Manifest Destiny=War with Mexico!!! Vs.

Polk’s two goals were to annex (add) Texas and acquire Oregon. Americans had shown their support for Manifest Destiny, and expansion, when they elected James K. Polk (Democrat) as president in 1844. Polk’s two goals were to annex (add) Texas and acquire Oregon. James K. Polk

In his election, Polk had talked of taking over all of Oregon. “Fifty-four forty or fight!” was one of his slogans. The parallel of 54, 40 N latitude was the northern boundary of the shared Oregon Country (between the U.S. and Great Britain). Rather than fight for it, however, Polk settled for half. In 1846, the U.S. and GB agreed to divide Oregon at the 49th parallel.

Polk was smart to not fight over Oregon, he had bigger problems with Mexico. In 1845, Congress had admitted Texas as a state. However, Mexico still claimed Texas as its own. They viewed the annexation of Texas as an act of war. To make matters worse, Texas and Mexico couldn’t agree on the official border between them. Texas claimed the Rio Grande, while Mexico insisted on the Nueces River.

Area in Dispute Nueces River Rio Grande River 8.6 D  The students will explain the major issues and events of the Mexican War and their impact on the United States Rio Grande River

Mexico said they would fight for their claim on Texas Mexico said they would fight for their claim on Texas. Hoping to solve this issue peacefully, Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to offer $25 million for Texas, California, and New Mexico. Slidell was unsuccessful. Polk then sent General Zachary Taylor to the northern bank of the Rio Grande. Mexico viewed this as an act of war, and moved an army into place on the southern bank. On April 25, 1846, a Mexican cavalry unit crossed the Rio Grande and ambushed an American patrol. They killed/wounded 16 American soldiers.

When Polk heard what happened, he declared, “Mexico has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil.” He asked Congress for a declaration of war. Despite controversy over the truthfulness of his statement, Southerners and Westerners supported the war because they saw it as an opportunity to expand. Northerners opposed the war. They saw it as a plot to add more slave territory to the U.S.

Defeating the Mexicans proved to be difficult because their army was so large. The Americans had an advantage in their well trained officers. General Taylor moved into northern Mexico and after a 2 day battle, defeated Santa Anna and his troops. Winfield Scott led a force from the Gulf of Mexico toward Mexico City. Despite resistance, Scott captured the capital in 1847 which effectively ended the war.

On February 2, 1848, the Mexican-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In this treaty, Mexico- 1. Recognized Texas as part of the U.S. with a boundary at the Rio Grande. 2. Ceded (gave up) the Mexican Cession which included the present day states of California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.

In return for this land, the U. S In return for this land, the U.S. agreed to pay Mexico $15 million and promised to protect the Mexican citizens living in the areas of the Mexican Cession. The last bit of territory added to the continental United States was a small strip of land across what is now southern New Mexico and Arizona. The government wanted this land for a transcontinental railroad. In 1853, Mexico sold this land-called the Gadsden Purchase-to the U.S. for $10 million.

The U.S. now extended from “sea to shining sea.”