POLK ACHIEVES WAR GOALS
The United States (Gen. Zachary Taylor and Gen. Winfield Scott) decisively defeated the Mexican Army (Gen. Santa Anna), although facing trouble with the volatile insurgency and urban violence.
"....they tried their best and worst to vex us/by murdering our brave men in Texas"
-We'll Conquer All Before Us, Mexican War Song
-We'll Conquer All Before Us, Mexican War Song
The border of Texas highly contested.
-Polk saw border as the Rio Grande.
-Mexico saw border as Nueces River.
-Polk saw border as the Rio Grande.
-Mexico saw border as Nueces River.
This map shows Texas, Mexico, and the disputed territory. The US was able to gain the territory plus much of Mexico north of the Rio Grande.
Battle Of Chapultec- another U.S. Victory
Scott's amphibious assault on Veracruz
-Polk sent 4000 soldiers to borders of the Nueces River (heading picture)
-Later, Polk sent soldiers to California, but ordered out by the Mexicans
-Thornton Affair: Polk sent troops south past the Nueces, casualties occurred; Polk saw cause of war.
-The war was started on May 13th, 1846.
-General Zachary Taylor mobilized his troops from the border into Mexico
-The war also moved into California in early 1847, and Los Angeles was captured in January by US
-Later, Polk sent soldiers to California, but ordered out by the Mexicans
-Thornton Affair: Polk sent troops south past the Nueces, casualties occurred; Polk saw cause of war.
-The war was started on May 13th, 1846.
-General Zachary Taylor mobilized his troops from the border into Mexico
-The war also moved into California in early 1847, and Los Angeles was captured in January by US
Battles of the Mexican War. Most important campaigns: Dark Blue is Gen. Taylor; Purple is Gen. Scott
-General Zachary Taylor's campaign from Texas southward
-General Winfield Scott's campaign westward toward Mexico City after historically largest amphibious landing at Veracruz
-Summer of 1847: the American army under General Scott moved into Mexican capital, Mexico City
-Evident: overwhelming might of America against lesser, sovereign entity;
America won all battles except for San Diego
-General Winfield Scott's campaign westward toward Mexico City after historically largest amphibious landing at Veracruz
-Summer of 1847: the American army under General Scott moved into Mexican capital, Mexico City
-Evident: overwhelming might of America against lesser, sovereign entity;
America won all battles except for San Diego
General Scott occupies Mexico city
Mexican Partisan Activity and Chaos
-although Mexico City was lost, war in the Mexican aspect was not over:
-Santa Anna released prisoners from the city jails; the prisoners ransacked city buildings
-American soldiers who wandered off the secure plazas got shot by residents on roofs
-American soldiers got poisoned by the water or got dysentery
-Peasants, overworked with the high food demand, revolted against Mexican elites with absence of Mexican Army
-Mayan Indians in the Yucatan Peninsula turned against their white subjugators
-US speculation: The war was only supposed to be 3-4 months, not 2 years
Scott spent 9 months in Mexico City trying to subdue the chaos without any advancements
-"Some Americans even assumed that Mexicans would welcome them as liberators from their own depraved government" (Herring 198).
-Mexicans resented being subjugated by the American invasion force, who collected taxes, committed civil crimes, and caused the chaos
-Santa Anna released prisoners from the city jails; the prisoners ransacked city buildings
-American soldiers who wandered off the secure plazas got shot by residents on roofs
-American soldiers got poisoned by the water or got dysentery
-Peasants, overworked with the high food demand, revolted against Mexican elites with absence of Mexican Army
-Mayan Indians in the Yucatan Peninsula turned against their white subjugators
-US speculation: The war was only supposed to be 3-4 months, not 2 years
Scott spent 9 months in Mexico City trying to subdue the chaos without any advancements
-"Some Americans even assumed that Mexicans would welcome them as liberators from their own depraved government" (Herring 198).
-Mexicans resented being subjugated by the American invasion force, who collected taxes, committed civil crimes, and caused the chaos
-Mexican officials: the only way to end this chaos is to end the War
-Ending the war would decrease the demand in supply and the increasing war debt; even Polk was imposing taxes on the Mexican people for the American occupation
-mid-1847: Polk sent Nicholas Trist as peace-negotiator.
-Ending the war would decrease the demand in supply and the increasing war debt; even Polk was imposing taxes on the Mexican people for the American occupation
-mid-1847: Polk sent Nicholas Trist as peace-negotiator.
