The United States and Mexico at War Chapter 12 Section 2 & 3

The 28th State Mexico still refuses to accept the Treaty of Velasco Mexican government said Santa Anna only signed the treaty because he feared for his life Mexico still claimed all of Texas the Nueces River being the border between the Mexican state of Texas and Mexico United States annexed Texas in 1845 and accepted the Rio Grande as Texas’s southern border

Disputed area

Manifest Destiny Manifest Destiny was the belief of the citizens of the United States that they were destined to occupy all the territory from coast to coast The U.S. ultimately wanted to gain control of all the lands between Texas and the Pacific coast

From Sea to Shining Sea…

Threat of War When Texas was annexed President Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to try to ease tensions U.S. citizens had filed claims against Mexico for damage to their property Slidell offered that the U.S. would pay all these claims IF Mexico would recognize Texas as part of the U.S. and transfer all land between Texas and California to the U.S. This offended Mexican officials Some U.S. citizens did not want these Mexican controlled territories-they feared that that the U.S. wanted these lands in order to expand slavery

Fighting Breaks Out The U.S. placed troops, under the command of General Zachary Taylor, along the Nueces River and Mexico placed troops, under the command of General Mariano Arista, along the Rio Grande When Mexico refused to discuss the matter of Texas with Slidell, U.S. troops moved to the Rio Grande Fighting began in the disputed territory just north of the Rio Grande and south of the Nueces River Both General Taylor and General Arista sent messages to their governments claiming that they had been fired upon on their own nations soil

Battle Ground

The War with Mexico General Arista’s army moved north toward the U.S. troops The two groups battled at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma with the U.S. claiming victory at both locations

The War with Mexico The U.S. declares war with Mexico on May 13, 1846, at President James K. Polk’s urging After a fierce battle in Mexico City the U.S. forces occupy the city Many Texans took part in the war as a way to “remember the Alamo” The Texas Rangers played a big part in the war, scouting for the U.S. army

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848 to end the Mexican-American War Mexico agreed that Texas was now part of the U.S. Mexico surrendered all land between Texas and the Pacific Ocean-this was known as the Mexican Cession The United States paid Mexico $15 million dollars and took over the claims by U.S. citizens against Mexico Established the Rio Grande River as Texas’ s southern border

Texas/New Mexico Dispute The Rio Grande River runs through El Paso, into central New Mexico, to its source in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado Using the Rio Grande as the Texas boundary would place almost half of New Mexico, including its largest city and capital, Santa Fe in Texas New Mexican’s still had close ties to Mexico and were still angry over Mirabeau Lamar’s Santa Fe Expedition

Disagreements Over Slavery and Territories In addition to the Texas/New Mexico issue the U.S. was dealing with several others: When Zachary Taylor won the presidency of the U.S. in 1848 he agreed to support the admission of California to the Union as a free state-however this would upset the balance of free and slave states in Congress and pro-slavery states did not want California added Residents of Utah and New Mexico wanted their territories admitted as states to the U.S. Southern member of Congress wanted a federal law to provide help finding run-away slaves (The Fugitive Slave Law) Abolitionists wanted slavery outlawed in Washington D.C.

Compromise of 1850 Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky offered a compromise: Immediate admission of California as a state Organization of New Mexico and Utah territories and let them decide the issue of slavery themselves Abolition of slavery in Washington D.C. The enactment of the Fugitive Slave Law Texas would give up 40% of its land-but receive $10 million in exchange

Henry Clay

The Compromise of 1850 President Taylor demanded Congress admit California to the Union before he would respond to Clay’s proposal but… President Taylor died and Vice-President Millard Fillmore assumed the presidency Congress passed the Compromise of 1850: California became a state, New Mexico and Utah became territories, the slave trade in Washington D.C. ended, and the south received its Fugitive Slave Law

The Texas and New Mexico Act of September 9, 1850 Most issues were settled…except…the Texas/ New Mexico dispute Texas gave up some of its land to the north and west for $10 million dollars Many Texans were in favor of this because the money helped pay off the debt and there was still money left over for much needed programs in Texas

Texas/New Mexico Act