The War with Mexico

Robert E. Lee

• Robert E. Lee was born to a prominent family in 1807
• From Virginia
• His father was a hero from the American Revolution
• He followed his father into a military career

JAMES K. Polk

• President of the U.S.
• Polk now believed that war with Mexico would bring states to the Union
• Texas, New Mexico, and California
• He supported Texas's claims in disputes over the Texas-Mexico border

Slidell's Rejection

• 1845, John Slidell was sent to Mexico to purchase California and New Mexico
• Also, he went to gain the approval of the Rio Grande as the Texas border
• Mexican officials refused to receive him

Marching the Rio Grande

• Zachary Taylor was sent to march on the Rio Grande
• His goals was to blockade the river
• Mexicans viewed this action as a violation of their rights

Sectional Attitudes Toward War

• There were mixed feelings on starting a war
• Southerners had a different view than Northerners
• Northerners opposed war
• Southerners saw this as an opportunity to extend slavery

The War Begins

• Taylor positioned forces at the Rio Grande
• Mexico responded to Taylor's invasion of the territory
• Mexico sent troops across the River and they killed 9 US soldiers

Polk's Message

• Polk persuaded the House to go to war with Mexico
• Polk's theory of manifest destiny had launched the US into a war
• The war was fought on foreign ground

Kearny Marches West

• Stephen Kearny was ordered to march across Santa Fe Desert
• Met by upper-class Mexicans who wanted to join the US
• Not a single shot was fired, and led the long trek to Southern California

THE REPUBLIC OF CALIFORNIA

• Spanish settlers had set up missions throughout California
• By the mid-1840s, 500 US settlers lived in California
• American settlers seized the town of Sonoma in 1846
• This marked the independence from Mexico
• Mexican troops gave way, leaving US forces in control of California

THE WAR IN MEXICO

• American invasion of Mexico was led by two generals
• Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott
• Taylor captured Monterrey, Mexico in 1846
• Yet the Mexican garrison escaped

The war in mexico

• Santa Anna returned to Mexico, he resumed presidency
• He took command of the army, in February 1847
• In February 1847, he ordered an attack on Taylor's troops at Buena Vista
• After covering 260 miles Scott's army had not lost a single battle

America Gains the Spoils of War

• Mexico had lost at least 25,000 lives
• Lost nearly half of the land, this marked an ugly milestone for Mexico
• Even though the Americans won it cost them 13,000 lives

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

• February 2, 1848 the U.S. and Mexico signed the treaty.
• Mexico agreed to the Rio Grande border for Texas
• Mexico ceded New Mexico and California to the US
• The treaty guaranteed Mexicans living in these territories certain freedoms
• The Gadsden Purchase established the current borders of the lower 48 States

Taylor's Election in 1848

• A small group of antislavery Democrats nominated Martin Van Buren
• Van Buren got 10% of popular votes, but no electoral votes.
• Taylor's victories were soon over shadowed
• It was overshadowed by a discovery in one of the new territories

The California Gold Rush

• James Marshall, discovered gold at Sutter's Mill
• Word of chance discovery traveled East

The Rush Begins

• Residents traveled to the Sacramento Valley in search of gold
• June 6, 1848, Monterey's Mayor sent a scout to report on what was happening

The Rush Begins

• Forty-niners were the people who flocked to California, 1849
• Gold rush was a movement of people to newly discovered gold fields

Impact of Gold Fever

• San Francisco's population expanded from 1000 to 35000 in 2 years
• Louisa Clapp settled in a log cabin and tried mining, but found it hard to like
• Her husband practiced in medicine

Gold Rush Brings Diversity

• 1849, California's population expanded to over 100,000
• The wealthiest African-Americans were living in California, 1855
• The fast-growning population included large number of Mexicans

California's statehood

• California had slaves, but the state did not allow slaves
• California's application for statehood provoked Congress
• IT became a sore point for the Country on winning the argument over slavery
• California won statehood in 1850