The Mexican American War
By Sydni Kitchen
Who was involved in the
Mexican American War?
The Mexican-American War was a war fought between the
United States and Mexico between 1846 and 1848.
Many types of people, religions,
and states were involved in the
war such as: Missouri,
Mississippi, Kentucky, Utah,
Nevada, California, Maine,
Geywawa, Wahaka, Pwato, and
DeLaCruz.
All races were involved and all types of people and their backgrounds.
Even ordinary people were called to war for the Mexican and Native
American families were made to feel as foreigners in their own native
land/homes.
Causes of the Mexican American War
•The Mexican-American War, also called Mexican War, Spanish Guerra de
1847, or Guerra de Estados Unidos a Mexico (“War of the United States
Against Mexico”), was war between the United States and Mexico (April 1847February 1848).
•It stemmed from the United States’ annexation of Texas in 1845 and from
a dispute over whether Texas ended at the Nueces River (Mexican Claim),
or the Rio Grande (U.S. claim).
•The United States had disputed borders with Mexico. U.S. Congressman John
Slidell went to Veracruz to try to negotiate with the Mexican government. He
was authorized to offer $30 million for the the disputed Rio Grande border.
The Mexican government refused to meet with John Slidell.
•President Polk was determined to acquire the land. He sent American
troops to Texas in January of 1846 to possibly provoke the Mexicans into
war.
•The United States democrats also had the belief of Manifest Destiny which is
the idea that American should span from the East coast to the West Coast.
Manifest destiny
Manifest Destiny was the widely held belief that American settlers
were predestined to expand and occupy the entire North American
continent from the east coast to the west coast. This concept generated
by the potential of a new earth for building a new “heaven”. The
phrase itself meant many different things to many different people,
and was rejected by many people. The democrats strongly supported
Manifest Destiny and most Whigs strongly opposed it. The Manifest
Destiny provided America the largest acquisition of U.S. territory.
President James K. Polk used this to justify the war with Mexico.
The Mexican American war
begins
On April 25, 1846, the Mexican cavalry attacked U.S.
soldiers under the command of General Zachary Taylor
killing or wounding 16 men. They then laid siege to an
American fort along the Rio Grande. General Taylor called
for reinforcements, and with the help of the superior rifles
and artillery, they were able to defeat the Mexicans at the
battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.
On May 9, 1846, President Polk announced that “Mexico
has shed American blood on American soil.” He asked
congress for an official declaration of War! On May 13, 1846
both houses of congress voted by a large majority to declare
war on Mexico.
The Mexican American War
When war broke out against Mexico in May 1846, the
United States Army had 8,000 men, but soon 60,000
volunteers joined.
The American Navy dominated the sea.
The American Government had stable capable leadership
with a good economy which was superior to the Mexican
Government.
President James K. Polk directed the war from
Washington, D.C. He sent a 4-prong attack into the
Mexican heartland. He sent John Fremont to California,
Stephen Kearny to New Mexico, Zachary Taylor at the Rio
Grande, and Winfield Scott at Vera Cruz and Mexico City.
James K. Polk
James K. Polk was the 11th president
of the United States. He promised the
people he would annex Texas into the
United States. When Mexico rejected
American annexation of Texas, Polk
led the nation to a victory in the
Mexican-American War, which gave
the United States most of its present
Southwest. He strongly believed in
“Manifest Destiny”.
Bear Flag Revolt
John C. Fremont was sent to
control the coveted lands of
California. Claiming to be on a
mission to find a route to the
Pacific, he began encouraging a
parallel rebellion among the
American settlers. He led a group
of thirty-three settlers in Sonoma,
assisted by volunteers in the
Sacramento River valley, captured
the Mexican garrison of Sonoma,
and raised a homemade flag with
a bear and star to symbolize their
taking control. This was before
word of hostilities reached the
west. The words “California
Republic” appeared on the flag
but were never officially adopted
by the insurgents. Their actions
were later called the “Bear Flag
Revolt.”
Bear Flag Republic
On July 4, 1846 American settlers in California declare themselves
independent of Mexico and establish ‘Bear Flag’ Republic.
The “Bear Flag Republic” was not taken seriously, but Fremont and
his followers did march to Monterey to capture the Mexican Presidio,
or fort. By 1847, California was secure.
On July 7, 1846 The Mexican Congress officially declares war on the
United States.
Stephen Kearny
Stephen Kearny led his troops
into Santa Fe New Mexico in
August of 1846 causing the
governor of New Mexico to
flee. Stephen Kearny was able
to capture the city of Santa Fe
without a single casualty. After
capturing the city, he marched
his army west across the desert
to join John Fremont in
California
General Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th
president of the United States
from 1849-1850 and an
American military leader. He
crossed the Rio Grande with
his troops upon President
Polk’s order. He achieved fame
leading American troops to
victory in the Battle of Palo
Alto and the Battle of
Monterrey during the Mexican
American War.
Santa Anna
Santa Anna, sometimes called "the Napoleon of the
West," was a Mexican political leader, general, and
eleven time president who greatly influenced early
Mexican politics and government. Santa Anna
fought first against Mexican independence from
Spain, then in support of it. His military failures
resulted in Mexico losing just over half its territory,
beginning with the Texas Revolution and then with
the Mexican Cessation of 1848. Santa Anna had
been exiled to Cuba from the Mexican government.
President Farias was going to allow Santa Anna back
into Mexico to help with the war with the United
States. He had secretly been dealing with
representatives of the United States, pledging that if
he were allowed back in Mexico through the U.S.
naval blockades, he would work to sell all contested
territory to the United States at a reasonable price.
Once back in Mexico at the head of an army, Santa
Anna reneged on both of these agreements. Santa
Anna declared himself president again and
unsuccessfully tried to fight off the United States
invasion.
Some of the Major Battles in
the Mexican American War
Battle of Palo Alto
Battle of Resaca De La Palma
Battle of Buena Vista
Bombardment of Veracruz
The Battle of Palo Alto
On May 8, 1846
the first major
battle of the
Mexican American
war had begun.
Also on this day
General Zachary
Taylor was
authorized to move
south into disputed
territory.
The Battle of Resaca De La
Palma
General Mariano Arista
deploys his forces in an
empty lake bed with his army
in a narrow line. General
Taylor attacks his center,
overrunning the Mexican
artillery. Mexicans retreat
across the Rio Grande, 200
Mexican casualties and only
39 American casualties.
The Battle of Buena Vista
February 22, 1847 Shortly after sunrise Santa Anna’s 18,000
soldiers appear and sends a surrender order to General Taylor who
rejects it. Indecisive firefights for higher ground. The flying artillery
breaks up Mexican attacks. Mexicans loose 1,800, Americans loose
267 killed with 1,500 desertions. Santa Anna orders retreat at night
toward Agua Nueva. Taylor heads toward Monterrey.
Bombardment at Veracruz
U.S. troops led by General
Winfield Scott landed in
Veracruz and took over the city.
They then began marching
toward Mexico City. The
Mexicans resisted at Cerro
Gordo and elsewhere, but were
defeated each time. In September
1847, Scott successfully laid siege
to Mexico City’s Chapultepec
Castle. During that clash, a
group of military school cadets–
the so-called niños héroes–
reportedly committed suicide
rather than surrender.
THE MEXICAN
AMERICAN WAR ENDS
WITH THE SIGNING OF
THE TREATY OF
GUADALUPE HIDALGO
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
February 2, 1848, Mexicans signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Mexico ceded, or gave up all of California, and New Mexico.
Under the treaty, Mexico also recognized the U.S. annexation of Texas,
and agreed to sell California and the rest of its territory north of the Rio
Grande for $15 million plus the assumption of certain damages claims.
Terms of the Treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the United States
the area of New Mexico, Arizona, California, Nevada,
Utah, and portions of Colorado and Wyoming.
How did the American victory
effect the United States?
It took away more than 1/3 of Mexico’s claimed
territories.
For the Americans this was their first real war/fight
with a foreign country
The war resulted in the United States’ acquisition of
more than 500,000 square miles (1,300,000 square km)
of Mexican territory extending westward from the Rio
Grande to the Pacific Ocean.