and U.S. claim that the Rio Grande marks the southern border of Texas Mexican government rejects this idea and argues that the real southern border is the Nueces River

Area of Dispute Nueces River Rio Grande River

Rio Grande boundary Nueces River boundary

Tides Turn: Steps to War June 1845: President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to take U.S. troops into disputed border region Claims this action is to “protect Texas from possible Mexican attack”

Mexican officials refused to meet with Slidell Steps to War Meanwhile… Polk sends diplomat John Slidell to Mexico City to negotiate the purchase California & New Mexico for $30 million Mexican officials refused to meet with Slidell John Slidell

Steps to War March 1846: General Taylor’s troops made camp at the Rio Grande in disputed territory April 25, 1846: Mexican commander insisted U.S. troops must leave area…Taylor refused to move Mexican forces crossed the Rio Grande and attacked group of 63 U.S. soldiers 11 Americans killed…NOW WHAT? What would you do as President?

Steps to War May 11, 1846: Polk addressed Congress Declared that “Mexico has shed American blood upon the American soil.” May 13, 1846 Congress declared war on Mexico (Mexico never declared anything…) *Something to Remember: MEXICO IS FIGHTING THE COMANCHE TOO (sound familiar?)

Polk’s Convinced “The cup of forbearance has been exhausted, even before Mexico passed the boundary of the United States, invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon American soil.” Reaction to this comment?

Support of the War Greater national pride Believed it would spread democratic values (freedom!) Southerners: any territory won would be organized into slave states

Opposition to the War Whig Party (North) thought the conflict was unjustified Northern abolitionists feared organized slave state territory Thoreau is jailed Anti-slavery supporters worried about fighting over “business claims”

RECALL: Evolution of slavery stance Anti-slavery Abolition Movement by those against the practice of slavery for business venture Benefit SELF for business; CAN STILL BE RACIST Anti-Slavery activism sparked by the immorality of slavery and focus on sin MORAL obligation to save humans from bondage

Opposition: An interesting debate IL Congressman Abraham Lincoln wrote the “Spot Resolutions” in 1848 Asked Polk to show the spot where American blood had been shed on American soil

US INVADES MEXICO Zachary Taylor led 6,000 U.S. troops into Mexico Santa Ana led an army of 20,000 Both met near Monterey in 1847 Santa Ana retreated

War Continued Winfield Scott (Fuss n Feathers!) led navy to Vera Cruz: 10,000 troops Mexican army made a last stand at Chapultepec Castle, Sept. 13, 1847 Los Niño's Heroes Mexico surrendered February 2, 1848 Battle of Veracruz

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) 1. Forced on Santa Anna and Mexico 2. Southern boundary of Texas set at the Rio Grande U.S. gained: Present-day states of California, Nevada, and Utah Most of Arizona and New Mexico Parts of Colorado and Wyoming 3. U.S. agreed to pay $15 million to Mexico and pay debts of Mexico to U.S. citizens 4. U.S. size increases by almost 25%

New cultures, New Problems Acquisition of territory=acquisition of new people French, Mexicans, Native Americans NATIVISM: A return to or emphasis on traditional or local customs, in opposition to outside influences US Nativism: the policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants ASSIMILATION The Know Nothing Party Anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic groups formed in the 1840’s in response to increased immigration 1 Million+ followers by 1850s, 40 Congressional seats

Senate blocks rider known as “Wilmot Proviso” So…Slavery? David Wilmot attaches rider: “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist” in any territory acquired by the United States in the war against Mexico (Why not Oregon?) Senate blocks rider known as “Wilmot Proviso” Question of slavery expansion continues to be a sore spot in Congress; political realm BEST REVIEW SUMMARY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkdF8pOFUfI

Shade the following on your U.S. Map using different colors MAP ACTIVITY Shade the following on your U.S. Map using different colors 13 Colonies Territory gained post Revolutionary War 1783-War of 1812 Louisiana Purchase Adams-Onis Territory Republic of Texas Area owned by Mexico Area owned by Canada Label the following on your U.S. Map Gulf of Mexico Pacific Ocean Rio Grande Mississippi River Nueces River

Settling the West Oregon, Mexican Cession, California

Western Territories Settlement of the West: 1850s Mississippi Valley to Pacific Coast: The Great American Desert California and Oregon settled first; Great Plains later

Western Territories Oregon: Fur Trade/Farming California: Gold Mining 1820s: Fur trading firmly established 1860s: Trails (Oregon and Santa Fe) help pioneers clear farmland and valleys Life or Death Challenge: crossing the Sierras/Cascades Used trails to reach California Gold discovered in 1848: Begins California Gold Rush Immigrants clash with Nativitism: Chinese

Sutter’s Mill, California James Wilson Marshall American River at the base of Sierra Nevada Mtns San Francisco Coloma, CA Jan. 24, 1848: found just days before Treaty of G-H was signed

Gold rush: Welcome ’49ers Settlement of the Sacramento Valley Population of non- natives 1848: 1,000 By 1849: 100,000 1848-1852: $2 BILLION DOLLARS; 750,000lbs of gold!

Journey By Land Journey spreads; by mid June ¾ of San Fran left to work in gold mines Miners reach 4,000 by August Polk spreads news of gold mine-starts “Gold Rush” “ The accounts of abundance of gold are such an extraordinary character as would scarcely common belief were they not corroborated by the authentic reports of officers in the public service.”-Polk

Mining Techniques Develop At first a technique called panning was used to retrieve gold from streams and riverbeds Hydraulic mining was later invented in California. This technique was created for larger scale gold mining

Gadsden-Purchase Last bit of territory gained to complete the continental US 1853: US under Prez. Pierce pays Mexico $10 million dollars for strip (AZ/NM) James Gadsden; provided favorable route to CA by train https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn2FzuPyFlY

Lasting Impact of California Gold Mining Towns; overcrowded, led to lawlessness Prostitution, Gambling, Banditry, Violence (Think Old West) CA: Enters as the 31st State Enters as a Free State (Comp. 1850) Gold Rush Ends 1852: 81 million lbs pulled yearly; 1857: leveled off at 45 million Ecological Destruction: destroyed much of the landscape 1860s: Population levels off at 380,000 settlers Approx. 1/3 of immigrants=Chinese