The Mexican War began in (1) 1846 and was the first war the United States fought mostly on foreign soil. The tensions between the U.S. and Mexico centered around the territory of Texas. Presidents –including Andrew Jackson and (2) Martin Van Buren- had not want to add it as another state since it would likely enter the country as a (3) slave state, upsetting the balance of power in Congress. But in 1844, President (4) James K. Polk urged Congress to declare war on Mexico after that country refused to agree to sell Texas to the U.S. By the time the war finally broke out, the U.S. had a (5) annexed Texas anyway.
Fighting took place in a number of areas. In June of 1846, Major (6) John C. Fremont led a small force to overthrown Mexican rule in northern California. this was the independent so-called (7) "Bear Flag Republic". Weeks later, General Stephen Kearney led his troops to capture the capital of the New Mexico Territory, (8) Santa Fe. General Zachay Taylor led over 6,000 troops deep into the heart of Mexico, while General Winfield Scott took nearly 15,000 men and seized the coastal town of (9) Vera Cruz. By September of (10) 1847, the capital of Mexico City was taken by U.S. forces and the fighting came to an end.
The war officially came to an end with the Treaty of (11) Guadalupe Hidalgo on five months later in February of (12) 1848. The treaty held that Mexico would recognize the (13) Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas, the U.S. would take possession of (14) California and New Mexico, a deal that became known as the (15) Mexican Cession.
JUSTIFICATION:
(1) The Mexican-American War, the first U.S. armed battle fought on foreign soil, began in 1846.
(2) and (3) Van Buren (8th President from 1837 to 1841) opposed the annexation of Texas, fearing it would increase existing controversies over slavery in the West.
(4) In his term (1845-1849), James K. Polk believed the U.S. had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, and led American into the Mexican War.
(5) Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, however Mexico warned the U.S. that any attempt at annexation would lead to war. Nevertheless, as soon as Polk won the presidential election, he annexed Texas, he believed it was part of U.S.
(6) and (7) John C. Fremont, a military officer, was appointed by Commodore Robert F. Stockton as major of a battalion of California that consisted mostly of American volunteers that had started an unofficial uprising. He led such rebellion known as "Bear Flag Republic" (also "Bear Flag Revolt"), which took place in California’s Sacramento Valley against Mexican authorities in 1846, from June to July.
(8) Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico, at that time only around 75.000 Mexican citizens lived there, which made it easier to Kearney to conquer that land.
(9) and (10) Winfield Scott and his troop landed in Veracruz and took over the city. Afterward, they continued marching toward Mexico City, defeating Mexican soldier all the way. In September 1847, Scott successfully laid siege to Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle.
(11), (12), (13) and (14) The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signed on February 2, 1848, ended the war in favor of U.S. It established the Rio Grande as the U.S.-Mexican border, recognized the U.S. annexation of Texas, and stated that Mexico agreed to sell California and the rest of its territory north of the Rio Grande for around $15 million.
(15) The Mexican Cession is knows as the region that Mexico ceded to the U.S, after loosing war, in the Treaty. It includes lands that nowadays are California, Nevada, Utah, portions of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.