Download Read pp. 383-388 to answer the following questions. Then complete

Mexican American War
Expert Information
Since the first settlements were established back in 1607, a westward moving frontier has been
the mark of American history. Many people in all parts of the country wanted to expand the land
area of the United States. Merchants supported the idea because they wanted ports on the
Pacific coast. Settlers wanted the opportunity to move into the fertile lands in areas such as
Oregon, California, and Texas.
Politicians, like James K. Polk, took notice of this public support for manifest destiny (the
idea that it was the fate of the United States to reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific). It was
James K. Polk who adopted the idea of the annexation of Texas as part of his successful
campaign for the presidency in 1844. The subsequent settlement and annexation of Texas served
as another chapter in America’s expansion westward. Unfortunately, the land the United States
wanted often belonged to someone else. Would those countries just turn it over?
Read pp. 383-388 to answer the following questions. Then complete the map.
1. What was the boundary dispute between Mexico and the U.S.?
Texas believed the boundary was the ___________________________.
Mexico believed the boundary was the ___________________________.
2. Who did the U.S. President James Polk send to negotiate the problem of the border?
________________________________
3. How did Mexico respond to the U.S. after the U.S. tried to negotiate with Mexico?
_____________________________________________________________________
4. Write the definition of “manifest destiny”. (page 374)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Who was the general that Polk ordered to move troops toward the Rio Grande?
_____________________________________________________________________
6. What date does the U.S. declare war against Mexico and why does the U.S. declare war?
_________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
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(Study the map on page 387 to answer questions 7-8.)
7. What direction is San Antonio FROM Mexico City? __________________
8. After leaving New Orleans, where did the American troops land in Texas? _______________
9. What was the name of the treaty signed to end the Mexican War and what date was it signed on?
______________________________________________________________________
10. What were the terms of the treaty?
a.
b.
c.
d.
11. What was the Mexican Cession?
12. How much money did the U.S. pay for the Mexican Cession? _________________________
(Use page 388 to answer questions 13-15.)
13. Explain the Compromise of 1850.
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
14. In the Compromise of 1850, how much money did Texas receive for the land along the upper Rio
Grande when they ceded it to the U.S.?
15. From what you have learned about the problems Texas faced during the Republic, how was this
Money used?
Using page 387in your textbook and this worksheet as a guide, color the attached map.
16. Label the compass rose.
17. Label the Nueces River.
18. Label the Rio Grande River.
19. Label San Antonio.
20. Label New Orleans.
21. Label the Gulf of Mexico.
22. Label Mexico and Canada.
23. Label and color land ceded to the U.S. by Texas in the Compromise of 1850, Texas and the United
States.
24. Label and color the Mexican Cession. California, Utah, Nevada, and the remaining parts of
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming)
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Key
Land ceded to U.S.
by Texas in the
Compromise of 1850
Texas
Mexico
Mexican Cession
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WAR SUMMARY CHART
CAUSES
1.
2.
3.
4.
SPARK
POLITICAL
LEADERS
MILITARY
LEADERS
General Zachary Taylor ___________________________________________
United States
Mexico
President ________________
_____________________ – overthrown by
Santa Anna in a military coup
United States
Mexico
General ______________________
______________________
General ______________________
MAJOR BATTLES
Monterrey:
Mexico City:
TREATY
Terms of Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
RESULTS
United States achieved __________________ & ________________ gave up all
claims to Texas!
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