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The Mexican- American War, the United Hear That Fighting Has Already Started

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The Mexican- American War, the United Hear That Fighting Has Already Started DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A SECTION 3 The Mexican- TEKS 1A, 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, 7D, 10A, 10B, 10C, 11A, 11B, 12A, 12D, American War 22B, 23C, 23D What You Will Learn… If YOU were there... Main Ideas Your family are Californios, Spanish settlers who have lived in 1. Many Americans believed California for many years. You raise horses on your ranch. So far, you that the nation had a manifest destiny to claim new lands in have gotten along with American settlers. But it has become clear the West. that the American government wants to take over California. You 2. As a result of the Mexican- American War, the United hear that fighting has already started. States added territory in the Southwest. How might life change under American rule? 3. American settlement in the Mexican Cession produced conflict and a blending of cultures. BUILDING BACKGROUND Mexican independence set the stage for conflict and change in the West and Southwest. At the same The Big Idea time, Americans continued to move westward, settling in the Mexican The ideal of manifest destiny territories of Texas, New Mexico, and California. American ambitions led and the outcome of the Mexi- to clashes with Mexico and the people who already lived in Mexico’s can-American War led to U.S. territories. expansion to the Pacific Ocean. Key Terms and People Manifest Destiny manifest destiny, p. 355 We have it in our power to start the world over again. James K. Polk, p. 355 “ ” —Thomas Paine, from his pamphlet Common Sense vaqueros, p. 357 Californios, p. 357 Americans had always believed they could build a new, better Bear Flag Revolt, p. 358 society founded on democratic principles. In 1839 writer John Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, p. 361 O’Sullivan noted, “We are the nation of human progress, and who Gadsden Purchase, p. 361 will, what can, set limits to our onward march?” Actually, there was one limit: land. From the beginnings of the colonies, Americans had been moving west in search of land and economic opportunity. At the end of the Revolution, the Land Ordi- Use the annotation tools in your nance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established eBook to take notes on manifest the method for dividing and governing new territories. By the destiny and the Mexican-American 1840s the United States had a booming economy and population. War. Barely 70 years old, the nation needed even more room for farms, ranches, businesses, and ever-growing families. Americans looked West to what they saw as a vast wilderness, ready to be taken. The regions of Oregon, New Mexico, and Texas were being settled by Americans, and the national government worked to annex those lands to the United States. 354 CHAPTER 11 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A Manifest Destiny John Gast’s 1872 painting American Progress shows the spirit of manifest destiny lead- ing settlers westward. What in this painting shows The Mississippi how settlers traveled west? River is in the background as settlers push farther west. The woman represents America, moving west and bringing sunlight, settlers, and telegraph Native Americans wires to the new lands. and buffalo are pushed away by the approaching settlers. Some people believed it was America’s Texas might become an ally of Britain. These manifest destiny, or obvious fate, to settle concerns helped Polk narrowly defeat Clay. land all the way to the Pacific Ocean in order to spread democracy. O’Sullivan coined the Acquiring New Territory term in 1845. He wrote that it was America’s President Polk quickly set out to fulfill his “manifest destiny to overspread and to possess promise to annex Oregon and Texas. Russia the whole continent which Providence [God] and Spain had given up their claims to Ore- has given us for the development of the great gon Country. Britain and the United States experiment of liberty . ” had agreed to occupy the territory together. In the 1840s and 1850s, manifest destiny As more Americans settled there, they was tied up with the slavery issue. If America began to ask that Oregon become part of the expanded, would slavery be allowed in the United States. Polk wanted to protect these new territories? Several presidents became settlers’ interests. Some politicians noted that involved in the difficult issue. Among them Oregon Country would provide a Pacific port was President John Tyler. A pro-slavery Whig, for the growing U.S. trade with China. Tyler wanted to increase the power of the Meanwhile, Britain and the United States southern slave states by annexing Texas. His disagreed over how to draw the United States– fellow Whigs disagreed. Canadian border. American expansionists In 1844, the Whig Party passed up Tyler cried, “Fifty-four forty or fight!” This slogan and chose Senator Henry Clay as its presiden- referred to 54°40' north latitude, the line tial candidate. At first opposing annexation, to which Americans wanted their northern Clay changed his mind due to pressure from territory to extend. southern politicians. The Democratic Party Neither side really wanted a war, though. chose former Tennessee governor James K. In 1846 Great Britain and the United States Polk to oppose Clay. Both candidates strong- signed a treaty that gave the United States all ly favored acquiring Texas and Oregon. Oregon land south of the forty-ninth parallel. Southerners feared the loss of Texas, a This treaty drew the border that still exists possible new slave state. Others worried that today. Oregon became an organized U.S. terri- tory in February 1848. EXPANDING WEST 355 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A By March 1845, Congress had approved New Mexico, where settlers lived in small the annexation of Texas and needed only the villages. In California, however, missions support of the Republic of Texas. Americans remained the focus of everyday life. Missions continued to pour into Texas. Texas politicians under later Spanish rule carried out huge hoped that joining the United States would farming and ranching operations using the help solve the republic’s financial and mili- labor of Native Americans. Some of the Indi- tary problems. The Texas Congress approved ans came willingly to the missions. Others annexation in June 1845. Texas became part were brought by force. Usually, they were not of the United States in December. This action allowed to leave the mission once they had angered the Mexican government, which arrived. They had to adopt the clothing, food, considered Texas to be a “stolen province.” and religion of the Spaniards. As a result, some Native American groups moved and settled in The Mexican Borderlands different areas to avoid being controlled by Though it had lost Texas, Mexico still had the missions. One effect of these migrations settlements in other areas of the present-day was more conflicts over land. Southwest to govern. New Mexico, with its Missions often sold their goods to local capital at Santa Fe, was the oldest settled area pueblos, or towns, that arose near the mis- and had the most people. Mexico also had sions and presidios. One wealthy California settlements in present-day Arizona, Nevada, settler, Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, remem- and California. bered the early days. During early Spanish rule, the mission We were the pioneers of the Pacific coast, system had dominated much of the present- “ building towns and missions while General day American Southwest. Over time, it had [George] Washington was carrying on the war become less important there, especially in of the Revolution.” —Mariano Guadalupe History Close-up Vallejo, quoted in Eyewitnesses and Others Ranch Life Spanish and Mexican vaqueros, or cowboys, were expert horse riders. They used their horses to herd cattle on the ranches of the Spanish Southwest. Vaqueros were known for their specially designed hats that protected them from the harsh sun and rain. Saddles like these were highly prized by vaqueros. and ANALYSIS became the model SKILL ANALYZING VISUALS Leather chaps for the Western protected riders from saddle we know What features of the vaqueros’ life are dust and scrapes. today. shown in this painting? 356 CHAPTER 11 DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=TX-A After winning independence from Spain B IOGRAPHY in 1821, Mexico began to change old Spanish policies toward California and Texas. By the Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo 1830s, Mexico ended the mission system in 1808–1890 the region. In California, mission lands were Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was born to an broken up, and huge grants were given to influential Californio family in Monterey. He some of the wealthiest settlers, including joined the Mexican army shortly after Mexi- Vallejo. They created vast ranchos, or ranch- co’s independence from Spain. He was soon es, with tens of thousands of acres of land. put in charge of Mexico’s efforts to increase Vaqueros , or cowboys, managed the large settlement in northern California. Vallejo eventually became the richest man in herds of cattle and sheep. Cowhides were so California, owning enormous amounts of valuable that they were called “California land and livestock. He welcomed American banknotes.” Hides were traded for household rule of California, believing it would result in items and luxury goods with ship captains self-government for Californios. He eventually from the eastern United States. Some settlers lost most of his wealth fighting Anglos who also made wine and grew citrus fruits. claimed his land. Vallejo served at the state Although they had been freed from constitutional convention as well as in the first the missions, for most California Indians the state senate.
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