The Mexican War

By lganske

  • Naturalization Act of 1790

    Permitted only white persons to become naturlized US citizens, therefore creating a racial pre-requsite for citizenship.

  • Adams-Onis Treaty of 1819

    Joel R. Poinsett, an American minister, sparked mistrust between the relationship of the US and Mexico when he negotiated terms that would allow America to claim Texas for its own.

  • Missouri Compromise

    The admission of Texas to the Union would tilt the balance of slave and free states, and under the Missouri Compromise, Texas would become a slave state because of its location. However, American leaders recognized that annexation would cause a War with Mexico.

  • Mexico establishes a federal republic

  • Battle of Gonzales

    Texans had prepared themselves for an armed resistance, and when the Mexicans attacked in the town of Gonzales, on the Rio Guadalupe, the group of Mexicans were defeated.

  • The War Begins

  • Meeting of the Texan Consultation of Representatives

    Established a provisional government for the proposed state of Texas within the Mexican republic.

  • Texas Issues Declaration

    The delegates of Texas came together at San Felipe de Austin, where they issued a declaration against Santa Anna and other military leaders who were terminating diplomatic relations.

  • Texas Constitution

    Declared that all persons could keep the land on which they resided with the exception of Indians and blacks, and those without property would be given some. Established the Land Office for the Republic of Texas to investigate Spanish and Mexican land grant claims.

  • Texan Declaration of Independence

    The Texan delegates came together at Washington and formulated a declaration of independence, signed a consitution, and organized a government.

  • Mexican Authority Destroyed

    When General Santa Anna was defeated at the battle of San Jacinto, the Mexican authority over Texas was truley destroyed.

  • United States recognizes Texas as an Indepenent Republic

    Damaged politial relations between Mexico and America because Mexico viewed Texas as a province in revolt.

  • Texas Proposes Annexation

    After Texas had declared her independence from Mexico, Texas proposed to be annexed into the United States.

  • Antigovernment uprisings emerged throughout Mexico

    Mexico failed to repay a loan from France, and General Anastasio Bustamante was not able to revover Texas as he promised while campaigning.

  • Treaty of Annexation

    The executive branch of the United States, along with Mr. Calhoun and also the Ministers Plenipotentiary of Texas, signed a Treaty of Annexation in 1844.

  • Joint cogressional resolution for annexation passed

    Only required approval by a simple majority and not two thirds vote. The new state entered the Union in December of that year.

  • Congress Passed Joint Resolution

    This Joint Resolution gave its consent that the territory that truley belonged to the Republic of Texas could be transformed into a new State called the State of Texas- however the treaty glossed over the issue of illegetimate land claims made by Texan citizens.

  • Texas Becomes an American State

    Having formed the Texan constitution, Texas formely became a member of the United States Union on this date.

  • Texas Requests American Army

    Two days after becoming a formal state in the American Union, Texas requested from the president soldiers from the American army to occupy its ports, and the President complied.

  • Paredes declared the initiation of a defensice war against the United States

    Sent Gerneral Mariano Arista to attack US troops

  • Mexican army attacks US troops at Rancho de Carricitos

  • Polk asked Congress for a declaration of war against Mexico

    Not everyone in Congress wanted to grant his request. Opposition came from the Whig Party and some Democrats in South Carolina.

  • American declaration of war passed in both houses of congress

  • Master War Plan Formed

    President Polk, Secretary of War, and General Winifield Scott created a three-pronged offensive strategy.

  • Mass Rally in New York

    Exemplified the war's populatirty.

  • Whig criticism of the president intensified

    Polk asked Congress for two million dollars to ease tensionsn between the two nations. However, he really wanted this grant in order to pay Mexico for California, New Mexico, and other territories. The Whig Party feared that any Mexican land acquired by the United States would become slave territory under the Missouri Compromise.

  • Santa Anna Regains Presidency

    With help from the United States, President Santa Anna was reinstated after the overthrow of Paredes. While America was hoping to reconcile diplomatic relations and pursue peace, Santa Anna began his reign by training soldiers and preparing for war- a disgrace to President Polk's plans.

  • Calhoun delivers a speech

    Called for a defesnive line strategy and outlined the dangers of annexing all of Mexico.

  • The war treaty reaches Washington

    Polk recommends two changes: the insertion of an article protecting its validity, and the elimination of Article X which declared that the United States would respect land grants given by the Spanish and Mexican governments to residents of the ceded territories.

  • The Senate ratifies the treaty

  • Foreign Miners Tax

    Levied a duty on forign prospectors and is an example of how racism became instiutionalized.

  • California Land Act

    A board of commissioners were to determine the validity of Mexican land grants in California.