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    Causes of The Mexican American War

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    The document summarizes the key causes of the Mexican-American War, including ongoing territorial disputes between the US and Mexico over the annexation of Texas and the border along the Rio Grande. Mexico never recognized Texas' independence or the Treaty of Velasco that established the Rio Grande as the border. Tensions escalated after the US annexed Texas and President Polk sent John Slidell to negotiate a new border and purchase of California and New Mexico, but Mexico refused talks. A skirmish between US and Mexican troops along the Rio Grande provided the catalyst for Polk to ask Congress to declare war, ushering in the Mexican-American War.

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    Causes of The Mexican American War

    Uploaded by

    api-233750615
    458 views14 pages
    The document summarizes the key causes of the Mexican-American War, including ongoing territorial disputes between the US and Mexico over the annexation of Texas and the border along the Rio Grande. Mexico never recognized Texas' independence or the Treaty of Velasco that established the Rio Grande as the border. Tensions escalated after the US annexed Texas and President Polk sent John Slidell to negotiate a new border and purchase of California and New Mexico, but Mexico refused talks. A skirmish between US and Mexican troops along the Rio Grande provided the catalyst for Polk to ask Congress to declare war, ushering in the Mexican-American War.

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    The document summarizes the key causes of the Mexican-American War, including ongoing territorial disputes between the US and Mexico over the annexation of Texas and the border along the Rio Grande. Mexico never recognized Texas' independence or the Treaty of Velasco that established the Rio Grande as the border. Tensions escalated after the US annexed Texas and President Polk sent John Slidell to negotiate a new border and purchase of California and New Mexico, but Mexico refused talks. A skirmish between US and Mexican troops along the Rio Grande provided the catalyst for Polk to ask Congress to declare war, ushering in the Mexican-American War.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as ppt, pdf, or txt
    458 views14 pages

    Causes of The Mexican American War

    Uploaded by

    api-233750615
    The document summarizes the key causes of the Mexican-American War, including ongoing territorial disputes between the US and Mexico over the annexation of Texas and the border along the Rio Grande. Mexico never recognized Texas' independence or the Treaty of Velasco that established the Rio Grande as the border. Tensions escalated after the US annexed Texas and President Polk sent John Slidell to negotiate a new border and purchase of California and New Mexico, but Mexico refused talks. A skirmish between US and Mexican troops along the Rio Grande provided the catalyst for Polk to ask Congress to declare war, ushering in the Mexican-American War.

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    of 14

    What Caused

    The Mexican-American War?

    Objective : Determining the causes of the Mexican American War

    A. U.S.-Mexico Disputes
    1. The Annexation of Texas
    by the U.S. angered the
    Mexican Govt.
    2. Mexico never recognized
    Texas independence &
    felt the U.S. had no right
    to take its territory.
    3. Mexico also didnt
    acknowledge the Treaty
    of Velasco, setting the
    border as the Rio
    Grande.

    Dont write this:


    Mexican point of view
    The loss of Texas will inevitably result in
    the loss of New Mexico and the
    Californias. Little by little our territory will
    be absorbed until only an insignificant
    part is left to us.... Our national
    existence... will end like those weak
    meteors that, from time to time, shine
    fitfully in the firmament (sky) and
    disappear.
    -Jos Maria Tornel y Mendivil

    4. The U.S. and Texas considered the Rio Grande as


    the Southern border. For Mexico it was the Nueces.

    Area in Dispute

    Nueces River

    Rio Grande River

    Think:
    Why would the Mexican government not
    accept the treaty of Velasco?
    Santa Anna only signed the treaty of
    Velasco because his life was in danger.

    5. Manifest Destiny

    The land that the United States desired


    out west (California especially) was all
    controlled by Mexico.

    6. After Texas
    Annexation, Mexico
    threatened war.
    7. U.S. President
    James K. Polk sent
    John Slidell to Mexico
    to negotiate.

    John Slidell

    Slidells Mission
    1) For Mexican to recognize the Rio
    Grande as the border
    2) Purchase New Mexico and California
    (by forgiving about $4.5 million in
    debt owed to U.S. citizens by Mexico
    from the Mexican War of
    Independence)
    Mexican gov. wouldnt talk with
    Slidell, angering the U.S.

    :
    The Thornton
    Affair

    Thornton was
    outnumbered
    By about 1900 men.
    Skirmish: A small battle

    A company of U.S. Calvary


    commanded by Captain
    Seth Thornton got into a
    skirmish with Mexican
    forces near the Rio Grande.
    Thornton was ordered to scout
    an area about twenty miles
    northwest of what later
    became Brownsville, Texas. In
    April 1846, the Calvary,
    investigated an abandoned
    hacienda (Ranch).
    Some two thousand Mexican
    soldiers were encamped in and
    around the hacienda, and a
    firefight occurred. Both sides
    fought ferociously, but the
    greatly outnumbered U.S. force
    was forced to surrender after
    several hours of skirmishing.

    President
    Polks response
    to skirmish
    between US
    and Mexican
    troops:
    President Polk asked Congress for a declaration
    of war
    Saying"American

    blood has been shed on


    American soil".

    Congress declared war on Mexico, and the


    Mexican War began. (1846-48)

    US Problems with
    Mexico
    1) Americans had a
    negative view of
    Mexico because of
    the Texas
    Revolution
    2) Mexico owed the
    U.S. money for the
    Mexican Revolution
    against Spain

    Mexican Problems
    with US.
    1) Mexico felt that
    Texas was being
    stolen from them.
    2) Mexico didnt
    believe in
    Manifest Destiny
    and didnt want
    to give away
    their land.

    What the vote meant:

    Vote YesDeclare War


    Treaty of Velasco
    is valid
    Belief in Manifest
    Destiny
    Texas Annexation
    is legal

    Vote no
    Dont Declare War
    Will expand slavery
    Manifest Destiny is
    unfair to Mexico
    Treaty of Velasco is a
    sham and not valid
    Annexation is illegal
    without Mexico approval.

    POLKs Speech Video

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