Mexican-American War Podcast

When families said, “I went to sleep in Mexico and woke up in the United States,” what event were they describing?

• The territorial changes after the Mexican-American War

• The U.S. Civil War’s impact on Texas settlers

• The migration of families to California for gold

• The building of the first U.S.–Mexico border wall

What years did the Mexican-American War take place?

• 1821–1823

• 1835–1838

• 1846–1848

• 1854–1856

Before the war, how large was Mexico’s territory?

• It included California, Texas, and most of the Southwest

• Only the area around Mexico City and Yucatán

• Just modern-day Mexico without the northern lands

• The Caribbean islands and Central America

Why was early 1800s Mexico described as “organizationally fragile”?

• It struggled to control distant northern territories after independence

• It was too focused on trade with Asia to govern locally

• Its military was too large and drained resources

• Its government was based in the far north near Texas

What idea justified U.S. expansion across the continent?

• Western Determinism

• National Supremacy

• Manifest Destiny

• Continental Realism

From the Mexican and Indigenous perspective, Manifest Destiny looked like:

• A hopeful vision of shared growth

• A justification for land theft and aggression

• A fair trade agreement between nations

• A peaceful migration program

Why did Mexico initially invite American settlers into Texas in the 1820s?

• To recruit them for the Mexican army

• To help develop and stabilize the frontier economy

• To convert them to Catholicism

• To use them as negotiators with Native tribes

What issue caused major conflict between Mexican authorities and American settlers in Texas?

• Cattle ranching disputes

• Slavery and local control differences

• Voting rights for women

• River access for trade routes

When did settlers in Texas declare independence from Mexico?

• 1821

• 1836

• 1845

• 1850

Why did Mexico see the U.S. annexation of Texas in 1845 as theft?

• Texas had already been sold to Britain

• The U.S. promised not to take it

• Mexico still considered Texas a rebellious province

• The people of Texas voted against joining the U.S.