1. Chapter 9 Section 4-The War With Mexico

2. The U.S and Mexico already had sour relations as a result of the Texas Revolution in Fuel was added to the fire when America annexed Texas in Issues could have been solved if not for the instability of the Mexican government and the forceful ideas of expansionism from U.S president James K. Polk

3. Polk Urges War
James K. Polk, president of the U.S. from was interested in expanding west
His aspirations and the unstable Mexican gov’t resulted in solving issues uncouthly
Polk believed that war with Mexico would bring Texas and New Mexico
While this was happening, Texas and Mexico disputed over where the border was held
Mexico insisted that it stopped at the Nueces River, 100 miles northwest from the Rio Grande
Texas said it stopped at the Rio Grande

4. Slidell's Rejection
The Mexican political situation was confusing and unpredictable
Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico to purchase Caledonia, New Mexico, and gain the Rio Grande as Texas Border
Mexico officials refused to see him
Polk then sent General Zachary Taylor to march to the Rio Grande and blockade the river

5. Attitudes toward the War
America had split feelings about the war
The debate about land turned into one about slavery
The North mainly opposed war
Abolitionist and antislavery Whigs saw the war as a plot to expand slavery and ensure southern dominance
The South ,in favor of expansion, thought the same to increase power in Congress and expand slavery

6. The War Begins
Taylor positioned his forces at the Rio Grande in
John C. Fremont led an expedition through Mexican land which was a violation of their rights
Mexico sent troops to the Rio Grande causing skirmish near Matamoros
Mexican soldiers killing 9 U.S. soldiers
Polk sent a message of war to Congress
Abraham Lincoln questioned the truthfulness of his Declaration
War vote was 174 to 14 from the House of Representatives, the senate vote was 40 to 2
Polk withholding key facts sent the United States into its first war on foreign territory

7. Kearny Marches West
1846 Polk ordered Colonel Stephen Kearny to march to Santa FE, Mexico from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Kearney earned the name “The Long Marcher” for crossing 800 miles of barren ground
In Santa FE they met upper class Mexicans who joined the U.S. , New Mexico fell without shots being fired
After gaining New Mexico Kearney continued to march to southern California

8. Republic of California
19th century Spanish settlers set up 20 missions along California’s coast
Mexico took over as well as Texas during its independence
In the 1830s 12,000 Mexican settlers lived there Native workers mid 1840s 500 U.S settlers lived in Canada
Polk offered to buy California in 1845 arousing indignation of the Mexican government
American settlers led by Fremont seized the town of Senoma in Jun 1846 declaring them as the R.O.C
Kearny joined forces with Fermont and the U.S naval expedition led by Commodore John D. Sloat
The Mexican troops gave way leaving the U.S in charge of California

9. The War in Mexico
Mexican soldiers fought bravely while the U.S. was winning with officers like Captain Robert E. Lee, and Ulysses S. Grant
The invasion lasted 1 year
General Zachary Taylor, and Winfield Scott nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready
Taylor attacked and captured Monterrey, Mexico on September 1846, but allowed the Mexican garrison to escape
Polk and Santa Anna hatched a scheme together but in February 1847, but Santa Anna betrayed Polk and attacked Taylor’s forces at Bueno Vista

10. The War in Mexico continued…
This strategy failed and Scotts captured Veracruz in March. Taylors rested troops pushed Anna into Mexico’s interior
Scott supervised an army of 10,000 , ships, and 67 boats that all arrived at Veracruz in less than 5 hours Scott then set of and captured Mexico city on September 14, 1847
Scotts army losing not a single battle

11. America Gains the Spoils of War
The war cost Mexico about 25,000 lives and nearly half its land
The war cost the U.S. about 13,000 lives

12. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
On February , U.S. and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in which Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande border for Texas and gave New Mexico and California to The U.S.
The U.S. agreed to pay $15 million
The treaty gave Mexicans living in these territories freedom of religion, protection of property, bilingual elections, and open borders
In 1853, President Franklin Pierce authorized the Gadsden Purchase which gave Mexico $10 million in exchange for territory south of the Gila river

13. The California Gold Rush
In January 1848, James Marshall, a carpenter working on John Slitters property in the California Sierra Nevada's, discovered gold
As word traveled east, migration to California skyrockets from 400 in 1848 to 44,000 in Prospectors who flocked to California during the Gold Rush in 1849 were called Forty-Niners. These people were often from Asia, South America, and Europe

14. Impact of Gold Fever
San Francisco because of its location as a supply hub became known as a “pandemonium of a city” The city’s population went from 1,000 to 35,000 in 1850

15. Gold Rush Brings Diversity
By 1849 California's population exceeded 100,000
Chinese was the largest group
Many rich, free blacks
Included large number of Mexicans
There was slavery at 1st until Constitution convention in outlawed slavery
California application for statehood caused chaos and Protests in Congress, but it became a state in 1850

16. Videos Polk- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FjQvAPgmPA
Summary