2. Years and Cause of Conflict
• Years of Conflict: 1846-1848
• Cause: American overpopulation of Mexican
lands, Mexican failure to uphold contract
between Mexican and American governments
3.
4. The President, His Stance, and His Military
Strategy/Purpose/Rationale
• President: James K. Polk
• Stance: Wanted war with
Mexico as justification to
take their lands
• Rationale: Americans had
been killed on American
soil, European colonization,
Monroe Doctrine protection
and upholding
• Provocation strategy:
Station troops near Rio
Grande border to get
Mexicans to attack
• Military strategy: Limited
warfare in California and
Mexico
• Purpose: Gain Mexican
lands to prevent European
land holdings, expand to
Pacific Coast
5. War’s Effect on Domestic and Foreign
Policy
• Domestic
– Gave Americans land
• Manifest Destiny
• Future expansion and
development
• Creation of new states
• Foreign
– Gave Mexicans in
Mexican Cession
American citizenship
– Gave more international
respect to the American
military
6. Citizens’ Reaction to Conflict
• Mexican
– Wanted to make a point
– Wanted to embarrass
Americans
– Wanted to free Southern
slaves
– Upset over loss of land
– Happy to see that ceded
lands helped to cause
Civil War
• American
– Northerners were
apathetic to the Mexican
War because they only
wanted lands in Canada
and the Oregon Country
– Southerners pushed for
war because they
wanted to extend
slavery and gain more
Congressional
representatives
7. Battle Date US Leader Mexican Leader
Palo Alto May 8, 1846 Samuel Ringgold Mariano Aristo
Santa Fe August 15, 1846 Stephen W.
Kearney
Manuel Armijo
Buena
Vista
February 22-23,
1847
Zachary Taylor
John E. Wool
Antonio López
de Santa Anna
Veracruz March 9-29, 1847 Winfield Scott
(Army)
David Connor
(Navy)
Matthew C. Perry
(Navy)
Juan Morales
Mexico
City
September 8-15,
1847
Winfield Scott Antonio López
de Santa Ana
8. Military Result
• Mexico utterly destroyed
• Mexican cession of vast territory
– Mexico halved in size
– United States doubled in size (again…)
9.
10.
11. Lessons Learned
• Military
– Importance of the use of
thorough reconnaissance
– Value of siege
– Swift flanking movements
– How to conduct a strong
blockade
• Political
– Not to let one president’s views
destroy the party
– Constitutionality of Congress’s
abilities to determine a state’s
slave status
• Personal
– Don’t fight back against
the big bully
– The greed of one person
can lead to the troubles
of many
• General
– Being nice may not
always get you what you
want
12. Long Term Effects/Consequences
• Domestic
– Issues over slavery
rekindled
– Allowed more direct
connection with California
– US extended to Pacific
Ocean
– Bounty of ports, minerals,
and natural resources
• Foreign
– Mexican leaders struggled
to reorganize and revive
their nation (turmoil, civil
war, foreign intervention)
– New leaders inspired to
unite Mexico, force out
foreign invaders, and
establish the foundations of
a modern state
– Uneasy Mexican-American
relations afterwards
Editor's Notes
Texas Revolution was the American tendency to expand and their longing to satisfy Manifest Destiny. Because of their desire to make the United States a transcontinental nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
- Americans under Stephen Austin were aliens to the Mexicans. The Americans ignored all the stipulations of their settlement in the region
-Some three hundred Americans were invited by the Mexican government to populate Mexico in order to help the Mexican government ride its population of Native Americans. But the Americans took over.
The President at the time was James K Polk,
He was for the idea of Manifest destiny, which was the desire to expand the united stats.
He wanted Mexican land and offered to pay for it buy sending Slidell to make the Mexican gov. their offer, know as Slidells mission, When Mexico refused Polk put solders along the Rio Grande, which was the Boarder between the to lands, In his attempt to get Mexico to start the war. On April 25th 1846 Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and attacked general Taylor’s command. 16 American troops were killed or wounded. Polk got what he wanted, the congress agreed to declare war on Mexico. The purpose of the war was to gain the Mexican land before the Europeans could get a hold of it and Americans desire of Manifest destiny.
domestic effects of the war in America : total expansion, increased by about one – third, greater then the Louisiana Purchas. The new lands gained meant new states and with new states the issue of slavery became prevalent. Further conflicts in congress arose as to how to decide whether or not the new land would be slave territory or not. If slavery would or would not be permitted then the delicate balance of northern and southern states political power would tip.
Foreign effects of the war were:
Mexicans that lived in the newly won territory of the US were given citizenship, Mexico lost about half of its country. The war also marked an ugly turning point in US and Latin America as a whole. Mexicans had animosity built up for the US for coming in and taking there land. But the fact that they were given some money and still had some land left eased the animosity slightly. The war also gave more international respect to the American military.
The Mexicans wanted the war because they thought they were going to destroy the US military and embarrass them. Teach them a lesson and free the black slaves. When in all of actuality Mexicans were upset that they lost their land and when the south began to secede from the union and the civil war began.
Americas reaction:
The idea of manifest destiny became a reality and new states were added , Texas and California. The only problem was that the south wanted to use the newly acquired land as slave territory for agriculture. The north did not want this so once again conflict arose in the US which would eventually lead to the civil war.
As a result of the war, militarily, the Spanish army was ravished and they lost ALL the battles. See chart. They also had a higher casualty rate. Their country was cut in half and once again the US was doubled. See map.
The lone term domestic effects of the war were:
The issue of whether or not the new states would be slave stats because it lead to the civil war which caused the greatest amount devastation in American history it tore apart a nation.
there was now an ability to connect with California and eventually railroads would be built and tread would expand.
Foreign long term effects were:
Mexico was devastated it Leader ship struggled it could not revive its self politically economically and socially. There were civil wars turmoil and foreign intrusion. Mexican Americans relations were forever hindered. And New leaders tried to unite Mexico and drive out invaders.
