Mexican War 1846-1848

1. Mexican War 1846-1848

2. Causes of the Mexican War • Manifest Destiny • Annexation of Texas • Slavery • Economics • Dispute over the Rio Grande Border

3. What is the controversy over Texas?

4. Texas Annexation Texas declared their independence in 1836, which Mexico did not recognize

6. Texas Annexation Texas asked Jackson and Van Buren to annex them, they refused. Why? Tyler was leaving office in and he agreed. Why? February 1845 Congress approved the Texas Annexation

7. Problem of Texas The Republic of Texas hoped annexation would solve the republic’s financial & military problems Texas becomes the 28th state in December of 1845. Mexico reacts by cutting off all diplomatic ties with the U.S.

8. Slavery was a key issue in the case of Texas and the Mexican War • Enforcement of Mexico’s law on slavery was a cause of the Texas revolt • Slavery was major issue in annexation debate Other factors that were unrelated to slavery • Ambition to acquire California—land and sea ports • Gadsden Purchase—railroads

9. War Powers of the President 1827 Martin v Mott - Constitutional for Congress to vest the president with the discretionary authority to decide whether an emergency has arisen and to raise a militia to meet such a threat of invasion or civil insurrection. Did such a threat exist in winter of 1845-46?

10. Boundary Dispute Texas and U.S. claim that the Rio Grande marks the southern border of Texas Mexican government rejects this idea and argues that the real southern border is the Nueces River

11. Rio Grande boundary Nueces River boundary

12. Steps to War June 1845- President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to take U.S. troops into disputed border region Polk claims this action is to protect Texas from possible Mexican attack

13. Steps to War Meanwhile, Polk sent diplomat John Slidell to Mexico City to negotiate the purchase California & New Mexico for $30 million Mexican officials refused to meet with Slidell John Slidell

14. Steps to War March 1846 – General Taylor’s troops made camp at the Rio Grande in disputed territory April 1846 – Mexican commander insisted U.S. troops must leave area and Taylor refused to move Mexican forces crossed the Rio Grande and attacked a group of 63 U.S. soldiers 11 Americans killed

15. Steps to War May 11, 1846 – Polk addressed Congress He declared that “Mexico has shed American blood upon the American soil.” Two days later Congress declared war on Mexico War Votes: House: 174-14 and Senate:40-2

16. Support of the War Many people who supported the war believed it would spread republican values—what are they? Many southerners supported the war, thinking any territory won would be organized into slave states For many Americans the war led to greater national pride—thousands of young men rushed to volunteer

17. Support of the War “Yes: Mexico must be thoroughly chastised!...Let our arms now be carried with a spirit which shall teach the world that, we are not forward for a quarrel, America knows how to crush, as well as how to expand!”-Walt Whitman “The universal Yankee nation can regenerate and disenthrall the people of Mexico in a few years; and we believe it is a part of our destiny to civilize that beautiful country.”—NY Herald “(The Mexicans are yielding) to a superior population, insensibly oozing into her territories, changing her customs, and out living, out-trading, exterminating her weaker blood.”—American Review “Shall this garden of beauty (California) be suffered to lie dormant in its wild and useless luxuriance?...myriads of enterprising Americans would flock to its rich and inviting prairies; the hum of Anglo-American industry would be heard in its valleys;…and the resources of wealth of the nation be increased in an incalculable degree.”—Illinois State Register

18. Opposition to the War Many members of the Whig Party thought the conflict was unjustified Northern abolitionists feared any territory gained in the war might be organized into slave states Illinois Congressman Abraham Lincoln wrote the “Spot Resolutions” in 1848– asking Polk to show the spot where American blood had been shed on American soil

19. Famous Opposition Tom Corwin of Ohio accused Polk of involving the US in a war of aggression. Daniel Webster: Doubts about the constitutionality of Polk’s action, believed that Congress had not been adequately consulted. Henry David Thoreau: refused to pay $1.00 poll tax because he believed that the war was an immoral advancement of slavery. John Quincy Adams: described war as a southern expedition to find “bigger pens to cram with slaves.” Charles Sumner: a noted abolitionist, also condemned the war from pacifist principles.

20. Quote from a Freshman Representative “If to say “the war was unnecessarily and unconstitutionally commenced by the President” be opposing to war, then the Whigs have very generally opposed it. . . . The marching an army into the midst of a peaceful Mexican settlement, frightening the inhabitants away, leaving their growing crops and other property to destruction, to you may appear a perfectly amiable , peaceful, unprovoking procedure; but does not appear so to us…..” Abraham Lincoln, April 1846, Speech in the House of Representatives

21. Mexican War Polk sets precedent for Presidents in war Three Theaters of the War Northern Mexico Gen. Zachary Taylor Battle of Monterrey Battle of Buena Vista New Mexico- California Col. Stephen Kearney Gen. John C. Fremont Bear Flag Republic-CA Central Mexico Gen. Winfield Scott Battle of Vera Cruz Battle of Mexico City

22. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) Mexico: 1) Gave up NM, CA and AR 2) Recognize the Rio Grande as the Border USA: 1) Pay Mexico $15 million 2) Pay all outstanding debt between owed to Mexico--$3.5 Million Ends the war, but no one is really happy: President Polk wanted more land, the Whigs thought we took too much land.

26. The Results of the Mexican War • Get 1 Million sq miles for $118.5 Mill • 13,000 Americans killed (1,800 in battle, 11,200 from disease). • Trained soldiers for the Civil War How did the Mexican War start the nation on the Road to the Civil War?

27. Issue of Slavery is raised again! • Wilmot Proviso • ---Beginning in 1846 it stated that slavery should not be allowed in any territory acquired from Mexico. • --While it never passed, the Wilmot Proviso provided a well-defined proposal that allowed the free-soil forces to attract thousands of followers.

28. Southern Manifest Destiny in the 1850’s South wants to gain more land for slavery • Ostend Manifesto-Cuba • Walker Expedition-Nicaragua • Clayton-Bulwer Treaty-Panama Canal

29. Review Questions What were the reasons for American Expansion? Who specifically was in favor of this? Opposed? What was controversial about the Texas annexation? What were the problem(s) between Texas and Mexico? How did Polk win the Election of 1844? What were his goals? What issues were involved with the Oregon Territory? What were the factors that led to the Mexican War? Who specifically was in favor of the war? Opposed?