Assess your agreement with the following
statement: The United States government
acted morally in its acquisition of the land of
the present-day continental United States.
A. Strongly agree
B. Somewhat agree
C. Somewhat disagree
D. Strongly disagree
A.
B.
C.
D.
A
B
C
D
Chapter 12 Manifest Destiny
(1818-1853)
Section 3 War With Mexico
How did Mexican lands in the West
become part of the United States?
The New Mexico Territory
• Early 1800- New
Mexico was a vast
region between Texas
and California territories
• Including present day
states- New Mexico,
Arizona, Nevada, and
Utah
• Also parts of Colorado
and Wyoming
• The Spanish
conquistadores made it
a Spanish colony in the
late 1500s
• In 1610 the Spanish
founded Santa Fe
• Missionaries followed
soon after
o
n
3
How did the rancheros treat their
Native American workers?
A. Like family
B. Like well-paid employees
0%
0%
0%
D
A
B
C
D
C
0%
A
D. Rancheros did not have
Native Americans working
on their ranchos.
A.
B.
C.
D.
B
C. Almost like slaves
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Santa
Fe
Mexico inherited New Mexico
from Spain after their
independence
The Spanish tried to keep
Americans away from this area
fearing they would take it over
The Mexicans welcomed
American traders hoping to make
money
William Becknell reached Santa
Fe in 1821 with a supply of goods
The route from Independence,
Missouri to Santa Fe became
known as the Santa Fe Trail
The Santa Fe Trail was a busy
trade route
Trade increased and Americans
began to settle in this area
Many saw New Mexico as part of
Manifest Destiny
California
• Spanish explorers and
missionaries settled California
in the late 1700s
• A chain of missions were built
from San Diego to Sonoma
• The missions were used to
convert Native Americans to
Christianity
• Native Americans also farmed
the land and worked at
weaving and other crafts
• When Mexico won its
independence, Mexican
settlers bought mission land
and set up huge estates called
ranchos
• Native Americans worked the
land for food and shelter
• The Rancheros treated the
Native Americans almost like
slaves
How did the rancheros treat their
Native American workers?
A. Like family
B. Like well-paid employees
0%
0%
0%
D
A
B
C
D
C
0%
A
D. Rancheros did not have
Native Americans working
on their ranchos.
A.
B.
C.
D.
B
C. Almost like slaves
Americans Reach California
• 1840s- More Americans
reached California
• John C. Fremont, an
army officer, wrote
about the region’s mild
climate and vast natural
resources
• Americans started
talking about adding
California to the Union
• With California we
would have a safer
border (Pacific Ocean
rather than a foreign
country)
• Shippers also hoped to
build ports for trade with
East Asia
Polk
• Polk saw New Mexico and
California as belonging to
the US
• Mexico refused to sell the
land
• Polk plotted war, but wanted
to provoke Mexico to strike
first so he could justify a
war
• Mexico and the US
disagreed on the TexasMexico border (Plus Mexico
still claimed Texas as its
own)
• The US said the Rio
Grande formed the border
• The Mexicans said the
border was 150 miles north
along the Nueces River
Conflict Begins
• Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico
to propose a deal
• He could offer $30 million for
New Mexico and California and
have the Rio Grande as the
border
• The US would take over
Mexico’s debt owed to American
citizens
• The Mexican government
refused and said they were
going to reclaim Texas
• Polk ordered General Zachary
Taylor to the disputed border
• April 24, 1846- Mexican soldiers
attacked Taylor’s force
• “Hostilities may now be
considered as commenced”
• May 11- Congress passed a
declaration of war against
Mexico
Polk’s War Plan
• Had three parts
• 1. American forces
would drive Mexican
forces out of the
disputed border region
of Texas and secure the
border
• 2. The US would seize
New Mexico and
California
• 3. American forces
would take Mexico City
• The first part worked
• Americans then
captured New Mexico’s
capital, so the second
part worked
Which of these was NOT part of
President Polk’s plan in Mexico?
A. To capture Mexico City
B. To seize California
0%
D
C
B
D. To secure the Texan border
A. A
B. B
0% C.
0% C 0%
D. D
A
C. To drive Native
Americans into Mexico
The Bear Flag Republic
• June 1846- A small group
of Americans captured the
town of Sonoma (North of
San Francisco)
• They proclaimed it the
independent Republic of
California
• Called the Bear Flag
Republic
• John C. Fremont and
mountain man Kit Carson
also met in Sonoma
• Fremont declared that he
would conquer California
• Many Californios
(Mexicans living in
California) were outraged
The Bear Flag Republic Continued
• July 1846- The US Navy under
Commodore John Sloat captured
the ports of Monterey and San
Francisco
• Sloat declared California was
annexed to the US
• Sloat sailed for San Diego with
Fremont and Kit Carson and
captured it
• Then moved north to Los
Angelas
• Some revolted in San Diego, but
General Kearny put down the
revolt
• By January 1847, California was
fully controlled by the US
The Capture of Mexico City
• Polk told General Winfield
Scott to capture Mexico
City
• The army captured
Veracruz after three
weeks
• Then marched (and
fought) their way 300
miles south to Mexico City
• September 1847- The
Americans took Mexico
City
• The Mexican government
surrendered
• Mexico gave up half of its
territory
The United States Expands
• The Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo was signed in
February 1848
• Mexico gave up Texas and
agreed on the Rio Grande as
the border
• In what was called the
Mexican Cession, Mexico
ceded California and New
Mexico to the US for $15
million
• 1853- The US paid Mexico
$10 million for the Gadsden
Purchase
• A strip of land along the
southern edge of present-day
Arizona and New Mexico
• The US mainland reached its
present size
How did Mexican lands in the West
become part of the United States?
-Most were gained in treaty following
war
-Final piece gained through Gadsden
Purchase
Chapter 12 Section 3 Quiz
When Mexico lost the war with the
United States, it lost half its territory.
ls
e
50%
Fa
50%
Tr
ue
A. True
B. False
10
What was the third part of
James K. Polk's war plan?
A. to capture Mexico
City
B. to seize California
C. to drive Mexicans
out of borderlands
D. to seize New
Mexico
ic
o
M
ex
ou
t..
ew
to
se
iz
e
N
ic
a
dr
iv
e
to
to
se
M
ex
iz
e
C
ns
al
ifo
ic
o
M
ex
re
pt
u
ca
to
.
rn
ia
Ci
ty
25% 25% 25% 25%
10
C
ity
m
o
M
ex
ic
o
Al
a
e
th
ce
s
ue
N
R
io
G
ra
n
Ri
v
er
de
What did the United States insist was the
border between the United States and
Mexico?
A. Rio Grande
25% 25% 25% 25%
B. Nueces River
C. the Alamo
D. Mexico City
10
na
ue
a
no
m
So
ta
Vi
s
ie
g
D
Sa
n
B
Sa
n
Fr
an
ci
sc
o
o
What town in California was seized by a
small group and renamed the Bear Flag
Republic?
A. San Francisco
25% 25% 25% 25%
B. San Diego
C. Buena Vista
D. Sonoma
10
Under whose presidential administration was the
United Stated at war with Mexico?
yl
or
25%
Ta
lk
25%
Po
25%
le
r
ar
ris
on
25%
Ty
Harrison
Tyler
Polk
Taylor
H
A.
B.
C.
D.
10
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