War With Mexico.

In 1846, the United States and Mexico went to war. The two nations would never be the same.

Today, thousands of Mexican immigrants come to the U.S. every year. But in the early nineteenth century, it was the other way around. Thousands of Americans packed up their belongings and headed to Texas, which then was a territory of Mexico.

Throughout the Southern U.S., signs on the doors of abandoned farms read "Gone to Texas." By the 1830s, there were more Americans living in Texas than Mexicans.

At first, Mexico welcomed the settlers and offered them cheap land. But as the number of settlers grew, Mexican leaders became alarmed. They feared the U.S. might try to take over Texas.

Independence!

Trouble boiled over in 1835 when Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, a dictator, abolished many rights that Texans had. Santa Anna didn't like the "Yanquis" who had come to Texas. Most settlers were Protestant and refused to become Roman Catholic, the main religion of Mexico. Worse yet, they remained loyal to the U.S.

In November 1835, the settlers rebelled against Mexico. Santa Anna's army tried to put down the rebellion. His troops scored a victory at the Alamo, in San Antonio, where they killed 186 Texan rebels trapped in the old mission.

Victory was short-lived. Inspired by the battle cry "Remember the Alamo," Texans, led by General Sam Houston, captured Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto (yah-SIN-toe) and won the war. Texans set up their own country, which they nicknamed the Lone Star Republic.

Mexico refused to recognize the new republic. It also refused to accept the southern border that Texas wanted: the Rio Grande River (map, p. 14). The Mexican government insisted that the border should be the Nueces (noo-AY-suhs) River, about 150 miles north. Mexico warned the U.S. that annexing (taking over) Texas would mean war.

Powerful leaders in Congress opposed making Texas a state. Fear-of war with Mexico wasn't the only reason. Many Texans owned slaves. Congressmen from Northern states believed that admitting Texas to the Union would give Southern slave-holding states more power in Congress.

Manifest Destiny 

Many Americans, however, wanted to annex Texas. They believed that the United States had a "Manifest Destiny"--or obvious fate--to sweep across North America, spreading its ideas and government. Some Americans worried that Britain or France might take over Texas and block U.S. expansion westward.

In the presidential election of 1844, Democratic candidate James K. Polk promised to make Texas a state. Polk won the election and kept his promise. In December 1845, Congress made Texas the 28th state.

Polk sent diplomat John Slidell to Mexico to settle the boundary dispute. The President told Slidell to buy California and New Mexico from Mexico. But Mexican leaders refused to meet with Slidell.

"We can never get along with them until we have given them a drubbing," said Slidell. Polk agreed and sent U.S. troops to the Rio Grande River to force Mexico to negotiate.

Across the river stood Santa Anna's army. For four weeks, the two armies waited to see who would make the first move. Then the Mexican army attacked a scouting party, killing 15 U.S. soldiers.

On May 13, 1846, President Polk told Congress that Mexico had "invaded our territory, and shed American blood on American soil." Less than an hour later, Congress declared war.

A Bully?

Some Americans believed Polk had acted like a bully picking on a weak neighbor. A young Congressman named Abraham Lincoln attacked the President. "Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation when he may choose to," said Lincoln, "and you allow him to make war at pleasure."

But other Americans supported the war. In cities such as New York and Philadelphia, parades and rallies hailed the war effort. One newspaper told Americans that "this is the time for action--bold, vigorous, decided action." By December 1846, more than 300,000 men had enlisted in the U.S. Army.

No Match

Texans and Southern "volunteers" rushed to the war front. There were soon reports of ransacked towns and the merciless killing of Mexican civilians. Ulysses S. Grant (who would lead the Union Army in the Civil War), remarked, "How much they seem to enjoy acts of violence!"

The Mexican forces were no match for the U.S. Army, and suffered twice as many losses. But even though U.S. forces won every major battle in the war, Mexico refused to surrender.

General Winfield Scott, known as "Old Fuss and Feathers" because of his elegant uniforms, began a final push to take Mexico City

In March 1847, Scott captured the town of Veracruz (see map). Less than a year later, after winning six more battles, Scott captured Mexico City. "Even the inhabitants, catching the enthusiasm of the moment," Scott said, "[cheered] the cavalcade as it passed."

When U.S. troops entered Mexico City President Santa Anna, who had commanded the Mexican Army, fled into exile.

The war was over. More than 13,800 Americans had lost their lives. Even more Mexicans died. The biggest killer wasn't bullets, but disease--especially yellow fever.

Mexico Surrenders

Many Americans wanted the U.S. to annex all of Mexico. But the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (GWAH-duhl-oop hih-DAL-goh), signed on February 2, 1848, stopped short of that.

The treaty set the U.S.-Mexican border at the Rio Grande. The U.S. acquired more than 500 million square miles from Mexico, territory stretching all the way from Texas to the Pacific Ocean. This became known as the Mexican Cession.

In return, the U.S. paid Mexico $15 million and took over $3 million in debts owed by Mexico to U.S. citizens.

Mexico would never forget the "American Intervention," as they called the war. The war cost Mexico two-fifths of its territory and left lasting feelings of bitterness toward the U.S.

The U.S. now stretched from coast to coast. But the new territory raised a difficult question. Should it be slave or free? The question would be resolved 13 years later by the worst crisis in U.S. history--the Civil War.