Territorial acquisitions and Trails

Ethan and Friends

Mexican Cession

The United States government declared that the southern border of Texas would be the Rio Grande. The U.S. Calvary ignored a warning from the Mexican army. Fighting broke out and three weeks later congress declared war on Mexico. Fighting continued to around September 1847. In February 1848 the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo was signed. The treaty recognized Texas as a US state and the US received a large chunk of land for 15 million That land later became California, Nevada, and Utah, parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Louisiana Territory

In 1803, President Jefferson bought Louisiana from France for 15 million dollars. The purchase included any area that drained into the Mississippi River from the West. One issue to the Louisiana Purchase for the Americans was the U.S lacked money. Their solution was to borrow money from Britain. The British were anxious to see Louisiana occupied by a weak United States rather than Napoleon’s powerful army, so they offered the large sum to the US at 6% interest.

Transactions

At the beginning, Jefferson offered Napoleon $2 million for a small tract of land on the lower Mississippi. Jefferson, who was impatient at the lack of news, sent James Monroe to Paris to offer $10 million for New Orleans and West Florida. At the same time, France had offered all of Louisiana to Livingston for $15 million.

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Texas quick facts• 1. Mexican authorities objected to the designation of the Rio Grande as the southern

Texas border.

2. The Mexican received !5 million dollars for the land the gave to America

3. The border was set as the Rio Grande

4. The United States pledged to protect the rights of Mexicans living in the new land.

5. Both nations agreed to resolve future disputes to arbitration

6. The Mexican war occurred for a multitude of reasons. The war of independence of Texas from Mexico, the annexation of Texas and the claims of American citizens for monetary damages of the Mexican government.

7. Another important conflict was the united state’s desire for California. The U.S. claimed that if Mexico did not annex the territory it might come under British or French rule.

Texas Annexation• Texas Annexation of 1845 was the annexation of the Republic of Texas to the

United Sates as the 28th state. This act quickly led to the Mexican-American war (1846-48).

• Because Texas was part of Mexico (or so they thought), the Mexican people were not happy about this (the annexation). According to Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, action was needed.

• At the time of the cession, Mexico exercised little control over this area, and it contained less than 1% of the country’s population.

• Nobody was aware that eventually gold, silver and other minerals would be found here.

• The Americans wanted to expand while the Mexicans wanted to keep what they thought was their land.

• The US desired to expand across the North American continent. This caused conflict between many of the neighbors, including Mexico. This is a large reason for the Mexican-American war.

Mexican-American War• The U.S.-Mexican War began on April 25, 1846. The initial battles of the

war took place on Texas soil. (Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma)• All subsequent battles took place in Mexico, California, and New Mexico.• The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war, and is still enforced today.• It fixed Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas, and required Mexico to cede

to the U.S., in return for $15 million, all the territory that today make up the states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.(Mexican Cession)

• The war received enthusiastic support in all sections of the United States.• It was fought almost entirely by volunteers.• The total casualties for U.S. reached 35-40% if later injury and disease

related deaths are added.• In this respect, the war was the most disastrous in American military

history.

Gadsden purchase (who was involved)

• James Gadsden- negotiated the purchase • Santa Anna- the Mexican who sold the land

after the Mexican-American war• President Pierce- wanted to insure U.S.

possession of the Mesilla valley near the Rio Grande

• U.S. senate- ratified the purchase of James Gadsden to a narrow margin

Gadsden purchase (What happened)

• The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the Mexican American war which made the U.S. want the Gadsden purchase.

• Needed to have a south route for the transcontinental railroad. They had to swing down into the Gadsden purchase area to complete the railroad.

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What is the Gadsden Purchase

• 29,670 square mile region of southern Arizona, and south western new Mexico.

• The treaty of La Mesilla also known as the Gadsden purchase finally clarified international boundaries.

• A strip of land was purchased in 1853 by the U.S. from Mexico

• This strip of land was purchased for $10 million