War with MexicoWar with Mexico

• New Mexico and California– New Mexico

• Governed itself due to distance from Mexico• Settlers came by way of the Santa Fe Trail

– Over time more and more settlers came (Manifest Destiny) with the idea of taking the California territory

– Why?• Access to the Pacific ocean!

• California– Spanish had built a massive mission system

in California prior to 1821• After Mexican independence from Spain, California

became a state of Mexico– 1833 a law passed banning missions

• These lands were than given to Native Americans and sold to other who built huge rancheros (like plantations in the south; native Americans like slaves)

• California brought many settlers west; especially with reports of its scenic beauty, climate and natural resources

– Americans thought adding California to union would be a good idea

• Build ports to ship to Asia

• Nation bordered by two oceans

• Pres. Polk twice offered to buy California and New Mexico – Mexico refused to sell

– We would eventually take it by force!

– War with Mexico• Polk wanted America to reach the Pacific

– He would trick Mexico into a armed conflict

• How?– A border dispute between the Rio Grande and Nueces River

– Mexico refused an offer to sell New Mexico and said it would retake Texas

• President sent Zachary Taylor (and his army) into disputed region and built a fort

• Mexicans attacked and Taylor sent word that “hostilities” have started

• Congress declared war on Mexico

– Two sides to the war

• Opposed – thought that the spot of the battle was in Mexican territory – Not Mexico’s fault for war (Abe Lincoln’s view)

• Newspapers and Democrats supported the war

• War Plan– 1. Secure Texas border

• Accomplished by attacking south

– 2. Take New Mexico and California• Army marched west; took New Mexico and California

– Meanwhile, unrelated to war, several Americans (John Fremont and Kit Carson) took the town of Sonoma and declared a Republic of California (Bear Flag Republic)

– 3. Take Mexico City• Gen. Winfield Scott took Mexico City in Sept. 1847

• Peace – Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo• Mexico gave up California and New Mexico• Rio Grande became the border

– Mexico lost ½ its territory

– We pay Mexico $15 million dollars

– 1853 Gadsden Purchase• US bought the southern border of New Mexico and Arizona

for $10 ten million dollars

• Soldiers who learned to fight in the Mexican War and were generals in the Civil War– Robert E. Lee (CSA)– U.S. Grant (US)– Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (CSA)– George McClellan (US)– P.G.T. Beauregard (CSA)– James Longstreet (CSA)– Albert Sidney Johnston (CSA)– Joseph E. Johnston (CSA)– George Thomas (US)– George Meade (US)– Edmund Kirby Smith (CSA)– Braxton Brag (CSA)– Joe Hooker (CSA)– George Picket (CSA)