American Mexican War

LESSON 70: The U.S. - Mexican War & Mexican Cession

Today we will explain the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and their impact on the U.S. using a reading selection.

Today we will respond using interactive slides to explain the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and their impact on the U.S.

How did the annexation of Texas contribute to the U.S.-Mexican War?

STAAR Vocabulary

Texas Annexation

U.S. - Mexican War

Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo

treaty

territorial acquisition

Manifest Destiny

cede (cession) - to give

DO NOW:

Through conflict and negotiations, the United States acquired Texas and lands in the West.

Multiple Choice

What feature was the long disputed southern border of Texas?

• The Guadalupe Mountains

• The Colorado River

• The Nueces River

• The Rio Grande

The Annexation Question

Texas became an independent republic after it gained its independence from Mexico in 1836. Settlers from America continued to move there, and its population grew. Many of the people in Texas did not want to remain an independent republic, but they wanted to join the United States. The Texas government asked Congress to annex it into the Union. Many Northerners objected to this because Texas held to the practice of slavery, and it was very possible that annexation would have led to war with Mexico. Congress voted against annexation, and for almost ten years Texas remained an independent republic.

Multiple Select

Which countries claimed Texas in the 1840s?

• France

• United States

• Mexico

• Spain

Effects of the Annexation of Texas

As America ‘s population continued to grow in the 1840’s, a popular Idea took hold called, Manifest Destiny. That idea meant that it was the obvious fate of the United States for the country to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific to accommodate the growing population. Democrat, James K. Polk was elected as President in 1844 on a platform to make Manifest Destiny come true. Congress finally annexed Texas in 1845. Mexico saw this as an act of war, because they still claimed Texas as their own. Furthermore, the southern boundary of Texas was not agreed upon. Texas said it was the Rio Grande, while Mexico said it was the Nueces River. A representative was sent to Mexico to purchase California and New Mexico for $25 million, but Mexico flatly refused to sell the land. In 1846, fighting broke out in South Texas at Palo Alto over a border dispute. President Polk told Congress that Mexico had "invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil." Congress passed a declaration of war against Mexico. 

Multiple Choice

The belief that the United States was destined to stretch all the way across the continent of North America

• Manifest Destiny

• Bill of Rights

• Mexican-American War

• Gold Rush

Multiple Choice

What was one reason James K. Polk won the presidential election of 1844?

• He was against removing American Indians from their native lands.

• He favored the policy of popular sovereignty in the Kansas and Nebraska territories.

• He was committed to fulfilling the goals of Manifest Destiny.

• He opposed the extension of slavery west of the Mississippi River.

Mexican Cession

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848. Mexico agreed to sell New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and California to the US for a total of over $18 million. This purchase was called the Mexican Cession. The US promised to look after and govern the 80,000 Mexicans living in the land. A rich Spanish heritage in the southwest continues even to this day as Spanish and American customs, traditions, foods, and lifestyles merged. The Rio Grande Valley is part of that cultural exchange.

Multiple Choice

Which number represents the Mexican Cession? Hint: After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• 5

• 6

• 7

• 8

Multiple Choice

Which reason did the United States give for declaring war against Mexico in 1846?

• To overturn a corrupt Mexican government

• To defend U.S. territory from Mexican aggression

• To end a Mexican slave rebellion

• To respond to attacks on U.S. merchant ships by Mexican pirates