Who?
The United States of America--President James K. Polk, who was very interested in the concept of "Manifest Destiny", meaning that God destined the U.S for claims to all of the western hemisphere. He was very pro-expansionism, a democrat, and believed in making the U.S vast and powerful. With this in mind, he approved Texas's annexation into the Union in 1845, upsetting Mexico greatly, encourages war, and opened up the issue over the status of slavery once again.
Mexico-- The U.S's southern neighbor who once ruled over Texas, which was now an independent state wishing for admission into the Union. Santa Anna, who still considered Texas a Mexican province, is furious over America's annexation of Texas and cuts diplomatic ties with them.
Zachary Taylor-- a successful mexican war hero who would eventually be on the whig presidential ballot in the upcoming election (1848).
David Wilmot--Introduced the Wilmot Proviso, a large hope to abolitionists of outlawing slavery in the Mexican cession.
Mexico-- The U.S's southern neighbor who once ruled over Texas, which was now an independent state wishing for admission into the Union. Santa Anna, who still considered Texas a Mexican province, is furious over America's annexation of Texas and cuts diplomatic ties with them.
Zachary Taylor-- a successful mexican war hero who would eventually be on the whig presidential ballot in the upcoming election (1848).
David Wilmot--Introduced the Wilmot Proviso, a large hope to abolitionists of outlawing slavery in the Mexican cession.
What?
A war between the United States and Mexico because of:
The war brought much opposition from northern Whigs and abolitionists, who feared that the conflict with Mexico was just a Southern scheme to expand slavery.
Mexico was defeated easily thanks to great war heros like Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, and on February 2nd, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalup Hidalgo officilaly ended the Mexican War. With it, America was granted Texas and its southern boundary of the Rio Grande river, New Mexico, and California.
- Texas, a former Mexican province, joined the United states when Mexico still believed to have claims to it
- Boundary tensions between Texas and Mexico: Texas wants southern boundary to be Rio Grande, Mexico wants Nueces River
- Determination of President Polk to fulfill "manifest destiny" and his provoking of the war by sending in troops to Rio Grande.
- Determination for California by Polk, who offered money for it and other Mexican territory in the West (Slidell Mission), but was shut down.
The war brought much opposition from northern Whigs and abolitionists, who feared that the conflict with Mexico was just a Southern scheme to expand slavery.
Mexico was defeated easily thanks to great war heros like Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, and on February 2nd, 1848, the Treaty of Guadalup Hidalgo officilaly ended the Mexican War. With it, America was granted Texas and its southern boundary of the Rio Grande river, New Mexico, and California.
When?
May 13, 1846-February 2, 1848. Starting after controversy over Texas being admitted into the Union because of its desire to be admitted as a slave state, upsetting the balance of free/slave states and setting the precedent for future slavery in the Mexican Cession.
Impact
- The war with Mexico ended with the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo, which brought out the issue of slavery in the newly acquired territories again, splitting the nation further apart, and leading up to the Compromise of 1850.
- The Wilmot Proviso was introduced, stating that slavery could not exist in any territory acquired from Mexico. This amendment caused great debate and sectionalism between the North and South, as it was what the south was worried for all along: congress was trying to outlaw slavery in territories.
- The bill was never passed, but was a symbol of the burning issue of slavery. The missouri compromise would have to continue, splitting California in half.
The topic of slavery would still be avoided in the 1848 election, and thus the Free-Soil party was born with its obvious opposition to the expansion of slavery.