Chapter 17.2 The Mexican War

• Pres. Polk was determined to keep America expanding. – Oregon was easy. – Texas would be harder

• Mexico wants to fight for their land

• America wants to take as much as possible

• Pres. Polk makes it clear…– America is going to war

for Texas!

American Response to War• Supporters

– Democrats• Rallied behind the POTUS

• Believed a war would bring America together

• We could show off our military!

– Slave-owners• Knew expansion = more slavery!

• People Against the War– Whig Party

• Henry Clay• Abraham Lincoln

– Believed the conflict was unnecessary. » Why have people killed

over land?

– Henry David Thoreau• Writer who went to jail for not

paying taxes– Why didn’t he pay his taxes?

» He knew the $$$ would go towards the Mexican War!

– Abolitionists in North• Thought that expansion = slavery

Militaries at Beginning of War

• Mexican Army– Outnumbered US Army

• 40,000 Mexicans• 12,000 US Army

– Had bad officers and generals• Didn’t know how defend

their own soil

• US Army– Small at first

• Grew to over 200,000 within 1st year of war

– Officers were very well trained• Trained at West Point

Academy– Knew how to fight in

someone else’s country.

Interesting Officers in US Army during Mexican War

• Gen. Zachary Taylor– In charge of US Army

• Future POTUS

• Gen. Franklin T. Pierce• Future POTUS

• Lt. Ulysses S. Grant– Leader of Union Army in Civil

War• Future POTUS

• Lt. George McClellan– Also leader of Union Army in

Civil War

Other Interesting Officers In Mexican War

• Capt. Robert E. Lee– Becomes leader of

Confederate Army during Civil War

• Col. Jefferson Davis– Becomes President of

Confederate States of America during Civil War

American Victories• May 8 and 9, 1846– Gen. Zachary Taylor has

successfully pushed Mexican Army south of Rio Grande.

– Goal: • Keep Mexican Army in

Mexico– Then, we attack

somewhere else and take more land!» Hello New Mexico!

Battle of Santa Fe• Pres. Polk orders Gen.

Stephen Kearny to attack New Mexico’s capital.– Kearny takes it without a

fight! • Why?

– Mexican Army is stuck by Rio Grande!

• June, 1846– Kearny claims New Mexico

for USA • Moves on the Southern

California

Battle for California• John C. Fremont

– American settler who led a revolution against the Californios. • Called the Bear Flag Revolt!

– Why? » Because their flag

had a bear on it…duh!

– Then, Gen. Kearny shows up in S. Cal• Moves up the state claiming

everything for the USA

• August 1846– America claims California!

How it all went wrong for Mexico!

The War’s End

• Now that California and New Mexico have been taken– That leaves just Mexico…

• Should we leave it alone?

• Or

• Should we prove a point?

The US Proves A Point

• General Taylor wants to go into Mexico and burn down the capital city!– Pres. Polk is afraid Taylor

is too popular • He might want to run for

POTUS like other generals!

– Pres. Polk gives command to Gen. Winfield Scott• known as “Old fuss and

Feathers”

• Goal = take Mexico City!

Gen. Scott takes Mexico City• August 1847

– Gen. Scott were at edge of Mexico City• Attack the city for 4 straight

weeks

• Sept. 14, 1847– Mexico surrenders!

• We win!

• Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo– Ends Mexican War

• USA gets Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, California, Texas, Colorado, and Wyoming!– Called the Mexican Cession

United States of America after Mexican War

Review Questions• Why did some Americans support the Mexican

War and others did not?

• Who was the general of the US Army during the Mexican War?

• What is the name of the Treaty that ends the Mexican War?

• What does America get for winning?