1. The Mexican American War (1846-1848)

2. Vocabulary
Annexation: the act of adding to something larger (to join).
Cession: the formal giving up of rights, property, or territory, especially by a state (to give up).
Manifest Destiny: the belief that the United States was destined to stretch from coast to coast (Atlantic to the Pacific).
Migrate: to move from one place to another.

3. Annexation of Texas President Polk
Many Texans want to join the U.S. after it became independent.
Mexico warned the U.S. to not annex, or take control of, Texas
President Polk offered to buy California
Mexicans were convinced the U.S. intended to take the entire continent.
They refused to sell California.
President Polk

4. The War Begins *BORDER DISPUTES*
April 25, 1846 Mexican and American forces clashed in disputed territory
-Mexico claimed the Nueces River as Texas border
-United States/Texas claimed the Rio Grande was it’s border
*BORDER DISPUTES*

5. Disputed Land

6. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Officially ended the Mexican-American War in 1848
Mexican Cession included present-day California, Nevada, and Utah, & parts of Arizona, New Mexico, & Wyoming
Mexico was paid $15 Million
Another $3 million in debt was forgiven
Increased Size of the U.S. by almost 25%

7. Mexican Cession

8. Gadsden Purchase of 1853
U.S. paid Mexico $10 million for southern parts of present-day Arizona and New Mexico.
This land was needed
for the expansion of
the Railroads.

9. Population Boom (growth)
Americans begin to migrate to Texas for cheap land
Europeans begin to immigrate to Texas for cheap land
Mexicans migrated to Texas for cheap land and brought ranching and cattle industries.

10. Compromise of 1850
The Texas-New Mexico Boundary Act states that Texas would receive $10 million in return for giving up apart of their western and northern territory, paying off Texas’ debt, and determining the western boundary of the state.
This agreement was intended to deal with the issue of slavery.

11. Manifest Destiny is Fulfilled The belief that the United States, having the best government and culture in the world, had the right and duty to control all lands from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It was also based on racism, that Americans were superior to Indians and Mexicans, which meant they had the right to these lands.