The Mexican War

1. The Mexican War 1846 - 1848

2. U.S. fought Mexico over Texas and California. • It was the first war fought on foreign soil for the U.S. • James K. Polk was the president during the war. • Many Americans supported the war, but not all of them. Abolitionists opposed the war because they were afraid that the southern states would expand slavery into new land. Some slave owners thought the new territories might ban slavery.

3. The Beginning • The United States added Texas as their 28th state. • This caused the US to inherit Texas’s border dispute with Mexico which lead to war. • The war began when Mexico attacked American troops at the border of Texas because of the U.S. annexation of Texas.

4. Declaration of War • Even before the declaration of war, the fighting already started. General Zachary Taylor’s soldiers were winning battles in California and Texas. • News of the war spread quickly. • At the beginning, the US army was greatly outnumbered by the Mexican forces. • They had better weapons and equipment, but that wasn’t enough. • The government called for 50,000 volunteers to enlist in the army, and 200,000 volunteers answered the call.

5. Early Battles • Zachary Taylor’s victories drove Mexican troops right back into Mexico. • General Stephen Kearny was sent to attack New Mexico. His troops followed the Sante Fe Trail and took the city without a fight in August 1846. • The Navy was sent to blockade Mexican ports on the Pacific coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

6. Bear Flag Revolt • A small group of American Settlers declared that California was an independent republic. • They created a flag to represent themselves as a new republic. • The revolt caught the attention of John C. Fremont and he quickly declared that he would conquer California without knowing the United States and Mexico were at war.

7. Mexico City • Early in March of 1847, the American troops landed on the beaches of Veracruz. From this point, a series of bloody, hard fought battles took place towards Mexico City. When they reached Mexico City, they took full control.

8. The end of war • US defeated Mexico when Mexico City was occupied on September 14th 1847.

9. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo • After the war was over, Nicholas Trist negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This was signed in 1848, and turned over much of Mexico’s land to the United States. This included Arizona, California, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, and area claimed by Texas north of the Rio Grande.

11. U.S. fought Mexico over Texas and California. • At the beginning, the US army was greatly outnumbered by the Mexican forces. The government called for 50,000 volunteers to enlist in the army, and 200,000 volunteers answered the call. • The war began when Mexico attacked American troops at the border of Texas because of the U.S. annexation of Texas. • Early in March of 1847, the American troops landed on the beaches of Veracruz. From this point, a series of bloody, hard fought battles took place towards Mexico City. When they reached Mexico City, they took full control. • US defeated Mexico when Mexico City was occupied on September 14th 1847.