1. Texas & The Mexican
American War
~ Texas becomes a state
~ The US and Mexico go to war
2. Texas
After Mexico won independence from Spain in
1821, many Americans began settling in the
Texas territory.
3. Texas
By the middle of the 1830s, many American
settlers were unhappy with some of the policies
of the Mexican government, including the
prohibition of slavery.
So the Americans began a revolt in 1835 and
declared independence in 1836.
5. Mexican American War
The Mexican–American War, was fought
between the United States and Mexico from
1846 to 1848.
The war was fought over the issue of where the
border between Texas and Mexico should be,
with each side wanting a border that gave it
more land.
6. The Mexican American War
The majority of fighting took place in central
and southern Mexico and in what is now the
state of New Mexico. In almost all of the
battles, the American troops defeated the
Mexicans. When the United States troops took
control of Mexico’s capital, Mexico City, the
fighting ended.
7. The Mexican American War
The two sides signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to
end the war. Through this treaty Mexico gave the United
States most of the land that is now California, Nevada,
Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico, as well as parts of Texas
and Colorado.
In exchange the United States paid Mexico $15 million and
took over debts that Mexico owed to American citizens.
8. The Mexican American War
This war is significant because of the large amount of land
that the United States gained from it, as well as the fact that
the Mexicans who lived in that territory legally became
American citizens.
This new territory soon became a source of conflict,
however, as Congress debated whether to allow slavery
there.
