Journal

1. Journal • Assimilation was a policy encouraging Native Americans to ____________________________. • Indian Removal encouraged Native Americans to______________________________________. • In 1832 the ____________________________ said that the state of Georgia had no right to remove Native Americans from their land. • In your own (school appropriate) words, how did president Andrew Jackson respond to the court?

2. Mexican War Pre-write Imagine you joined the army to fight in a war you thought was for a good cause. When you get to the battlefield you begin to think the war is actually wrong and the army is behaving in a way that is inconsistent with your values (they’re doing really bad things). Your options are: • Keep fighting, you have already made a commitment to your country, and war is always ugly. • Quit fighting, then either make a new life where you are or try to make your way back home and face the consequences of deserting (which could include going to jail until the war is over). • Switch sides: You believe your country is doing the wrong thing so it is your duty to help stop it. Choose and option and explain why you made the choice in 3-5 complete sentences.

3. The Causes and Outcomes of the Mexican War What were the causes and outcomes of the Mexican War?

4. Expansion, Cotton, & Slavery • Cotton was a driving force behind westward expansion • In the late 1700s Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, a device that easily removed the seeds from cotton. • This made cotton a highly lucrative product and revolutionized the American economy, drastically increasing the desire for slave labor on cotton plantations

5. Expansion of slave states • Wealthy and influential plantation owners, and many politicians, were in favor of expanding the U.S. (expansionists) • Many expansionists wanted any new territory to be pro-slavery • Some southern states had great climate for growing cotton, like parts of Texas!

6. Slavery in Texas • During the time of Westward expansion, Texas was a part of Mexico (so was California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and part of Colorado) • The Mexican government opened up part of Texas to American settlers, but in 1829, Mexico declared slavery illegal • The Americans who came to grow cotton and other crops in Texas did not like this!

7. Mexico! • As part of the agreement of being able to settle in Mexico: • White settlers were encouraged to adopt Catholicism • All official documents would be printed in Spanish • Many of the white settlers of Texas did not adopt the official religion, refused to learn Spanish, and still practiced slavery. The Mexican government was not happy • So…

8. Texas Declares Independence • Mostly because of the Mexican government’s crackdown on slavery. • Texas declared its independence in 1836

9. 1 - The U.S. annexed Texas in 1845 The orange #’s represent the steps towards the outbreak of war! • Texas fought several battles with the Mexican Army, including the famous “Battle of the Alamo” • Eventually it became clear that Texas would not last as an independent nation. • The Texans asked the U.S. to be annexed, and the U.S. agreed,but just barely! 25-27 in the Senate!!!

10. 2 - Mexico’s Reaction • Mexico expelled the American ambassador and cut all political relations,but they did not declare war.

11. “An Offer You Can’t Refuse” • The U.S. tried to purchase land in Mexico • In the fall of 1845, the President offered $5 million if Mexico agreed to recognize the Rio Grande River as the southwestern boundary of Texas. • The United States also offered up to $5 million for the province of New Mexico--which included Nevada and Utah and parts of four other states--and up to $25 million for California • This proved without a doubt that theU.S. had more on their mind than just settling the border dispute and patching up their relationship with Mexico

12. No Deal! • The Mexican government, already angry over the annexation of Texas, refused to accept American negotiators

13. 3 – Send in the Troops • The failure of the negotiations led Polk to order General Zachary Taylor to march 3,000 troopssouthwest from Corpus Christi, Texas, to "defend the Rio Grande" River territory. • Late in March of 1846, Taylor and his men set up camp along the Rio Grande, directly across from the Mexican city of Matamoros, on a stretch of land claimed by both Mexico and the United States. Was this a justified move to protect the territory of the recently annexed Texas, or an invasion of Mexico’s territory?

14. 4- The First Shots… • Mexico considered the placement of American troops an invasion of their territory. • On April 25, 1846, a Mexican cavalry force crossed the Rio Grandeand clashed with a small American squadron, forcing the Americans to surrender after the loss of several lives.

15. 5 – U.S. Declares War • On May 11, 1846 President Polk asked Congress for a declaration of war, claiming the Mexican Cavalry had attacked troops on American soil. • Congressoverwhelminglyvoted to declare war on Mexico. WAR!

16. General Taylor at the Battle of Palo Alto

17. Bombardment of Vera Cruz

18. General Scott Takes Mexico City

19. American Soldiers in the Mexican-American War • In New York, 200,000 soldiers responded to a call for 50,000 volunteer soldiers to fight in Mexico • Conditions in the Mexican wilderness were brutal, and despite heavy losses the Mexican army refused to give up. • By 1847, the number of volunteer soldiers was tapering off, and the U.S. government started promising land to anyone who would fight for the rest of the war • 1 in 10 American citizens at the time of the Mexican-American war were 1st generation immigrants, mostly from Ireland and Germany • Just as most Mexicans, most Irish people were Catholic, and many Irish saw the war as Catholics killing Catholics

20. Batallón de San Patricio(St. Patrick’s Battalion en Englés) • St. Patrick’s Battalion was a group of mostly Irish-Catholic U.S. soldiers who deserted the U.S. army to form their own battalion to fight against the U.S. • There were also former black slaves, Poles, Germans, and Spaniards among the battalion • 9,000 soldiers defected from the U.S. army after fighting in Mexico, but only a handful fought in the battalion

21. The War Ends • In 1848, Mexico was defeated by the U.S. and signed the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, giving up some land south of Texas, California, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, and Nevada, and Arizonato the United States

22. Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1848 Nicholas Trist,American Negotiator

23. The Mexican War (or the American Invasion?) Causes Outcomes WAR!

24. Gringo Corrido- St. Patrick’s Batallion by David Rovics My name is John Riley I'll have your ear only a while I left my dear home in Ireland It was death, starvation or exile And when I got to America It was my duty to go Enter the Army and slog across Texas To join in the war against Mexico It was there in the pueblos and hillsides That I saw the mistake I had made Part of a conquering army With the morals of a bayonet blade So in the midst of these poor, dying Catholics Screaming children, the burning stench of it all Myself and two hundred Irishmen Decided to rise to the call

25. From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We marched 'neath the green flag of Saint Patrick Emblazoned with "Erin Go Bragh" Bright with the harp and the shamrock And "Libertad para Mexicana" Just fifty years after Wolftone Five thousand miles away The Yanks called us a Legion of Strangers And they can talk as they may From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We fought them in Matamoros While their volunteers were raping the nuns In Monterey and Cerro Gordo We fought on as Ireland's sons We were the red-headed fighters for freedom Amidst these brown-skinned women and men Side by side we fought against tyranny And I daresay we'd do it again

26. From Dublin City to San Diego We witnessed freedom denied So we formed the Saint Patrick Battalion And we fought on the Mexican side We fought them in five major battles Churobusco was the last Overwhelmed by the cannons from Boston We fell after each mortar blast Most of us died on that hillside In the service of the Mexican state So far from our occupied homeland We were heroes and victims of fate