What’s Going On?

Election of 1844 People in Oregon insisted that the United States should have sole ownership of the area Significant issue in the 1844 presidential election James K. Polk  Democratic Party Henry Clay  Whig Party

Election of 1844 James K. Polk Wanted to Annex Texas & Oregon Territory Vowed to buy California from the Mexicans Expanded the country Keeping the balance of Northern & Southern States Henry Clay Realized that he would loose  Changed his stance to support annexation Angered his supporters who threw their vote to a 3rd party candidate

Election of 1844

The Mexican American War 1846-1848 Mr. Polk’s War

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight Polk believes “Fifty- Four Forty or Fight” U.S. should control all of Oregon below the line of 54’ 40’ north latitude Americans didn’t want to fight, neither did the British British were fighting the Irish

Fifty-Four Forty or Fight Negotiated The Oregon Treaty 1846 U.S. Receives all of Oregon South of 49’ The British get navigation rights on the Columbia River

Adding Texas add to notes December 29, 1845 Texas became the 28th state in the Union Greatly ticked off Mexico Withdrew their ambassador from Washington War is inevitable

Tensions With Mexico U.S & Mexico are arguing over where the border of Texas should be U.S.  Rio Grande Mexico  Nueces River Polk than sent an envoy to Mexico to try to purchase the California, New Mexico & resolve border issue John Slidell Mexican president refused to meet with him

Tensions With Mexico Polk “Make them come to us” Went to the Rio Grande, blockade the river Led by Zachary Taylor Looks like an invasion of its territory Polk wants Mexicans to fire the first shots Mexico would look like the aggressor Win support for the war in the US

To go to war, or not to? Southerners Northerners Good idea Extend slavery Increase southern power in Congress Northerners Not a good idea Plot to expand slavery Ensure Southern domination of the Union

To go to war, or not to? May 9th, 1846 news broke that the Mexicans had attacked Taylor’s troops Polk declared War 9 U.S. Soldiers are killed “American blood has been shed on American Soil”

Tensions With Mexico Questioning the truthfulness of Polk’s claims Abraham Lincoln “ whether our citizens, whose blood was shed, as in his message declared, were or were not, at the time, armed officers and soldiers, sent into that settlement by the military order of the President?” Wanted a “Spot Resolution” certify the spot where the skirmish occurred “Mr. Polk’s War”

War in New Mexico Polk ordered Colonel Stephen Kearny to march from Kansas to Santa Fe, New Mexico “The Long Marcher”  800 miles Met in Santa Fe by a group of New Mexican soldiers that wanted to be part of the U.S. New Mexico fell to the U.S. without a shot being fired Heads to Southern California

The Republic of California 1800’s Spanish settlers had set up many missions in along California coast Mexican government took control of missions 1830’s about 12,000 Mexican settlers had migrated to California Small number of Americans lived there 500

The Republic of California Polk offered to buy California Mexicans found it offensive Group of American settlers seized the town of Sonoma in June 1846 Declared their Independence from Mexico Republic of California Kearny arrived from New Mexico to help out settlers, also Navy arrived Mexicans clearly out numbered gave up

The War in Mexico American invasion of Mexico lasted about a year Captain Robert E. Lee, Captain Ulysses S. Grant, General Zachary Taylor General Winfield Scott “Old Fuss and Feathers” Successful victories in Mexico

The War in Mexico Polk scheming to try to end the war Wants to help Santa Anna sneak back into Mexico (been in exile), Santa Anna would end the war and fix border dispute Santa Anna returns to Mexico, takes command of the army, attacks Taylor’s troops

The War in Mexico However, Taylor’s troops too strong pushed Santa Anna back At the same time, Scott’s troops captured Veracruz Moved on to capital, Mexico City and won

America Gains The Spoils of War Mexico lost more than half of its land and at least 25,000 lives American lost 13,000 lives but territory grew by 1/3 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo February 2, 1848 Rio Grande border for Texas U.S. Pays $15 million for New Mexico & California

American Gains the Spoils of War 5 Years later, President Pierce authorized the purchase of additional land from Mexico Gadsden Purchase The 1853 purchase by the United States of land from Mexico, establishing the present U.S.-Mexico boundary

Election of 1848 Democrats run Lewis Cass Hesitant about the extension of slavery into new territories Free- Soil Party runs Martin Van Buren Supported a congressional prohibition on the extension of slavery in territories Whigs run Zachary Taylor War Hero

The California Gold Rush January 1848 James Marshall found gold in the Sierra Nevada's in California People left in droves to pan for gold Left their houses, jobs, responsibilities 1848- 400 people v. 1850- 44,000 people Forty-Niners One of the people who migrated to California in search of riches after gold was discovered there in 1848

The California Gold Rush By 1849 California’s population exceeded 100,000 Chinese were the largest group to come from overseas Free blacks also came  A lot struck it rich Mexican population increased as well