Download TROUBLE WITH MEXICO OVER THE TEXAS BOUNDARY

TROUBLE WITH MEXICO OVER THE TEXAS BOUNDARY
- When Santa Anna surrendered to Sam Houston in the War of Texas Independence in 1836, he had agreed that the Rio Grande
River was the boundary between Mexico and Texas
- Later, he said the boundary was the Nueces River, which gave Texans far less territory
- Texas would not accept the new Mexican boundary
REPUBLIC OF TEXAS BECAME PART OF THE UNITED STATES IN 1845
- Texas was the 28th state to join the Union
- Slavery was allowed in Texas
- Many Americans were against the state joining the Union because of this slavery issue
- However, the border dispute was a more pressing problem
- After Texas joined the Union, some people feared there would be a war with Mexico
PRESIDENT POLK WAS EAGER TO SETTLE THE TEXAS BOUNDARY DISPUTE WITH MEXICO
- Polk wanted to see Mexico would sell California to America
- Polk thought that Mexico, which needed money, would be willing to sell the land
- Polk sent John Slidell to Mexico City in 1845
- As Polk's personal representative, Slidell could offer up to $25 million as payment for California
- The Mexican officials refused to see him
- This insult to the United States was not taken lightly by President Polk
WHAT CAUSED THE MEXICAN WAR?
- Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to advance his army beyond the Nueces River toward the Rio Grande in January 1846
- The Mexican army remained quiet as February and March passed, sill there was no action
- Finally, on April 25, 1846, Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and killed many of General Taylor's soldiers
- The U.S., in turn, declared war with its southern neighbor on May 13, 1846 as this was the beginning of the Mexican War
POLK WANTED TO EXTEND THE UNITED STATES TO THE PACIFIC COAST
- Polk ordered American troops to invade California
- The leaders, General Stephen Kearny & John Fremont had very little trouble defeating the Mexicans
- Meanwhile, Zachary Taylor fought his way into Mexico
- "Old Rough and Ready" as he was called, won a major victory for the Americans at Buena Vistat
- In early 1847, General Winfield Scott "Old Fuss and Feathers" led a charge on Mexico City
- In September, 1847, Scott and his troops captured Mexico City
HOW DID THE MEXICAN WAR END?
- Mexico, which had a new government, finally was ready to make peace
- President Polk had sent Nicholas Trist to negotiate a treaty
- In 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was presented to Congress
- In the treaty, Mexico would turn over California and all the land between Texas and California
- Mexico also agreed that the Rio Grande was the southern boundary of Texas
- The United States paid Mexico $15 million for the land
- Many Americans felt that all of Mexico should have been turned over to the United States
- Congress agreed to the treaty in 1848 and the United States now stretched from coast to coast