Section 3 – War with Mexico
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Texas continued to be an area of dispute
Pres. John Tyler wanted Texas to be annexed as a slave state.
There were many people living in Texas that owned slaves already.
John Tyler thought that by making Texas a slave state it would help
him get elected for a second term. He was very wrong.
James K Polk – elected in 1844; promised to annex TX and OR
TX joined the union in 1845; 9 years after independence
James K Polk Won the Election of
1844
James K Polk
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Democrat
From Tennessee
Promised to annex
Texas and Oregon into
the Union.
Texas-Slave
Oregon-Free
This would balance out
the Union.
James K Polk
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He was a strong supporter of Manifest
Destiny and campaigned on his support
for westward expansion.
Whig candidates, Henry Clay and
Theodore Frelinghuysen
Democrat candidates James Polk and
George Mifflin Dallas
President James K. Polk
Vowed to serve only one
term
At 49, youngest president at
that time
Listed four goals for his
presidency
The first goal was the reestablishment of the
Independent Treasury System
Polk was called “Young
Hickory” after President
Jackson
Second, tariff reductions
Third, he wanted to settle
the Oregon boundary dispute
with Great Britain
Fourth, he wanted to
purchase California from
Mexico
Polk’s Cabinet: 1845
What about Oregon?
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The British still felt as if they had claims to the Oregon country.
Polk said, “the United States has clear and unquestionable right
to it.”
Polk’s supporters said “FIFTY-FOUR FORTY OF FIGHT”
Saying that Americans get all of Oregon from the 54 and 40
latitude line.
1846 America and Britain had a compromise. We got Oregon
from the 49 North latitude. Everything but Vancouver Island.
The Oregon Dispute: 54’ 40º or Fight!
 By the mid-1840s,
“Oregon Fever” was
spurred on by the
promise of free land.
 The joint British-U. S.
occupation ended in
1846.
President Polk wanted control of the Oregon Territory
and was willing to go to war with Britain. “54º40' or
fight” was his position. The Oregon dispute was settled
peacefully on the 49° in the Treaty of Oregon in 1846.
What the U.S. wanted
What the U.S. and
Britain agreed on
What Britain wanted
War with Mexico
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Mexico broke relation with the US; had never
recognized TX independence
Boundaries were also disputed by US and
Mexico
Polk sent John Slidell as an envoy, or
representative, to Mexico City to purchase
California. The Mexican president, Jose
Joaquin Herrera, would not even meet with
him.
The Mexican American War, 1846-1848
The Mexican-American War
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The Mexican-American War was the first major conflict driven by
the idea of "Manifest Destiny"; the belief that America had a Godgiven right, or destiny, to expand the country's borders from 'sea
to shining sea'.
This belief would eventually cause a great deal of suffering for
many Mexicans, Native Americans and United States citizens.
Following the earlier Texas War of Independence from Mexico,
tensions between the two largest independent nations on the
North American continent grew as Texas eventually became a
U.S. state.
John Slidell
Jose Joaquin Herrera
The war with Mexico sparked sectional
conflict
Battle of Churubusco
August 20, 1847
The war was the ultimate extension of Manifest Destiny: the
belief that Americans had a God given destiny to take over the
entire North American continent.
Telegraph
The Mexican-American war was the first war where news about the
fighting could be transmitted quickly through the use of the new
telegraph.
Samuel F.B. Morse came up with the idea of a communications
system using the electro-magnet and a series of relays through a
network of telegraph stations. In order to transmit messages in this
system, he invented Morse Code, an alphabet of electronic dots and
dashes. The system made communication across the country much
faster than ever before.
War for
War with Mexico
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Polk wanted Mexico to fire the first shot; sent
troops across the Nueces River.
He sent Gen. Zachary Taylor.
May 9th 1846, Word got back that a group of
Mexican soldiers had attacked.
US was at war “by the act of Mexico herself”
Gen. Zachary Taylor
War with Mexico
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Congress called for 50,000 volunteers to
fight; 73,000 volunteers came to help fight.
General Zachary Taylor led US troops; very
successful. They were successful even
though the troop were unruly.
June 1846 – California declared
independence from Mexico; named itself
Bear Flag Republic
Palo Alto
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First Battle of the War
was in Palo Alto. Taylor
won very easy. Moved
on to fight Resaca de la
Palma.
By late September1846
Taylor had captured
Monterrey.
The Bombardment of Vera Cruz
John C. Fremont
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Led American settlers in California to help
fight against the Mexican Army.
The Bear Flag Republic
The Revolt  June 14, 1845
John C. Frémont
Bear Flag Republic
“Bear flag revolt” on June 14, 1846
John Fremont launched a revolution to free California from
Mexican control and establish a republic. In less than a
month, the territory was independent. When news of the
Mexican American War reached California, the goal became
statehood. It later became a state in 1850.
California
state flag
The Battle of Cerro Gordo, or Battle of
Sierra Gordo
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April 18, 1847
The Mexicans- lost 1,000 killed and wounded with
an additional 3,000 men taken prisoner.
United States casualties comprised 64 killed and
353 wounded.
General Santa Anna, caught off guard by the Fourth
Regiment of the Illinois Volunteer Infantry, was
compelled to ride off without his artificial leg, which
was captured and is still on display at the Illinois
State Military Museum in Springfield, Illinois.
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Winfield Scott-US General
Santa Anna- Mexican General
There were five U.S. Officers in Scott's Corp of engineers who
were of significant historical interest.
Captain Robert E. Lee
Captain George B. McClellan
Captain Joseph E. Johnston
Lieutenant John G. Foster
Lieutenant P. G. T. Beauregard.
All of these men were huge names during the American Civil
War.
The Battle of Cerro Gordo
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This battle has been called "the Battle of
Thermopylae of the West", because the use
of terrain was similar to the maneuver that
the Persians used to eventually defeat the
Greeks.
Marched to Mexico City
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Led by Winfield Scott
Landed in Veracruz.
Sept. 14th 1847 to
control of Mexico City.
Monterey
Vera Cruz
Buena Vista
California
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Only lasted a few weeks;
US claimed the territory
Mexico’s leaders refused to
surrender
Sept. 14th 1847 – US troops
captured Mexico City
Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo – ended the war
with Mexico
General Scott Enters Mexico City
“Old Fuss and Feathers”
Mexico City
The war was fought in northern and central
Mexico in many different battles. Although the
Mexican army had several victories, the U.S.
dominated in the end, captured Mexico City, and
forced the Mexicans to surrender.
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1848
Nicholas Trist,
American Negotiator
Treaty
of Guadalupe
Hidalgo – ended the
war with Mexico
Treaty of Hidalgo
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Mexico ceded over 500,000 square miles of
land to the USA.
Land that is now CA, UT, NV; parts of NM, AZ,
CO, and WY.
Rio Grande was now the southern border of
TX; US paid them $15 million
Manifest Destiny was achieved; US stretched
ocean to ocean.
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1848
The Treaty was basically forced on Mexico!
 Mexico gave up claims to Texas above the Rio
Grande River.
 Mexico gave the U. S. California and New Mexico.
 U. S. gave Mexico $15,000,000 and agreed to pay
the claims of American citizens against Mexico
(over $3,500,000).
The war proved to be a training ground for
future Civil War soldiers. Three later
presidents also served in the war.
Future president
General Zachary
Taylor “Old Rough
and Ready”
commander of U.S.
forces in northern
Mexico
Future president
Franklin Pierce,
after serving in
Congress
volunteered to fight
in Mexico City
Future president
Ulysses S. Grant
fought in the
capture of Mexico
City
Results of the Mexican War?
1. New territories were brought into the Union which forced the explosive
issue of SLAVERY to the center of national politics.
* Brought in 1 million sq. mi. of land (incl. TX)
2. The 17-month war cost $100,000,000 and 13,000+
American lives (mostly of disease).
3. These new territories would upset the balance of power between North and
South.
4. Created two popular Whig generals who ran for President.
5. Manifest Destiny partially realized.
Impact of the war on the United States
1. 525,000 square miles of new territory was added.
2. The Americans suffered heavy losses; the nearly
13,000 dead included only about 1,700 in
combat—the rest fell to disease.
3. The war was a proving ground for young military
officers (Grant, Jackson, Lee, Meade, Sherman, for
example) who would soon put their skills to work
against each other in the American Civil War.
4. It led to political problems over the extension of
slavery that resulted in the Civil War 13 years
later.
5. The U.S. became a Pacific power.
6. The expansion plans of Britain, Russia and France
on the North American continent were thwarted.
The U.S. in
1840, prior
to Polk’s
presidency
1840
The U.S. in
1850, after
Polk’s
presidency
1850
Westward the Course of Empire
Emmanuel Leutze, 1860
Portrait of Leutze by his friend William
Morris Hunt, ca. 1845
Expansionist Young America in the 1850s
America’s Attempted Raids into Latin America