mexican american war

texas story:

• americans move into texas because the government doesn't care
• bring slaves with then
• causes problems when america wants to annex texas
• texas wanted to become their own republic
• the alamo, davy crockett
• become an independent republic
• lone star state

oregon:

• fertile
• people migrate west to farm there
• carriages
• oregon trail

california:

• snake road to california
• felt new californian culture
• people mixed with natives
• wanted to trade with mexico
• not there for gold yet
• gold discovered in 1848

election of 1844:

• centered on extending west and annexation
• key places were texas and oregon
• northern democrats wanted to take oregon from the british
• extend all the way to alaska, 54,40
• border controlled by russians
• southern wanted to annex texas
• tyler was president at the time
• wanted to run again as president but a democrat not a whig
• proposed to extend oregon and annex texas to please both parties
• john c calhoun, secretary of state, on board with tylers tratie that was sent to congress
• opposed by henry clay, partnered with martin van buren
• did it because afraid of slavery debate
• they work the senate to kill treaty and the bill doesn't pass
• democrats run polk
• polk known as young hickory (just like old hickory, andrew jackson)
• think they need a new and fresh opionion
• want to go back to jacksonian democracy
• slogan was “54, 40 or fight”  focusing on oregan
• whigs run henry clay
• runs on the american system
• at first dodges issue of annexing texas, but then gives in
• because he gives in, he loses votes in new york
• abolitionists in the north end up voting for the liberty party
• polk wins electoral college, 170 to 105
• congress begins working on annexing texas
• it goes through
• back down in oregon and start in texas first because mexico is easier to beat then the british
• succeeded in annexing texas on dec 29, 1845
• slavery becomes a huge issue

mexican american war:

• polk becomes more greedy after the annexation of texas
• “polk the hulk”
• mexico is mad that texas is a US state
• felt that the separation of texas was illegal
• polk sends the general zachary taylor to the rio grande nueces river
• rivers are located on the top and bottom of texas
• sent in anticipation of war
• also sends a diplomate to mexico to ask to buy california texas and arizona
• mexico is already mad and will not let the diplomat in
• polk tells zachary taylor to “pick a fight” because they denied offer
• in oregon, backed down
• did not want to fight a two-front war
• general fremont fights in california, wins and declares california as a republic
• “bear-flag republic”
• santa ana (leader of mexico) does not want to give up
• polk decides that in order to win, they have to take mexico city
• treaty of guadalupe hidalgo, ends the mexican american war
• treaty of guadalupe signed in guadalupe hidalgo
• signed on feb 2, 1848
• called for mexico to give up arizona, california, new mexico, colorado, nevada and utah
• made texas’s border on the rio grande
• mexico would get 15 million dollars compensation
• senate ratified article “x”, article stated that grants given by mexican government were null and void
• americans could come and take all land in the west