Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Chapter 13,
Section 4: The
Mexican War
In this section we
will:
• explain how the
United States gained
Oregon & Texas
• Name the new lands
the United States
acquired as a result
of the Mexican War.
• Describe how a mix
of cultures shaped
California and the
Southwest.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Possible War over Oregon and Texas
• Polk takes office in
1845.
• Elected in wake of
support for expansion.
• He takes steps to gain
control of Oregon,
risking war in the
process with________.
• Polk agrees to a compromise
over Oregon--it would be divided
at latitude 49 degrees North.
• U.S. gets land south of the line.
• Great Britain gets land to the
north.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
The U.S. named its lands the "Oregon
Territory."
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Later the following three states were
carved out of the Oregon Territory:
• ____________in 1859
• ____________in 1889
• ____________in 1890
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Meanwhile, Texas
proved more
difficult.
to lse e fa
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den
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ind
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• The United States
Senate refused to
annex Texas in 1844
because some
senators feared
this would cause
war with________.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
• Texas president Sam Houston wanted to be annexed so bad by the U.S. that he threatened to ally with Britain. • Americans did not want British influence in America, so in 1845, Congress passed a joint resolution admitting Texas to the Union. • Texas became the 28th state in 1845. 6
Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
The United States and Mexico clash
• the annexation of Texas
outraged Mexicans. They had
never really accepted Texan
independence.
• Mexicans believed Americans
would encourage rebellions in CA &
New Mexico.
• Americans resented Mexico
• upset at refusal to sell CA & NM
• felt Mexico stood in the way of
Manifest__________.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
War begins: Let's look at p.395 of
our text.
• war began after a border dispute
over land situated between the Rio
Grande & the Nueces River.
• President Polk ordered soldiers to
the disputed area in January 1846,
expecting war to break out.
• April 1846, Mexican soldiers
crossed the Rio Grande and fighting
erupted. Men on both sides are
killed.
• Polk asks Congress to declare war
and Congress does just that!!
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
The United States attacked in Mexico on many
fronts.
• Polk hoped that this would lead to a quick victory.
• General Zachary Taylor crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico. • He met Mexican Gen. Santa Anna at the "Battle of Buena Vista" in Feb. 1847.
• Outnumbered two to one, the Americans forced Santa Anna's army into retreat! Front 1
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Front 2
• American Gen. Winfield Scott
lands at Veracruz, an important
port city.
• Scott takes the city and now
heads to Mexico City, the
capital.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Front 3
• a third army captured Santa Fe without firing a shot,
led by Gen. Stephen Kearney
• he then went to CA, where he won control of it after
several battles.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
• Even before hearing of the
Mexican-American War, Americans
in Northern California had begun a
revolt against Mexican rule.
• rebels declared CA an
independent republic on June 14,
1846.
• they nicknamed their new nation
the "Bear Flag Republic."
• Californians were led by a young
American named John C. Fremont,
who drove the Mexican troops out
of Northern California.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
• By 1847, the U.S.
controlled all of New
Mexico and California.
• Gen. Scott had
reached Mexico City,
facing strong Mexican
resistance.
• young Mexican
soldiers made a heroic
stand at the Battle of
Chapultepec.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
• With the capital city
under American control,
the Mexican government
moved to make peace.
• Mexico signed the
Treaty of GuadalupeHidalgo in 1848.
• Mexico had to cede, or
give up, all of California &
New Mexico to the U.S.
• These lands were called
the "Mexican________."
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
• The United States paid
Mexico $15 million and agreed
to respect the rights of
Spanish-speaking folks in the
Mexican Cession.
• 5 yrs later, in 1853, the U.S.
paid Mexico $10 million more
for a strip of land in presentday Arizona and New Mexico.
• Americans needed this land
to complete a____________.
• this land was called the
Gadsden Purchase
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
A mix of cultures after 1848
• English speaking
settlers now flocked to
the Southwest.
• Mexican-Americans
teach them how to mine
silver and irrigate crops.
• Earlier residents try
hard to retain their
traditions and rights.
• in the Southwest,
Americans kept some
Mexican laws.
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Chapter 13 sec 4 SMART ecture: The Mexican War
Let's take a look at what we've
discussed today!!
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