“To Overspread the Continent”: Westward Expansion and

Political Conflict, 1840-1848

Chapter 11

The Mexican War and Its Consequences Chapter 11.3

Controversy and Consequences

• Before the war with Mexico was even complete, the issue of the expansion of slavery came to the forefront of political debates • The issue of slavery split both major parties into northern and southern

factions and fueled the creation of the Free-Soil Party.

• With the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the war with Mexico came to an end and the United States gained a vast swath of new territory in the Southwest seizing half of Mexico’s territory. • The issue of slavery in the new territories further divided Americans in the

aftermath of the war as the question of organizing the newly claimed territories commenced.

Questions:

• What were the causes and consequences of the Mexican-American War?