• In 1845 relations between the United States and Mexico reached a new low

• James K. Polk (1845-1849) President of United States

• James K. Polk, a strong expansionist from Tennessee,

• US Congress voted to annex Texas in March 1845, and many people felt it was a short time before war broke-out

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)–Convinced that the United States

was destined to expand westward, many Americans believed that Texas should be added to the Union as soon as possible

–Others opposed annexation because Texas allowed slavery

–The issue quickly stirred debate in Congress

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)– The debate over annexation (232)

• Supporters of annexation of Texas feared Texas might become an ally of Great Britain if it were not admitted to the United States; Great Britain wanted Texas to serve as a source of cotton and market for British goods

• Opponents of annexation, however, feared that the admission of Texas would increase the slave states’ power in Texas – MORE SLAVE THAN FREE STATES

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)– The debate over annexation (323)

• The Election of 1844:– James K. Polk (Democrat Party), former

governor of Tennessee, versus Henry Clay of Kentucky (Whig Party)

– Polk was considered a dark-horse candidate – had little chance of winning – but he ran an effective campaign

– Polk called for the annexation of Texas and the acquisition of more territory during his campaign

– In contrast, Clay attempted to sidestep the annexation controversy – did not take a side

– Polk won by a narrow margin– Despite the close victory, Polk interpreted his

victory as a public cry for annexation

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)– A)Conflict with Mexico (324)

i)Polk’s victory for President in 1844 increased tensions with Mexico

ii)Mexico said that if the United States tried to annex Texas it would be “equivalent to a declaration of war against Mexico

iii)Congress ignored this warning from Mexico and voted to admit Texas to the Union on March 3, 1845.

iv)Mexico responded by breaking diplomatic ties with the United States

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)

–Conflict with Mexico (324)

• Polk increased tensions with Mexico by demanding that Mexico recognize the Rio Grande as its northern border

• To back up his demand, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to move into the disputed region

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)– Conflict with Mexico (324)

• After receiving word that Mexico was willing to negotiate, Polk sent John Slidell, a Louisiana lawyer and politician, to Mexico in late 1845

• Slidell’s mission was to persuade Mexican officials to accept the Rio Grande boundary and to sell New Mexico and California to the United States

• When Mexican citizens learned of this, they reacted angrily

• The Mexican government refused to deal with John Slidell

• TEXAS ANNEXATION: (323-324)–Conflict with Mexico (324)

v) On May 9, 1846, Polk received the news he wanted: Mexican troops had crossed the Rio Grande and attacked a U.S. patrol

• United States now declares war on Mexico

• THE MEXICAN WAR: (324-326)– AGAINST THE WAR:

• Whigs and Northerners were critical of the Mexican War

• Congressman Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, introduced a series of “spot resolutions” in December 1847.

• Abraham Lincoln challenged the President to identify the spot on U.S. soil where American blood had been shed.

• If the site was indeed U.S. territory, Lincoln said, he would support the war; if not, he would oppose the war as unjustified.

• Some abolitionists charged that the “real goal” of Mr. Polk’s war, was to acquire more slave territory.

• Fredrick Douglass was against the War• Henry David Thoreau was against the war and

spent a night in jail because he would not pay taxes that might support the war. He wrote this in an essay called, “Civil Disobedience.”

• 2)THE MEXICAN WAR: (324-326)–FOR THE WAR:

a)Most Americans, particularly southerners and westerners who wanted Mexican land, supported the war

•Congress authorized the army to enlist 50,000 volunteers – most were young men eager for adventure

• THE MEXICAN WAR: (324-326)– The Two Sides Clash (325)

• General Zachary Taylor led his troops into central Mexico, while other U.S. forces seized New Mexico and California

• Stephen Kearny – occupied Santa Fe and seized control of New Mexico

• Captain John C. Fremont, a U.S. army officer and explorer headed an expedition into California in 1845, and led the revolt

b)On June 14 the settlers declared that California was an independent republic and raised a flag with the image of a grizzle bear painted on it

c)The flag gave the uprising in California its name – THE BEAR FLAG REVOLT

• THE MEXICAN WAR: (324-326)

–THE SIEGE OF MEXICO CITY (326)

• The bold siege of Mexico City marked the final campaign of war in Mexico.

• Led by General Winfield Scott, some 10,000 U.S. soldiers.

• The Mexicans fought hard but Scott’s forces reached Mexico City

3)THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO (326)a)In February 1848 the Treaty of

Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the War between Mexico and the United States

b)Mexico gave up all claims to Texas and surrendered a vast territory known as Mexican Cession – This territory included the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming

– THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO (326)c)In return the United States agreed to pay

Mexico $15 million and take over the payment of damages claimed by U.S. citizens against Mexico

d)The United States also agreed to grant full citizenship to Mexicans living in the Mexican Cession

e)Gadsden Purchase, orchestrated by U.S. diplomat James Gadsden, the Untied States secured additional land south of the Gila River for $10 million, acquiring parts of the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico

• MEXICAN AMERICANS (327)– As a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe

Hidalgo, the United States gained some 80,000 Spanish-speaking citizens along with its new territory

– Many Americans looked down on the culture of Mexican Americans, with its blend of Spanish and American Indian influences.

– The resulting atmosphere of prejudice contributed to Mexican American rebellions in the Southwest

– Juan Cortina – a member of a prominent Tejano family in South Texas, headed one such rebellion

– U.S. troops eventually took control of the region, but Cortina continued his raids into the 1870s.