The Mexican-American The Mexican-American WarWar
1846-18481846-1848
TexasTexas
MexicoMexico
Mexican IndependenceMexican Independence● Texas/Mexico ruled by Spain 300+ years● Mexico gains independence from Spain
1821
● Mexican gov’t gives away land in Mexico to officials and ranchers
Texas Land GrantsTexas Land Grants• horse thieves and
Native Americans menaced Mexican settlers in Texas
• to solve the problem Mexican gov’t encourages Americans to settle in Texas (thinking Amer. Gov’t would intervene if American property was stolen)
• 1821; 1823; 1824 Mex. Gov’t sold large plots of land to Amer. Settlers for cheap in exchange for pledge to obey Mexican laws
Stephen AustinStephen Austin
Stephen AustinStephen Austin (con’t)(con’t)
Stephen Austin attracted 297 American families: became known as Texas Old Three Hundred
Americans established a colony in central Texas
Americans soon outnumbered Mexicans in Texas
Texas RevolutionTexas RevolutionCultural Differences in Texas:Cultural Differences in Texas:
• most Americans did not speak Spanish
• Most Americans in Texas wanted slavery
• 1829 Mexico outlawed slavery
• Mexicans wanted Americans in Texas to free their enslaved Africans: they refused
Texas Revolution (con’t)Texas Revolution (con’t)
1830 Mexico put heavy tax on importation of American goods
Over 1000 Americanfamilies
came per month
Americans ignored: 1830-1834 Americans
in Texas doubled
1830 Mexico sealed its borders:No more Americans
In Texas!
Stephen AustinStephen Austin and and Antonio Lopez de Santa Antonio Lopez de Santa AnaAna
• Austin • Santa Ana
1833 Stephen Austin meets with Mex. 1833 Stephen Austin meets with Mex. Pres Pres Antonio Lopez de Santa AnaAntonio Lopez de Santa Ana
• Santa Ana had Austin jailed for inciting revolution
• Santa Ana took power away from local gov’t in Texas
• 1835 Austin returns to Texas convinced war was only way for Americans to have self rule in Texas
Santa AnaSanta Ana (con’t) (con’t) • Santa Ana determined to have Americans
obey Texas laws
● marched a 4,000 troops to San Antonio, TX
● in response Austin called on Americans to arm
themselves
““Remember The Alamo!”Remember The Alamo!”● San Antonio, TX: Americans move troops
into a mission: The Alamo
● February 23-March 6, 1836 Santa Ana attacked rebels at the Alamo
● all 187 Americans killed
Texas Wins IndependenceTexas Wins Independence• Santa Ana executed 445
American rebels later in March 1836
• Alamo and those executions whipped Americans into a frenzy
March 2, 1836 Americans in
Texas declared their
independence from Mexico
Sam HoustonSam Houston
Sam HoustonSam Houston (con’t) (con’t)• Americans’ leader in Texas• led a group of 900 men in surprise attack of Santa
Ana’s troops near San Jacinto River six weeks after the Alamo
• killed 630 Mexican troops: captured Santa Ana
Treaty of VelascoTreaty of Velasco
• Texans only released Santa Ana after he signed treaty which granted independence to Texas
• Mexican gov’t refused to recognize forced treaty
• Great Britain and France did recognize: gave aid to Texans against Mexican gov’t
• July 1836 Sam Houston elected president of Texas
Texas Joins the UnionTexas Joins the Union● Most Texans wanted US to annex (take over) Texas
● Southerners wanted to add another slave state: Texas allowed slavery
● Northerners did not want to add another slave state
there was an even number of
slave states to free states
President President James PolkJames Polk
Election of 1844
James Polk (a slave owner) elected President of the US
Polk wanted US to annex Texas
to add another slave state
War With MexicoWar With Mexico
Mexico calls their ambassador back from Washington DC (pissed over Texas)
President Polk believed war with Mexico would allow US to take New Mexico, California, and Texas from Mexico
Texas and Mexico argued over borders
November 1845 US offered Mexico $25 million for CA, NM and to allow Texas to win its border dispute with Mexico
Mexico Refused
November 1845 President Polk sent Gen. Zachary Taylor to Texas to push Mexican troops south of the Rio Grande River (in TX)
Rio GrandeRio Grande
• Natural border between Mexico and Texas
Americans dividedAmericans divided
• Southerners wanted to add Texas as quickly as possible (another slave state)
● Northerners did not support war with Mexico for Texas
did not want to upset the slave-free state balance
The Mexican-American War BeginsThe Mexican-American War Begins● 1846 Gen. Taylor already in Mexico
● Gen. John C. Fremont led American
troops into California: violation of Mexico’s rights
Mexico Had Enough!!Mexico Had Enough!!
• Mexican troops cross the Rio Grande (Texas) kill 11 US troops
• 1846 U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico
many Northerners objected the war
The Bear Flag Republic 1846The Bear Flag Republic 1846
Bear Flag Republic (con’t)Bear Flag Republic (con’t)●June 1846 John C. Fremont led a group of American settlers in
siege of Sonoma, CA
● they proclaimed independence
from Mexico: they declared CA
the Bear Flag Republic
●US Navy arrived to provide support to the Americans in CA
● Mexican troops gave up on CA: returned to Mexico
General Winfield ScottGeneral Winfield Scott
General Winfield ScottGeneral Winfield Scott (con’t) (con’t)● (US) captured Mexico City September 14,
1846
●Mexican army was weak from fighting on
three fronts: TX, NM, CA
Conquest of Mexico City 1846Conquest of Mexico City 1846
Results of the WarResults of the War
• Mexico lost 50,000 troops
• Mexico lost half its land in the war
• America lost 13,000 troops
● America increased its land by 1/3 from the war
Treaty of Guadalupe HidalgoTreaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
● Mexico/America signed February 2,
1848
●Mexico agree to Rio Grande River as
southern border of Texas● Mexico gave America TX, NW, CA, NV,
UT, AZ, parts of Colorado, and Wyoming
●US gave Mexico $15 million
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (con’t)Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (con’t)
Gadsden Purchase 1853Gadsden Purchase 1853
• 1853 US gave Mexico $10 million more
• Mexico gave US southern portion of AZ
Gadsden Purchase (con’t)Gadsden Purchase (con’t)