2. Chapter 13 Westward Expansion & The Mexican War

3. THE MEXICAN WAR

4. Causes
_____________________ (Manifest Destiny)
_______________ Independence
Controversy in the U.S.
________________ argued that the U.S. did not have a valid claim to Texas
Antislavery advocates argued the war was designed to spread slavery & increase the South’s power

5. Chapter 13 – Westward Expansionpp
The major disagreement between the United States and Mexico was the ___________________of Texas.

6. Diplomatic Maneuvers: Eve of Mexican War
Polk dispatched _________________ to Mexico City with an offer to purchase California and New Mexico and to secure the Rio Grande as the Texas boundary
The Mexicans considered the ____________ River to be the border between Texas and Mexico while the Texans considered it to be the ____________________

7. Diplomatic Maneuvers: Eve of Mexican War
Slidell landed at Vera Cruz on November 29, 1845, but Mexican gov. received Slidell only as a “commissioner” rather than as a full-fledged “_________________”
The Mexicans felt that granting Slidell status as minister would give credence to the American claim to Texas

8. Diplomatic Maneuvers: Eve of Mexican War
Slidell arrived at Mexico City on December 6, but the Mexicans refused to meet with him as long as he insisted on being considered a minister
In January 1846, Slidell notified Polk that he had given up on a diplomatic solution
John Slidell

9. Diplomatic Maneuvers: Eve of Mexican War
Even while Slidell was trying to negotiate, Polk was preparing for military action
In June 1845, Brigadier General ______________________ was ordered to prepare to move his army from Fort Jessup, Louisiana, into Texas.
In July, Taylor began moving by land and water to Corpus Christi
For the next seven months, Taylor trained his men at Corpus Christi

10. US Political Scene on Eve of Mexican War
______________________
Introduced by Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot on August 6, 1846 to prohibit slavery in any territory gained from the war with Mexico
Approved by the House but rejected by the Senate
Reintroduced in February 1847 with the same result
Cartoon depicting the divisive effects of the Wilmot Proviso

11. US Political Scene on Eve of Mexican War
The Mexicans and Americans stared at each other across the river for two weeks
In April, the Mexicans attacked an American scouting party
Taylor informed Washington, “Hostilities may now be considered as commenced.”
Congress declared war on _____________________

12. A Declaration of War approved by Congress
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A Declaration of War
approved by Congress
The Mexican War was ________________ in New England and among intellectuals, believed Southerners would create more slave states from the seized land.

13. Fighting for the Southwest
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Fighting for the Southwest
President Polk authorized raising an army of ____________ volunteers (mostly southerners)
General Zachary Taylor
“________________________” (little formal strategy, dresses casually, popular with troops)
Led army into Texas, across the Rio Grande
Mexico views this as an act of war & launches an attack.
Taylor gains victory at Palo Alto & Buena Vista

14. Zachary Taylor: Pre-Mexico
60 years old on the eve of Mexican War
Previously served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and the Seminole War
Combined his military career with farming and owned plantations in Louisiana and Mississippi

15. Monterrey
Taylor’s first target was ______________, the capital of Nuevo Leon.
Controlling Monterrey would open up avenues southward into Mexico City
Taylor orders Lt. Col. John Garland to attack.
Garland’s small force quickly came under Mexican fire, took heavy casualties, and became isolated among the city’s buildings
The American Army had little experience in urban fighting

16. Monterrey
Mexican General Ampudia realized he was encircled and requested terms of surrender.
Monterrey was the __________time in four months the Americans had defeated a larger, well-defended enemy
Urban combat was costly and negated much of the American artillery advantage
The volunteers were still creating discipline problems
Taylor had left his heavy artillery behind

17. Monterrey
The victory further strengthened Taylor’s reputation and made him a serious political ___________ to Polk and the Democrats
Polk began planning for Winfield Scott to open another campaign
Scott was also a politically ambitious Whig, but Taylor thought perhaps Scott and Taylor would divide Whig loyalties between them

18. Relations between Polk and Taylor became increasingly tense
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Taylor’s successes made him a potential political rival for President Polk.
Relations between Polk and Taylor became increasingly tense
__________________ was Taylor’s last battle
Buena Vista sealed Taylor’s reputation and helped propel him to the presidency, but it was also an unnecessary battle that risked disaster
On November 19, 1846, Polk selects Winfield Scott to lead a second major campaign in Mexico.
President James Polk

19. “_______________________” Studied European tactics.
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Winfield Scott
“_______________________”
Studied European tactics.
Conducts an amphibious landing at Vera Cruz
Troops move by land to Mexico City along a predictable, well-defended avenue of approach.

20. Cerro Gordo
Santa Anna had assembled a 25,000 man army to block Scott’s advance
Established a defense at Cerro Gordo
Scott realized a frontal assault would be suicidal
Sent ________________ on a reconnaissance to find an alternate route
Became the first of Scott’s series of turning movements in route to Mexico City

21. The Santa Fe and California Campaigns
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The Santa Fe and California Campaigns
_________________ took Santa Fe without firing a shot.
He then marched to California.
The ____________ Revolution
Led by John Charles Fremont
Led to California falling to the Americans

22. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848)
ended the fighting of the Mexican War
established Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas
ceded __________________
U.S. paid $20 million, cancelled debts

23. Results of the Mexican War
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Results of the Mexican War
made Manifest Destiny a reality
reopened controversies over _____________
Rehearsal for the ___________________
Opens new territory

24. Technology: Rifles
Two things that made these frontal attacks so costly were the rifled musket and the _________________
A few volunteer units like the Mississippi Rifles had rifles in Mexico, but the Regular Army stubbornly held to smoothbore muskets
At Buena Vista, Jefferson Davis commanded the Mississippi Rifles to “Stand Fast, Mississippians!”

25. Junior Officers: Rehearsal for the Civil War
Approximately 194 Federal generals and 142 Confederate generals previously served in Mexico
Lee, Jackson, Hill, Pickett, Longstreet, Beauregard, Bragg, etc
Meade, Grant, Kearney, McClellan, Hooker, Pope, McDowell, etc

26. Election of ____________
Zachary Taylor defeats Lewis Cass

27. The ___________ Purchase
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The ___________ Purchase
5 years after the Mexican War
U.S. paid $10 million
potential southern railroad route
Completed the territory of the lower 48 United States

28. The ___________________
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The ___________________
Northern advantages
California admitted as a free state
slave trade outlawed in District of Columbia

29. _____________ advantages
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The Compromise of 1850
_____________ advantages
New Mexico and Utah Territories granted popular sovereignty regarding slavery
Popular sovereignty- Territories decide for themselves if they want slavery.
Fugitive Slave Law
Texas received money for giving up some of its land

30. President Taylor opposed the compromise and vetoed it.
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The Compromise of 1850
President Taylor opposed the compromise and vetoed it.
Taylor died shortly thereafter.
___________________ supported the compromise and eventually approved it.
Vice president that became President
political suicide to the _______ Party

31. Chapter 13 – Westward Expansionpp
__________________: Northern Democrats willing to compromise on the issues of the 1850s
__________________, a Whig, lost the 1852 presidential election to Franklin Pierce, a Doughface Democrat.