THE MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR
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Transcript of THE MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR
THE MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR
The slogan “Manifest Destiny” was coined in 1845 by
John L. O’Sullivan and referred to the territorial growth the United States
experienced in the 1800s. “Manifest Destiny” expressed the conviction that the
country’s superior institutions and culture gave America a God-given right, even an
obligation, to spread their civilization across the entire continent.
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While James K. Polk campaigned
for the presidency in 1844, he
promised the American people
that if he was elected he would
expand the country. He won the
election and became the 11th
president of the United States.
2President James K. Polk
MEXICO in 1821
In 1845 Congress admitted Texas
as a state. This made the Mexican
government very angry. They still
believed that Texas was a part of
Mexico.
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In September 1845 President Polk
sent John Slidell to Mexico City to
negotiate the disputed Texas
border and purchase New Mexico,
California, and Texas for $25
million. Mexico disagreed with
the border the U.S. claimed and
turned down the money offer.
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John Slidell
In March 1846 President Polk sent General
Zachary Taylor and his troops into the
disputed territory (land that both the U.S.
and Mexico claimed as its own) between
the Rio Grande and Nueces Rivers.
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General Zachary Taylor
On April 25, 1846 Mexican troops cross the Rio Grande River and opened fire on U.S.
troops at Fort Texas. On May 13, 1846 Congress officially declared war on Mexico.6
At the start of the war only about
75,000 Mexican citizens lived north of
the Rio Grande. As a result, U.S. forces
led by Col. Stephen W. Kearny and
Commodore Robert F. Stockton were
able to conquer those lands with
minimal resistance.
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Colonel Stephen Kearney
With the losses adding up, Mexico turned to
old standby General Antonio López de Santa
Anna, the charismatic strongman who had
been living in exile in Cuba. Santa Anna
convinced Polk that, if allowed to return to
Mexico, he would end the war on terms
favorable to the United States. But when he
arrived, he immediately double-crossed Polk
by taking control of the Mexican army and
leading it into battle. At the Battle of Buena
Vista in February 1847, Santa Anna suffered
heavy casualties and was forced to withdraw.
Despite the loss, he assumed the Mexican
presidency the following month.8
General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
Meanwhile, U.S. troops led by Gen. 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,
General Winfield Scott successfully laid siege to Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle.
During that clash, six military school cadets committed suicide rather than surrender.
9General Winfield Scott
On February 2, 1848, Mexican and U.S. officials signed the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo officially ending the War. This treaty gave the United States California,
Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
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