Ch. 14, Section 2 Notes
Introduction
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Title: War with Mexico
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Main Idea: Conflict between the United
States and Mexico led to war.
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Key Terms: cede, abolitionist
Causes of the War
a.
b.
Mexico never recognized the Republic of
Texas and considered the USA’s
annexation of Texas an insult.
Also, Mexico refused to accept the Rio
Grande as the official boundary between
Texas and Mexico. Instead, they insisted
the Nueces River separated the country
and state.
Causes of the War
c.
d.
i.
ii.
Another problem was Mexico was angered
by the USA’s efforts to expand trade by
trying to acquire the Pacific port of San
Francisco, then in Mexican California.
The USA offered Mexico 30 million in
return for:
Mexico accepting the Rio Grande as the Mexico-Texas
boundary, and if….
Mexico would cede, or give up, California and the
western half of New Mexico to the USA.
Causes of the War
e.
In December 1845, President Polk sent
John Slidell to Mexico to negotiate the
boundary dispute and offer to buy
California.
i.
The Mexican government refused to talk to
Slidell and diplomatic relations broke down.
f.
In March 1846, President Polk ordered
General Zachary Taylor to move his
troops across the Nueces River to the Rio
Grande.
OCTOBER 1845
POLK SENDS
TAYLOR
TO NUECES
BORDER
DISPUTE: RIO
GRANDE OR
NUECES?
DECEMBER 1845
SLIDELL SENT TO
MEXICO – MEXICO
REFUSES TO SEE HIM
- INSULTS USA
War Declared
a.
b.
c.
d.
In May 1846, American and Mexican
forces first clashed at Palo Alto and
Resaca de la Palma, which was in the
disputed territory.
US President Polk declared Mexico had
shed American blood on American soil.
Mexican President Mariano Paredes could
have claimed Mexican blood had been
shed on Mexican soil.
The United States declared war on Mexico
on May 13, 1846.
MARCH 1846
POLK
ORDERS
TAYLOR
TO RIO
GRANDE
MAY 1846
MEXICANS
ATTACK!
MAY 1846
Taylor and Polk’s
Justification for
War
POLK ASKS CONGRESS FOR
DECLARATION OF WAR
War Declared
e.
Some members of Congress, including
abolitionists, or people who worked to
end slavery, questioned the American
motives to possibly expand slavery.
APRIL 1846
SOME OPPOSE
MR. POLK’S WAR
A
B
O
L
I
T
I
O
N
I
S
T
S
WHERE WAS
THE SPOT?
War Declared
f.
g.
Many Texans, including several
companies of Texas Rangers who served
as scouts, fought on the American side.
J. Pinckney Henderson, current Texas
governor, took a leave of absence to
command Texas troops.
U.S. MILITARY FAR SUPERIOR
1. OCCUPY TEXAS
AND NORTHERN
MEXICO
2. TAKE NEW
MEXICO AND
CALIFORNIA
3. MARCH ON
MEXICO CITY
United States Victory
a.
b.
c.
d.
The US forces were better equipped and
better led than were their opponents.
General Taylor captured Monterrey and
later defeated Santa Anna at Buena Vista.
General Winfield Scott landed at Vera
Cruz and captured Mexico City in
September 1847.
Women, such as Sarah Borginnis,
traveled with US troops, loading
cartridges and dressing wounds.
WINFIELD
SCOTT
SENT
SOUTH TO
MEXICO
LANDS IN
VERA
CRUZ
HE PUSHES TOWARD
MEXICO CITY
United States Victory
e.
The Peace Treaty at Guadalupe Hidalgo
was signed on February 2, 1848.
i.
Mexico accepted the Rio Grande as the
boundary between Texas and Mexico.
Mexico ceded all territory between Texas and
the Pacific Ocean, which was called the
Mexican Cession. The U.S. paid 15 million for
this land.
Also, Mexicans living in this area would have
the rights of the US citizenship.
ii.
iii.
WAR HEROES
Mexican Cession will one day
be the states of:
California, Nevada, Utah, and
parts of Colorado, Arizona,
New Mexico & Wyoming.
U.S. pays Mexico $15
million.
Mexico lost about half
of its land.
The New Mexico Boundary Dispute
a.
b.
c.
The question of whether Santa Fe would
become part of Texas became a political
issue in the US.
The people of Santa Fe preferred to be a
separate territory or state.
Members of congress, led by former
presidential candidate Henry Clay,
helped write the Pearce Act, as part of
the Compromise of 1850.
The Compromise of 1850
The Compromise of 1850 (Write down #3)








WHAT IT IS: A series of five bills that were intended to resolve problems of
sectionalism between the states regarding slavery.
GOAL: To deal with the spread of slavery to territories in order to keep
northern and southern interests in balance.
TERMS/PROVISIONS:
1. California annexed as a free state.
2. New Mexico and Utah were each allowed to use popular sovereignty
(means=let the people decide) to pick whether the states would be free or
slave.
3. Texas gave up lands that it claimed in present-day New Mexico and
received $10 million to pay its war debt (the New Mexico Boundary
Dispute).
4. The slave trade was abolished in the District of Columbia.
5. The Fugitive Slave Act made any federal official who did not arrest a
runaway slave liable to pay a fine. This was the most controversial part of
the Compromise of 1850 and caused many abolitionists to increase their
efforts against slavery.
TEXAS AND THE COMPROMISE OF 1850
The Compromise of 1850, con’t

Provisions of the Compromise of 1850
– California became a state
– Utah and New Mexico became territories
– Slave trade was ended in Washington DC
– Fugitive Slave Law was put into place
– “Texas Question”: Texas received 10 million dollars to give up
disputed territory to north and west
 Getting the money helped Texas get out of debt
– Texas and New Mexico Act of September 9, 1850: created Texas’
present day borders
The Pearce Act
(of Compromise of 1850)
d.
The US agreed to give Texas 10 million
for Santa Fe and the rest of the disputed
territory.

Senator James A. Pearce of Maryland introduced a
bill that offered Texas $10 million in exchange for
ceding to the national government all land north
and west of a boundary beginning at the 100th
meridian where it intersects the parallel of 36°30',
then running west along that parallel to the 103d
meridian, south to the 32d parallel, and from that
point west to the Rio Grande.
The Gadsden Purchase

In 1853, the U.S.
paid Mexico an
additional $10
million for the
Gadsden
Purchase, a strip
of land along the
edge of presentday Arizona and
New Mexico.
The United States Expands
Manifest Destiny
http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/states.html
Today’s Agenda
Unit 6.3 Quiz rescheduled to Thursday,
February 6
 Work on Texas Constitution/Immigration
Organizer (DUE MONDAY!)
 Mexican-American War Q&A

– Due Tuesday: Periods 4, 5, 6, 7
– Due Wednesday: Periods 1, 2