Mexican+Cession+-+Yun+Jin

Mexican Cession



 **Questions:
 * 1) 1) What were the dates of the expansion?
 * 2) 2) Give a brief explanation of how and why the U.S acquired the territory. Include discussion of conflicts that arose as a result of this expansion.
 * 3) 3) Did the ruling governments approve of the deals? Why or why not?
 * 4) 4) What was the impact on the inhabitants of the territory?
 * 5) 5) What was the effect this expansion had on the U.S?
 * 6) 6) Overall, was the addition of this piece of land positive or negative. Consider all parties.**


 * Mexican Cession (1848) **

The Mexican Cession is another name for the act of Unites States dominating Mexico at the end of the Mexican War. It was mainly targetted by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo where U.S would cede a territory from Mexico after the war. The United States desired to obtain this region in order to extend its slavery into new domains. This movement was very significant for the Americans since it contributed more authority/power to them.

Although the United States benefited from this movement, Mexico lost nearly one million square miles of their land (half of their region). This territory presumptly included states of California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona, Texas, and pats of Colorado and Wyoming.

But Why would the settlers moved West if US boundaries when they knew they would enter a foreign territory? The answer is: economics. The US proper kept moving forward and the Americans were hoping to sell the land at high prices when they once ceded the land. They also knew that there was plentiful of trading happening as well as power out in the West. There were many opportunities for wealth out there that lured the Americans to dominate Mexico.

The fast thinking settlers simply assumed that America would eventually obtain their new lands. Then so they could sell the land at higher prices to farmers, plantation owners, or whomeverr when the land finally was part of the United States. In result, these settlers were waiting. Soon enough, the president of United States,Polk, ordered Generals (Zachary Taylor) to move forward to the borders. Taylor marched to Rio Grande and constructed a fortress on the Northern side crossing the Rio Grande with a scout of 63 Americans.The Mexicans troops soon accepted the War against America. When this news of attack reached Washington, President Polk had sent a letter to the Congress that states:

//"We have tried every effort at reconciliation...But now, after reiterated menaces, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States [the Rio Grande], has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are at war. As war exists, and, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and patriotism to vindicate with decision the honor, the rights, and the interests of our country."// (President Polk)

Continuously, President's purpose of this act was due to his desire for power on top. If the Americans had already settled in Texas, the Texas Annexation would never had came up. The main reasons for these settlers were mainly due to economics and a Manifesto. The Americans sought massive potential for authority in these regions.

General Scott, a strong commander who put-forth the army with 12,000 men to land Vera Cruz in order to seize the capital of Mexico. His troops soon enough fortified the land and gates of the city on September 13th over the palace of the Montezumas. With not only the expansion of Mexico, but all the other acquisition of territories, US finally met their practical limits. The exhausted territory expansion came to an end, and the government started shifting its focus on to plans to resolve current conflicting issues about slavery and organization in each colonized land.

While United States had completely benefitted from gaining Mexico, Mexico was just keep losing its cost tremendously. Life in these obtained countries was extremely crucial and difficult to live in. The ruling certainly did improve land and economic boosts for the US, but decreased the governmental power in Mexico credulously. It also enhanced the population in United States and provided them with more natural resources. To Mexico, the loss of an enormous part of its territory was a tremendous embarrassment and created lasting anger among many of its citizens.

=Brief Keynote Presentation:=

Videos media type="youtube" key="RWSPGxq-gNI" height="344" width="425" media type="youtube" key="XGJJGkIWpH0" height="352" width="433"
 * 1) 1) Click on the first video to see the slow-version of the whole territorial expansion of the United States. It shows the accurate dates of the expansion.
 * 2) 2) Going deep on the content, the second video explains briefly about how the expansion was confronted. (Mexican Cessions starts around 1:30).

Bibliography: 1) http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h245.html 2) http://www.novelguide.com/a/discover/eueh_02/eueh_02_00573.html 3) http://csmh.pbworks.com/1848+-+Mexican+Cessionv 4) http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/muzzey.html 5) http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/mexicancessiondef.htm 6) http://www.mexica.net/war/Mexican-American-War.html

Pictures: 1) http://images.google.co.kr/imglanding?imgurl=http://www.foundersofamerica.com/images_brl/brl_3T_FA_PR_MDW03.jpg&imgrefurl=http://csmh.pbworks.com/1848%2B-%2BMexican%2BCession&usg=__QQyLj7d_AQakSnILnGCj6ag8l-E%3D&h=237&w=375&sz=43&hl=ko&um=1&tbnid=fi60_nwb64NcSM:&tbnh=77&tbnw=122&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmexican%2Bcession%26complete%3D1%26hl%3Dko%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1%26newwindow%3D1&q=mexican+cession&complete=1&lr=&sa=G&um=1&newwindow=1&start=7 2 )http://images.google.co.kr/imglanding?imgurl=http:__//__www.usachcs.army.mil/history/brief/AmMexmap1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.usachcs.army.mil/history/brief/chapter_2.htm&usg=__k86wCH5e044L-HG4uUuIRD_5aPY%3D&h=356&w=543&sz=80&hl=ko&um=1&tbnid=oVRMQGXB1Qlc3M:&tbnh=87&tbnw=132&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmexican%2Bcession%26complete%3D1%26hl%3Dko%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1%26newwindow%3D1&q=mexican+cession&complete=1&lr=&sa=G&um=1&newwindow=1&start=0 3) http://images.google.co.kr/imglanding?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Sam_Houston_at_San_Jacinto.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sam_Houston_at_San_Jacinto.jpg&usg=__86NwJ36_LUl_cHaWWyKiXH7ThTU%3D&h=487&w=560&sz=95&hl=ko&um=1&tbnid=zZqT5XbyMqAbLM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsan%2Bjacinto%26ndsp%3D18%26complete%3D1%26hl%3Dko%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN%26start%3D72%26um%3D1%26newwindow%3D1&q=san+jacinto&ndsp=18&complete=1&lr=&sa=N&start=81&um=1&newwindow=1