The American Mexican War

Taylor Presidency • William Henry Harrison– Shortest Presidential Term = One Month – Caught pneumonia during inauguration speech

• John Tyler Became President – Not a Whig

• Didn’t uphold Harrison’s policies or positions• Protective Tariffs, national bank, or internal improvements • Entire cabinet resigned in protest (Webster Exception

– Became a man without a party• Democrats considered a traitor

– Left democrats over Jackson stance on Nullification • Whigs felt betrayed

– Didn’t nominate him in next election

Western Expansion • John L. O’Sullivan– Newspaper Editor – Coined term “Manifest Destiny”• God wanted us to spread from coast to coast• Moral Justification for expansion• West was populated by Mexicans and Native

Americans – “Our manifest destiny is to overspread the

continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions”• Oregon and California

– Fertile Land • Western Plains

– Ranch land and Gold

Annexing Texas• Mexico encouraged American immigration

into the southwest and Texas (then part of Mexico)– Wanted to generated grow of area– Opposed Slavery• Mexicans = Catholics • American Immigrants = Slave Holders• Conflict Developed

– Outlawed Immigration – Americans still flowed into territory

– 1835 – 30,000 Americans in Texas • Called for Annexation and Statehood • Texans rebelled against the Spanish dictator Santa

Anna

Texas War for Independence• The Alamo – February 23, 1836 – Santa Anna demanded Alamo

surrender• Battle and Siege lasted 12 Days • Mexican Casualties = 1,544• American Casualties = around 1/10th of Mexican

– Santa Anna ordered wounded to death• Alamo encouraged

– Texans to further rebel• Gained support of sympathetic Americans

• Sam Houston – Leader of Texans – Captured Santa Anna

• Bought freedom by signing treaty that recognized independence of Texas

• Mexican congress never agreed, but ended war

Annexation • The Lone Star Republic – Constitution adopted slavery and outlawed free

blacks– Sam Houston First President– Voted for annexation to the United States• Jackson delayed

– Feared debate between anti and pro slavery factions could hurt Van Buren Election

– Or start a war with Mexico

– Immigration to Texas increased• 150,000 by 1845

– Texas and American Citizens wanted – Congress did not because of sectional debate

Election of 1844• Whigs– Nominated Henry Clay for president

• No mention of slavery or Texas Annexation– Fear it would cause Civil War

• Felt Calhoun was using Texas issues to cause sectional rift

• Democrats – Nominated James Polk for President

• Expansionist – Platform reflected position • Favored by Jackson and other who wanted Texas annexed • Southerners and Slave holders obsessed with Texas

• Polk won a narrow victory – Liberty Party (Anti-Slavery) took enough votes way

from Clay to give Polk victory

President Polk • The New Jacksonians– Emphasized Slaveholding Democrats– Expansionist

• Polk– Chief concern expansion of United States • Tyler last act was to Annex Texas

– Knew would be Polk’s first official business, gave into pressure– Mexico sent troops to the boarder of Texas in protest

• Vowed to acquire Oregon and California by any possible means– Oregon Territory held jointly with Britain – Expansionist wanted war to gain territory – Britain gave up territory, US gained Oregon And Washington– California still Mexican Territory

The Mexican War • General Zachary Taylor – Sent to antagonize Mexican forces at Rio Grand – Polk wanted to engage war, but needed

congressional approval• Military incident was needed to influence congress

– May 9, 1846 – Skirmish between US and Mexican forces• 11 Americans Kill

– Polk told congress of massacre, received declaration of war

Opposition to War • Whigs and Anti-Slavery advocates opposed War

• Whigs eventually change position– See new land as way to expand territory– Cannot win office if they don’t support expansionism

– Believed (Correctly) Polk exaggerated incident at the Rio Grand• Abraham Lincoln – Spot Resolution, called on Polk to name

the place with blood was spilled – Believed war was attempt by pro-slavery forces to

expand US slave territory• Anti-Slavery Society – war was “waged solely for the

detestable and horrible purpose of extending and perpetuating Amerian slavery throughout the vast territory of Mexico.”

– Northern Intellectuals and Northern Religious leaders opposed the war

Military Buildup • Thomas Heart Benton (Senator from Missouri) – Polk wanted, “a small war, just large enough to require

a treaty of peace, and not large enough to make military reputations, dangerous for the presidency”.

• The Army was ill prepared to fight a war with Mexico– Most troops were southern volunteers eager to fight

and expand slavery– Men were “impressed” or lied to by recruiters to fill

required regiment numbers – Undisciplined forces engage in plunder, rape, and

murder • The media ran untrue/scrupulous stories about Mexicans • As conditions grew worse, soldiers became hard to control

Battle for California • John C. Fremont – Champion of American Settlement in California– Knows as “The Pathfinder”, he mapped the Oregon

Trail • His reports glorified California and Oregon and encourage

American immigration to the west coast

– When war broke out with Mexico, he led troops to liberate California• Repelled the weak Mexican forces and established “The Bear

Flag Republic” • US Navy landed and declared California part of US Territory• Polk’s expansionist plans taking root

– New Mexico was easily taken by Colonel Stephen Kearny

General Zachary Taylor• Early success in battle created great fame for

Taylor– Polk immensely jealous of Taylors popularity with

the press and public – Rumors that Taylor will be next Whig candidate

for president • Polk’s war strategy flawed– Believed Taylors army could live off land– Returned Santa Anna to Power in Mexico– Promoted General Winfield Scott Commander• Taylor, ignored demotion, and attacked Mexican Forces

– Increased popularity – Forced Polk to reappoint him

Liberation of Mexico City • September 13, 1847– Scott entered Mexico City– Forced Mexico to seek peace – Santa Anna Resigned

• February 2, 1848– Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed • Mexico gave up all claims to Texas and established Rio

Grand as boarder• Mexico ceded New Mexico and California • US paid Mexico $15 Million for territory

– Whig Intelligencer – “We take nothing by conquest… Thank god.”

Aftermath • 17 month long war – US Casualties

• Wounded = 4,152• Died in Battle = 1,733• Died of Disease = 11,550

– Army ill prepared for tropical/desert war in Mexico– Sanitation conditions of the army were very bad

• Acquired almost 1,000,000 square miles of territory – Texas, New Mexico, California, Arizona, and Nevada– Made US a true transnational country – Gadsden Purchase of 1853

• Completed modern map of the US • US Paid $10 Million to Mexico for land no Arizona