The War With Mexico

Texas and Oregon enter the Union In 1844 President John Tyler brought up Texas entering the Union before the Senate He made a mistake and included a pro-slavery document that angered northerners and the annexation of Texas was voted down by the Senate James Polk ran for president under the campaign promise that he would annex Texas and Oregon as well as buy California from Mexico This approach appealed to voters in both the North and the South and he won the election of 1844

Texas and Oregon enter the Union Polk pushed strongly for American control of Oregon below the 49th parallel Because the British were fighting the Irish and the US was beginning to go to war with Mexico, neither country wanted to go to war over Oregon They settled the dispute with the Oregon Treaty in 1846, which gave the US everything below the 49th parallel except for the lower tip of Vancouver Island The treaty also guaranteed the British the rights to navigate the Columbia River

Texas and Oregon enter the Union The Annexation of Texas Before Polk takes office, Tyler pushed and annexation resolution through Congress in February of 1845 Mexico doesn’t take the annexation well and the two countries dispute the southern border of Texas Polk’s intentions of purchasing California only added to the growing conflict between the two nations

The War with Mexico Mexico’s president, Jose Joaquin Herrera, refused to meet with the US about purchasing California Polk sent Zachary Taylor down to the Nueces River to provoke the Mexicans Polk wanted Mexico to fire the first shots so that he could get public support for a war On May 9, 1846 a group of Mexicans fired upon Taylor’s forces, an act which started the war

The War with Mexico Early May 1846 the fighting begins American forces move down to the Rio Grande and defeat the Mexican Forces in Palo Alto and Matamoros Other forces move west and capture Santa Fe before moving west to California In Northern California, American settlers had already begun an uprising declaring independence from Mexico When American forces reach California, they take possession of it in the name of the United States

The War with Mexico Despite losing parts of Texas, New Mexico, and California, Mexico refuses to surrender Polk decides to move forces toward Mexico City American forces land in Veracruz and push through to Mexico City On September 14, 1847, American forces gain control of Mexico City Mexico finally agrees to surrender to America

The War with Mexico On February 2, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed Mexico accepts the Rio Grande as the new border of Texas as well as giving up New Mexico and California The US pays $15 million for the land as well as taking on $3.25 in Mexican debt Manifest Destiny is finally realized by the US