1. Southwestward Movement

2. Problems in the SW Mexico owned all of the land in the Southwest Mexico would not be easily defeated like the Native Americans

3. Texas War for Independence Texas was full of Americans who wanted to be free from Mexico They started a war for freedom

4. Alamo A couple of hundred Texans fought against 10,000 Mexican Troops They caused heavy casualties but were captured by Mexican troops

5. Remember the Alamo Remember the Alamo The captured soldiers were executed two weeks later Inspired by the Alamo, Texans defeated Mexico and became independent in 1836

6. Texas War for Independence Texas reluctantly joined US for protection from Mexico

7. Mexican War 1846 - 1848 After US annexed Texas, Mexico and US went to war over the southern border of Texas US wanted to claim more land than Texas in SW

8. Mexican War 1846 - 1848 US dominated the war War ended when US forces captured Mexican capital

9. Treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago Mexico recognized Rio Grande River as Southern border of Texas Mexico gave US claims to New Mexico and California territories US paid Mexico 15 million dollars for all this land

11. Gadsden Purchase Mexico sold 30,000 square miles of land (Arizona and southern New Mexico) to US for 10 million dollars US needed land for railroads to travel through SW territories

12. Gadsden Purchase