Howdy lokita-ga,
The KERA web pages on the subject provide information on your question.
KERA is a North Texas affiliate of PBS, the Public Broadcasting Service.
They cover the period in question, and the events that added most of the
new territory to the United States in the 1840s. This event is known as
the U.S.-Mexican War, was between 1846 and 1848, and lead in turn to the
Mexican Cession, adding most of the land located in the U.S. Southwest.
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/
"Welcome to the online companion resource for the documentary, 'The
U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848).'"
The war is also known as "Mexican-American War" and the "U.S.-Mexico War,"
among other things.
Let's start with the "why" part of your question. The concept of "Manifest
Destiny" played a part in this. Manifest Destiny is covered very nicely on
the above referenced site.
http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/dialogues/prelude/manifest/d2aeng.html
"The people of the United States felt it was their mission to extend the
'boundaries of freedom' to others by imparting their idealism and belief
in democratic institutions to those who were capable of self-government."
The other main reason was because of economic pressure to the east. People
were looking to move west for the opportunities there. They saw possible
economic gains of settling land before it became part of the United States,
which was already planned.
Some people just wanted to settle in affordable areas. A good discourse of
the reasons behind the move to the west was written by John Heys, and can be
found on this Azteca.Net web page.
http://www.azteca.net/aztec/war/Mexican-American-War.html
"Enough Blame to Go Around: Causes of the Mexican-American War"
The above article covers other reasons, mostly political and economic ones,
such as the race for the presidency, and plans to expand slavery westward.
The stage was set for a conflict between Mexico and the United States, in
the form of the U.S.-Mexican War. Here are some of the events that lead to
the war, the first courtesy of the Free Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Cession
"For the 38 years between 1810, when Mexico declared its independence from
Spain, and 1848, the region had formed approximately one-third of the
territory of Mexico ..."
From the "Social Studies for Kids" web site.
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/wwww/us/mexicanwardef.htm
"Texas declared itself independent from Mexico in 1835, and ... the Alamo
... took place in 1836. Americans secured Texas independence at San Jacinto
later in 1836. The U.S. annexed Texas in 1844."
There were border disputes that (among other things) then lead to the
outbreak of the U.S.-Mexican War, which was between 1846 and 1848, and lead
to the Mexican Cession. The Wikipedia web page mentioned above has a map of
the territory gained. They also have an informative web page on the war.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican-American_War
"Mexican-American War"
All of the above lead to the "how" of the question. Out of the war came the
treaties that transferred the property in question to the United States. From
the Wikipedia article just referenced.
"The Treaty of Cahuenga, signed on January 13, 1847, ended the fighting in
California. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, ended
the War and gave the US undisputed control of Texas as well as California and
most of Arizona and New Mexico."
For details of all of the above, you should visit the above referenced sites.
If you need any clarification, feel free to ask.
Search strategy:
Google search on: territory expansion US
://www.google.com/search?q=territory+expansion+US
Google search on: "Manifest Destiny"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Manifest+Destiny%22
Google search on: "Mexico Cession"
://www.google.com/search?q=%22Mexican+Cession%22
Looking Forward, denco-ga - Google Answers Researcher |
