Transcripts For CSPAN3 Lectures In History Mexican-American War 20220804

Were going to cover the mexicanamerican war today. This is where a lot of americans. I think they know very we are going to cover the Mexican American war today. This is a war lot of americans think they know very little about. Its considered one of the more embarrassing wars in american history. Theres a reason americans dont want to talk about it. My own mother, even though written a couple books about it still thinks of this as the spanish american war sometimes. We cleared up that confusion a few years back. When im going to do is not take us through battle by battle in the war, mainly in the causes of the war. A little bit about the war itself. And then the consequences i want to cover a big summary right up front and say, this war was in the 1840. It was consequential for both countries. The cause lay in disputed territory. Down in texas, thats where american and mexican troops clashed in april of 1846. Two years later, the mexican section, the section part of the treaty ending the war, gave to the United States, off the california, the modern state of california and you mexico. New mexico was much larger than the modern state of new mexico. It included nevada and new mexico and utah, most of arizona, parts of wyoming, parts of colorado. Thats about a third of mexico, this area. We will look at that. We will look something at that area first. To do background, lets talk about Andrew Jackson. Thats the president ial portrait of Andrew Jackson, an illustration. We will talk about jacksonian democracy. We havent talked about jacksonian democracy much yet. Weve had it coming out of the year of good feelings. We talked about the market revolution. Jackson, when he was elected president , he had won the popular vote in 1824 but lost the presidency and the Electoral College and the house of representatives. He ran for office for four years in the name of democracy and popular democracy. Jackson was the first populist president in american history. He imagined himself as a jeffersonian, in favor of the yeoman farmers, in favor of liberty. Hes quite a bit different than jefferson. Jefferson thought he was a little wacky, i think. Jackson thought that it wasnt the house of representatives that was the most democratic branch of the american government. It was actually the executive branch. The executive is one person. His argument was the president is the only person in the u. S. Government elected by all the people. Congressman are elected by districts. The Supreme Courts appointed. The senators were appointed by state legislators in those day. This was his principle of government. The majority is to govern. A majority rule, in other words. Numbers matter a lot to jackson. If the majority want something, they are going to get it. And the name of democracy, for instance, if youve got a lot of americans hungry for land, and want to be yeoman farmers, maybe want to be planters in the south, then its going to be jackson, who, in the name of the majority, is going to sign indian removal treaties and forcibly remove indians from the southeast. There is a lot of land there for the yeoman farmers. If american think the bank of the United States is an elitist institution and not good for democracy, then he will destroy that bank, even if it has not expired under the law. If he thinks the majority dont like the u. S. Government funding internal improvements like roads and bridges, he is going to veto those bills. These are the kinds of things hes going to do in the name of the majority. I want to say that i think promoting within his party this kind of veto is gonna lead to the Mexican American war. Its the fruit of this majoritarian democracy. One of his early critics was Winfield Scott, who ends up being probably the most important general, at least the best military mind in the early to mid 19th century in the u. S. He is later the one who came up with the anaconda planned for the civil war, for the union side. Winfield scott also is going to come up with the Amphibious Landing and invasion of central mexico during this war. He also happen to be a member of the opposition political party, the whig party. We will find out later. Scott thought early on, as he calls it here, demagogues broke the constitution early in the times of jacksonism. Jacksonian democrats see, for scott, was an ideology. This belief that somehow numbers know best. That minority interests do not matter. That means 51 , barely. The 51 can run over the 49, in other words. Jacksons first principle, then, was about executive power, claiming that for democracy. When he had opponents, when they finally coalesced into another party to oppose his Democratic Party, they called themselves the whig party. Edmund burke, the whip, berks party, do you remember him . How do we describe the whig party . Burke . They are the Constitutional Monarchy party, anti monarchy. By taking the name whig party, jacksons opponents said, he is more like king andrew than a democrat. He might say hes doing it in the name of the people. But the way he rules, the way he rules is more like a king. When the Supreme Court said it was unconstitutional for georgia to extend its law over cherokee territory, jackson said, i dont care. The Supreme Court has no way to enforce that. Georgia just went ahead. Then jackson went ahead with indian removal. Jackson, it was under jackson then in 1827 but democratic republican party, the only party left after the war of 1812, renamed itself the Democratic Party. They are the agricultural party. They are the party of the yeoman farmer. We talked about some of this last time with the market revolutions. These are the people more nervous about those market revolution changes. They are the Democratic Party. Jackson, its figurehead at least, his protegee was a man from tennessee named james kay holt, who was the point man in the house of representatives when it came to the war against the bank, for instance, in the 1830s. His opponent was henry clay. Do we remember henry clay from the compromise . The great compromiser. Clay is a planter, a slave owning planter like jackson. Clay thought a better idea was a diversified economy. He is like the New Alexander hamilton. Hes gonna live to a ripe old age, unlike hamilton. Its clay versus jackson. Clay, as i mentioned the last time we met, ran for president several times and lost every time. He would say things like, i would rather have integrity and remain honest then become president. He lost. I dont know with that says. But anyhow, that was the case with clay. Clay is leading the opposition. Clay is leading the opposition. Lets take a look at territorial growth and connect it to democracy, getting into some of the background of the Mexican American war. In 1819, the United States and new spain, at the time, had drawn borders between american and spanish lance. Spain had undisputed possession of california, new mexico. New mexico, again, including those modern u. S. States of nevada and utah and arizona, parts of wyoming and colorado. Then there was a revolution in mexico, in 1821. Now, mexico declared itself and independent republic and was governing itself. In the meanwhile, in the west, farther north, the United States and england were both laying claim to the oregon territory. If you want to imagine the modern states of idaho and washington and oregon, but also british columbia, up to the southern panhandle of alaska, thats the oregon territory. They were sharing it, which is fairly rare. That is a jointly occupied oregon territory. If either one of them was going to no longer jointly occupy and draw a border line somewhere, they had to give the other one a years notice. The mexicans living in new mexico and california depended on american trade for manufactured goods. The governments dependent on that trade for revenue. The mexican officials there. Very lose control, if any, between those places and mexico city, where the government was. Whats been had believed, and later mexico believed it, in order to control what they called the Northern Frontier, when becomes the u. S. Southwest, that so far from the capital that mexico, and they needed to settle what they call, quote unquote, civilized hispanic people there. What that meant was that white spaniards, white mexicans, or indians who had embraced catholicism and agriculture. They invited immigration by anybody of european ancestry, including americans. All you had to do if you were an american was to integrate, declare yourself catholic, and you could come away with a couple Hundred Acres of land and eventually more. Thats a pretty good deal for some people who dont have land or who are looking for a new start. There was lets get to a picture of him there was in the northern mexican frontier in texas, lorenzo days avila, who was a physician. He was a tejano physician. A mexican tejano in the Northern Frontier. The mexicans living in those places had particular identities that were attached to being mexican but were also very different. The regional identities really matter here. In california, we had the californians. In new mexico, and in texas its the tejanos. He was a tejano physician. By the early 1830, is he so concerned about American Immigration into the northern mexican frontier that this is what he wrote. Im quoting. He said, an englishman will become a mexican in mexico city. A mexican will become an englishman in london. The same will not occur in the case of the colonies. He means the Northern Frontier. Those places will necessarily make up an entirely diverse nation. It would be absurd to expect them to announce their religion, their customs, and their most deeply held convictions. What will the results be, he asked . They will not be able to subject themselves to the military regime and the ecclesiastical government that had persisted in mexican territory despite the revolutions, despite the new constitutions. They will invoke the institutions that should be governing the country. They will want them to be not ally, not an illusion, but a reality. When a military chief tries to intervene in civil transactions, they will resist and buck influenced by the United States alone might alter the character of Mexican Government for the better, he thought. Combined with the constant flow of american migrants into mexico, whats he called, this is his words now, quote, what he called the american habits of liberty, thrift, work, they are austere religion and customs, individual independence, that republicanism, all those would bring the triumph of liberty to mexico. By 1836, and they were only 36,000 hispanics living in new mexico. About 3000 in california. About 4000 in texas. The governor in new mexico, governor manuel of new mexico, complained to the Mexican Government. He would say our systems are beset by what he called byebye barbaric tribes. They are offered no protection. They are poor, he would say. They only survive thanks to trade with the americans. The americans started looking at these sparsely populated lands and see the potential for agriculture and mining. Thats going to figure into the manifest destiny sentiment, that these lands ought to become american territory. That the americans would use the land better than the mexicans. Not only that, they were ordained by Divine Providence to do so. I talk about texas for a moment in these terms here. But tejanos in texas are the mexicans living in texas. The texans are the white americans who migrated there, bringing with them their black slaves. The texans later, thats the u. S. State of texas. We have the independent republic, we talk about texians. When we have the state that becomes part of the United States, we talk about texans. I saw a license plate in town the other day thats a texan. I assumed thats an old republican texan living in town. By 1823, there were 3000 americans in texas. In the next year, the new Mexican Government started encouraging american kamala is a shun. They thought that was the best way to bring in manufactured goods. Very little governmental or trade connection with mexico city. They give out generous land grants to then called impresarios. In 1826, one of those impresarios led a revolt against mexican rule. The tejanos, stephen austin, an impresario, led the fight against the rebel, and put down the revolt. What happened was american allegiance of those texians waned over the 1820s and 1830s, especially after mexico close the border to immigration. Also, at lots labory and for bag the further introduction of slaves. By 1834, the number of americans living in texas had doubled anyway. By 1835, there was about 1000 americans crossing the border into mexico per month, into texas. By 1836, there is 30,000 white americans in texas. 5000 black slaves. About 4000 tejanos. Meanwhile, the president in mexico city was consolidating power and touched off a number of rebellions in about six or seven mexican states. Texas is one of those rebellions. In the u. S. , we know it as the texas revolution. This time, austin joined the side of the rebels. Who was, as i said, a liberal, and hes opposed to the dictatorship of santa ana, sided with the americans and help texas write its first constitution and served at its first interim vice president. He was pretty successful at first and defeating the americans at the alamo. Then the americans in texas declared their independence. They elect the rebel leader, sam houston, as the president. Its houstons army that defeated they defeated him on the battlefield enforced santa ana this is 1836. Dont confuse it with the Mexican American war ten years later. Thats the texas revolution. Texas, the republic of texas, was not recognized by mexico. Mexico did not ratify the treaty that santa ana signed under duress after having been defeated. This is the republic of texas. At first, they dont have desire to enter the union. They are just another republic. Its almost like jefferson stream of the north American Continent of six or seven republics of governing themselves, not all under one government. Thats 1836 then. Back a little bit to the territorial growth. Here is where the push for territorial growth is coming from in the u. S. Politically, its coming from the jeffersonian side. First, the republicans, really the democratic republicans, who then rename themselves the Democratic Party in 1827, the agricultural party. They dont have a sense like the wigs do that wealth can be created through innovation and division of labor. You have to pull it out of the ground, you have to grow it. That means that in an agrarian environment, its gonna mean more lenient. Whether its in the southeast, wood becomes the southwest, from mexico. First, it comes to the louisiana purchase, opposed by the Federalist Party. Then it comes, the push for texas annexation, which we will talk about in a minute. Then you would party, which is the inheritor of the federalists, they will oppose that. And then the way party is going to oppose the war itself. And then they are going to oppose, for the most part, the giant session of territory. The whigs, on the hamiltonian side of things, had a dream more of a nationstate which would consolidate itself by but being smaller and Building Infrastructure so everyone could develop a common identity, not spreading from sea to shining sea. Thats the difference. Politically, the expansionists are, for the most part, in the Democratic Party. The antiexpansionists are in the whig party by the 1840s. There is more life than politics, thank god. Here is the nonpartisan factors. In vandalize a shun is born. We talked about antique dallas ism and that reformers a little bit already, the men bellicose. Most of the evangelical protestant also thinks the catholics of mexico, are not christian, beneath the real bible, the real gospel. They want to bring that the mexico. They cant because its a closed country to their missionaries. They have a little bit of interest in expanding territory because to them means also expanding the gospel. There is a commercial reason as well. If someone in the northeast wanted any kind of New Territory at all, it would be the west coast. If you think of the maritime and commercial interests, having access to the pacific. You think about the reasons that europeans had left europe in the first place, in the 14 hundreds, looking for routes to trade in china and east asia. The maritime trade, commerce, finally this sense of mission. The mission that transformed from an errant into the wilderness of self government, to spreading self government. Maybe that is the mission. This all ties together under this sense that americans had the sense of themselves, that there was something exceptional about them. That old city on a hill idea that we talked about with john winthrop. That new england colony was going to be a city on a hill. An example to the world. The world would clean up its act and have a self government, a christian commonwealth, at satirist. That is transformed, by this time, into the sense that the mission of the u. S. Is just spread republican government, representative government. Most people nowadays would use democracy and republicanism as synonyms. They wouldve used the word republicanism quite a bit. What was it about the americans that was so exceptional . The people promoting this rhetoric in beginning in the early 18 40s, especially as america started considering texas annexation, talk about anglosaxons. They didnt talk about the term white, usually. Although John C Calhoun did. They talk more about anglosaxon. Whats an anglosaxon . Anglosaxon, they said, was superior by virtue of a few things. They were superior because they were protestants, the religion of free peoples, they said. They were superior politically because of the republican government, the representative government. In most cases, they are not giving those later 19th century arguments for racism that are arguing biological supremacy, somehow. They are white, anglosaxon protestants. Republican government was safest with them. They had created it, they could promote it. Many of them believed the republican government could even be found in the pages of the bible. The more catholics emigrated to the United States, the more they try to draw the distinction between catholics, who they said were incapable of democratic government, because they serve the pope in rome before they serve their own country. Trying to drive a distinction between those catholics and the protestant governments. Republican government was safest in the hands of protestants. They were opposing the westward movement of the catholics, catholic immigration. This is the high point of antique apollo system in the United States. The result of an 1836, the burning of the charleston convent outside of boston, a convent school. In 1840, for a series of deadly riots in philadelphia, where the pennsylvania militia even had to be called out, cannons were used to quell the rioting and burning of catholic churches, the burning of Irish Catholic neighborhoods in philadelphia. Thats 1844. Thats an Election Year. Its also the year that texas annexation is being considered, finally, by the United States. Texas had been independent for about ten years. They are not sure they want to be part of the United States. There are some americans who would like them to be so. And some texians. Thats the Election Year in 1844. In considering texas annexation, because the whigs generally seemed to oppose it, a democratic journalist wrote an article and coined the term manifest destiny. As manifest sme is a slogan that incorporates all that religious but rhetoric, political rhetoric, mission rhetoric about expansion. It all becomes wrapped up in manifest destiny. Its got that anglosaxonist and anticatholic rhetoric embedded deep within it. Its not just about territory, in other words. Its about who will occupy that territory. This is how we coined it. He said, our manifest as a need to overspread and possess the whole of the continent, which providence has given us, for the development of the great experiment of liberty, and federate itself he goes on to talk about our multiplying millions and all the people that providence is. Its a synonym for god. Thats how they are talking about god. Providences gods unfolding plan, manifest means that destiny of the United States has been made manifest. It is obvious. It would be difficult to miss it, is what they are arguing. With the wigs are doing then, by opposing texas annexation, is standing in the way of the obvious god given destiny of the United States to expand westward. That is what this article is about. This is written in 1845, right after the election. Manifest destiny becomes just a handy slogan to refer, not just a westward expansion, not just two expansion of territory connected to the United States, but connected to it is the sense that somehow, to quote some of the people of a day, the americans are the shows and people. They will drive a cannon nights off the continent. They are the new people chosen by providence occupy this territory. They have all the rights we stuff thats needed. The self government, the republican government, the right religion. They are the ones to do this. Other peoples are going to shrink before this. That is manifest destiny. This is what the u. S. Looked like in 1844. The year of this very consequential election. Texas claimed boundaries all the way up into wyoming. As far as mexico is concerned, if there was and independent republic of texas, and they had not recognized it, it was just this area here. When texas was seeking to enter the union, these are the borders it claimed. This is a huge disputed area in texas. The question, all these questions of territorial expansion came to a head in the president ial election. Texas wants to enter the union. Should the United States an exit . Theres a lot of issues. It might cause war with mexico. Mexico had promised it would. Mexico still claimed it as a state. There was the slavery question. It was very large. Maybe divide it up . Suddenly, you have 12 pro slavery senators instead of two. In the meantime, Great Britain secretly approached santa ana and promised that if mexico annexed, recognize texas is independents, britain would ensure mexico could hang on to california and new mexico. The british, the biggest empire in the world at the time, and getting larger, and the real enemy of the United States in the 19th century, as far as most americans were concerned, they are in the mix here as well. Which brings us to the oregon territory. Should the u. S. Press its rights to the oregon territory . Should they give notice and then figure out a treaty . The democratic supporters that year coined the phrase, that as far as we know is never uttered by james k hope himself, aka young hickory, that was 50 4 40 or fight. That means 54 degrees, 40 minutes latitude. 50 4 40 or five. The implication is the americans want all the oregon territory. How do you like that for haggling . Im having a yard sale. Im looking forward to the haggling. Its the best part. Also selling things i got for free. Thats the other good part of yard sales. 50 4 40 or fight. Is that a bargaining tool . Is it haggling . Does pope really want the whole thing . Polk doesnt really say. The election becomes a referendum on the annexation of texas. Should the United States annexed texas are not . If you think it should, you vote for polk. Polk talks about the reannexation of texas. He believed, or at least purported to believe, that texas had been part of the louisiana purchase. That was an old argument the americans had. The only difficulty was stephen austins own maps showed it wasnt. Other than these problematic things, like the fact it had not there is a sense that some of it was, all of it was, part of the louisiana purchase. Thats what he means by reannexation. What john quincy adams, who the democrats hated, because he had been elected president instead of jackson back in 1824, hes the one who had drawn up the treaty in 1819, between mexico and the United States. They blamed him for giving it away, in other words. If you want to annex texas, you vote for polk. He is from tennessee, known as young hickory. This is polk, maybe. I may be wrong about this, but i think he may be the only president weve ever had with a mullet. If you opposed texas annexation, or are ambivalent about it, you would vote for henry clay that year. Its clay versus polk. Poke clay does not come out in favor of it either. Poke won by less than 1 , just about 38,000 votes. New york state tipped the balance for polk. He takes a referendum on texas annexation. Its a very close election. In fact,ats for another day tok about the so the whig party kind of splitting a little bit over the issue of slavery hands of democrats the election three days before polk took office in 1845, texas entered the union via tree. So while from some standpoints taxes is part of the mexican session from other standpoints. Its not it enters the union a few days before pope takes takes office, but the war certainly going to confirm texas annexation and it enters a union claiming those very extensive borders. So as far as polkas concerned, youve got to put troops all the way down to the border, which is the the rio grande not the the nueces river farther north so polks going to press that press that clay. The president of mexico at the time was a man named jose herrera and herrera made an attempt for a peaceful solution and even considered the british offer once he heard of it once he learned of it, but its santa ana and other opposition parties who portrayed him for doing so portrayed him as weak and portrayed him as unpatriotic willing to sell a part of the the country willing to get rid of taxes willing maybe to sell california to the americans which americans had been trying to purchase since the 1820s in the time of jackson so they pushed for war with the United States over texas annexation even its horror invited to diplomat from the new Polk Administration to talk about mexicanamerican relations in texas and in california. So one mexican president invites then a diplomat to come and meet. So polk took office in 1845 in march of 1845. Is he really going to ask for all of oregon the english arent sure his own supporters arent sure in april of 1846 polk terminated the joint occupation of oregon. And that meant the british were either going to have to go to war. For their territorial claims because polk claimed oregon all the way to 5440. Or they were going to have to negotiate theyre angry. They dont like polk they call the americans overbearing and aggressive. Ruled by the whim of the mob so thats a strike at that democratic sentiment we talked about. But they end up settling and they settle at 49. Polk signs signs it right at the 49th parallel, which is the Current Border between canada and the United States. So he takes half in other words. But what about the southern border . So thats april of 1846. The Polk Administration had sent a man named john slidell to talk to herrera as i mentioned a late 1845, but there was political instability and volatility in mexico and that prevented any meeting from occurring. There was a coup against herrera. There was a monarchical plot as well. Mexico went through 14 president s between its independence and 1846. And then were elected. So american saw that political instability as a liability across the the border. So in january 1846 what polk decided to do was what polk decided to do was was send american troops into the disputed territory. Thats january of 1846. Theres mexican troops there now. Theres american troops there and its really then only a matter of time till they run into each other. So hes positioned american troops there a new mexican president had come in. Paredes who refused to meet with slidell so polk just recalled him and thats the end of the effort at at diplomacy. But you got to understand what the diplomacy is slidell is there to buy california outright and then negotiate a border polks real goal. You should remember through the whole war is really just to purchase, california. New mexico is going to come in the bargain between texas and california, but he really wants, california. Almost immediately as as oregon negotiations calm down hostilities broke out april 25th. 1846. Theres a theres a clash a small skirmish really in the disputed territory. There between the rio grande and and the real nueces. Lets get to the map here. So and this this territory here. When polk learned of it about a week and a half later a week week and a half later. He gives a war message to congress that says quote mexico has passed the boundary of the United States has invaded our territory and shed american blood on american soil. So thats thats the the poll quotation from polks war message american blood on american soil. She is proclaimed hostilities of commits a two nations are at war. So what what polka is saying is its hes going to congress because of the constitution and asking them to declare war on mexico. And hes saying theres already a war you just have to declare it. You just have to declare but theres already a war troops of clash John C Calhoun fellow democrat from South Carolina is going to lead opponents of polk during the war. What calhoun doesnt like is what he sees is the abusive executive power and his overriding concern. Is that the executive or the Us Government might intervene in terms terms of the institution of slavery . Calhoun was from South Carolina. So thats his overriding concern to any kind of abuse of executive power. Hes nervous about but primarily its the whig party who speaks against the declaration of war argues against it, but what theyre going to do is in opposition party, so they try not to end up like the federalists who remember in the war of 1812. They look treacherous by the end. The treaty looked pretty good and the Federalist Party just kind of died because of its opposition to the war. They dont want to look like that theyre going to be the opposition party, but theyre going to tend to vote for money for the troops. Some of them are going to vote for the declaration they can argue against it but usually vote usually vote in favor of it. Thats going to be their story during the war more complicated than that, but as it usually might be one of those wigs with somebody who ended up being a oneterm congressman because he opposed the war. Have you ever heard Abraham Lincoln that seems familiar right . Do any of you use cash. Shes on the five. Have you seen this . So lincoln challenge poke and said he said look if if you allow the if you allow the present to invade a neighboring nation, im quoting him whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion and you then you allow him to do so whenever he may think is necessary and youll say i dont think the canadians are invading hell say well, i think they are. So so were going to invade them first. So lincolns very concerned about that executive abuse of power as well. So he challenged polk. He basically called polka liar and said i want you to take me to the spot. And show me where the american blood was spilled. And then well find out if its really in mexico or in in, texas. So he gets his nickname spotty lincoln, which i guess was derogatory at the time. And so thats thats going to be as nickname. Hes gonna go back to illinois for all he knows hes gonna be done with politics and just be a corporate lawyer for the railroads for a while and in illinois calhoun as they said was in opposition. Also calhouns point was its a little skirmished you have to have a whole war over it. We can you know evade the country etc, but its really the this the skirmish becomes the pretext for the war pokes biggest problem politically. Is it both of his main generals Zachary Taylor in the north and Winfield Scott whos going to lead the invasion of central mexico. Both of them are wigs . And in a democracy, it really helps to be popular. If you want to be elected president. And really the only way to be that popular at the time at least for the whigs who are the Minority Party and have a northeast power base is to be a general of some kind the wigs only ever elected to people. President and both were generals polka sure, one of these are both of these want to be want to be president. Scott had actually tried for the wig nomination in 1839 and didnt get it. So he knows scotts a wig taylor says im not a wig. Ive never been a wig. I have no interest in politics. I dont want to be president. Why would i want to be president who wants to be president . Can you guess which one of these two guys ran for president in 1848 . Exactly taylor. Yeah taylor the one who say never do it in a million years and so but polk doesnt know this yet. So heres the challenge for paul everything. He sees he sees everything through a political lens, which means he wants him to be victorious. But if it really really victorious then they might use that the way jackson had used that kind of fame from the battlefield to get elected president. So he wants them to do the job and then hes he actually tries to undercut them in the field the way the volunteer army worked. Is this our this war is going to be fought by the regular army, which is quite small, but in large during the war the professional army and then volunteers who are drawn from new volunteer companies or state militia companies. Governors of the states of those malicious and volunteer units choose the kernel to go over the regiment the men elect their own captain. So all the way up through colonel the states determine rank in the volunteer part of the army. Which means if your governor is a wig guess what your kernel is going to be . Youve got two choices in ones wrong. Hes going to be a wig if your governors a democrat you can have a democratic colonel paul appointed 13 volunteer generals during the war every single one of them was from his party the Democratic Party. One was his law partner gideon pillow who was a disaster also a disaster in the civil war, but maybe more on that in a later lecture. So its gonna have to build an army from the ground up. Lets start with taylor. So taylor is the one whos positioned whos positioned here . His job is supposed to be to lay a defensive line acrock between the northern mexican frontier and the United States and poke thinks or hopes. I should say that mexico will see reason and sue for peace in the world be over and theyll get california and the call it a day. So thats thats the first part of the war taylors opinion is that theres no way to invade mexico from the north. It would be doom by the great distances and by deserts. So the army job is just you know, dont look too far ahead. Just set up a defensive line south of the rio grande. And it in northern if you do that in northern mexico, that would make conditions favorable for peace taylor things. So after a couple of battles, he crosses into mexico. Lay siege to matamoros where the the mexican troops are entrenched but after after negotiations, they take their arms the mexicans take their arms. They take their artillery and they leave matamorous and taylor moves in without. Hiring a shot. His Main Objective was a city of monterey. That was strategically located heavily fortified control of northern mexico depended on monterey and thats where the first really big battle of the war is is going to be and its going to be its going to be flat house to house. Its going to be urban fighting four days of heavy fighting in september of 1846. Finally the mexican general requests an armistice. Taylor is under orders not to sign an armistice. And to just take the city and destroy the mexican army, but he defies orders signs an armistice. Hes writing secret letters that get leaked out into the press saying things like i dont know why were doing this this land is useless anyway, so this makes polk think that hes already thinking about the 1848 election. Because hes criticizing polk while hes in the field. In letters, its supposedly leaked to the press but whenever anything leaks its not really a leak. Its more like, you know, theyre turning on the faucet. Its not a leak. So his Army Captures monterey, but the mexican army leaves. Taylor becomes sort of a hero back in the United States then in november he moves north of a place called buena vista in mexico. And sets up his headquarters. In the meantime and the meantime, new mexico and california had fallen quite easily to to american troops. In fact the governor of new mexico is the americans were coming. He got on his horse and left. He decided enough enough is enough and they take new mexico without firing a shot. Theres theres a revolt in new mexico during the war. Theres a revolt near los angeles during the war but by the end of the summer in new mexico and california are pretty solidly and in american hands so that first part of the war seems to go really well for the United States. In the meantime taylors just there and hes waiting near buena vista. It seems the the mexicans are not going to treat for peace. So so polk goes to Winfield Scott and says youve got to draw plans for an invasion of central mexico. The United States is going to have to take the capital. So scott is not going to be in charge of that invasion of central, mexico. He takes a lot of his invasion for us from taylor. Which makes taylor think scott wants to run for president. Because now taylor doesnt have enough troops to do anything. So they hate each other as much as they hate polk. You with me so far. So this might not be an overseas war but it it does prove the the lie in that myth that politics stops at the waters edge in wartime. It never has and i dont know that and i dont know that it ever will but it certainly didnt to the in the mexicanamerican war. So scotts supposed to invade central mexico and march, overland, new mexico city. He needs the troops. He takes them from he takes him from taylor. Taylor is very unhappy about this. But heres what happens. One result one result of the fall of that whole northern mexican frontier is it paredes is overthrown the mexican president s overthrown in another coup. And replaced by santa ana. And then santa ana chooses another president. Only to take back the presidency from him a little while later. And in the meantime amend this amid this mexican domestic infiding santa ana face taylor and what became the most famous battle of the war and its the one you need to remember for your exam. And thats the now youre writing and and thats the battle of buena vista. In late, february of 1847 the battle of buena vista so its its early february. Taylors feeling pretty sure santa ana wont attack. And he decides to move on his own with his mostly volunteer army of about 4,500 troops. He decides to move southward. Santa ana gets word of this gets intelligence of this and advances against him was somewhere between 15 and 18,000 soldiers. Hes determined to finish off taylors army. Skirmishes in ensue on february 22nd at the base of the mountains there and then the next morning mexican soldiers are clashing with americans throughout the whole day. Taylors only choice is to fight a very defensive battle against the larger mexican force. The americans are Still Holding the battlefield by sunset. And taylors men hunker down and wait for the dawn and it it seems obvious that theyre going to be wiped out the next day, but theres a couple things that have happened one is by not winning the mexican soldiers morale have been so shattered by their inability to break the american lines santa anas army had had quietly retreated during the night. So they they leave the field. Theres also political disputes and infighting back in mexico city that santa ana has to go address. For americans this became the most famous battle of the war and they counted a victory and it what the battle of new orleans was to Andrew Jackson in terms of his popularity and leveraging him to be able to be more famous and become president the same thing happens with taylor in the battle of buena vista. It also made him by the way, politically untouchable by polk because now you cant criticize americas big war hero in the war. So thats february of 1847 the battle of buena vista, the very next month is when windfilled scott makes his Amphibious Landing down here in in veracruz. And then the Overland Route to to mexico city. The us navy bombarded the city for several days before they landed. They landed in Amphibious Assault vehicles incidentally built built in the same area of louisiana where they were later built simpler similar craft were later built for the dday invasions during world war two. They land on the coast. They wait ashore after bombarding the city. Theres not much fighting. They take veracruz pretty easily. And scott heads inland santa anilator said in his diary. He said quote we have no one but ourselves to blame for this disaster due to our interminable infighting. Why isnt there a larger mexican army at veracruz that day because theres three mexican armies clashing with each other. Near the capital of mexico city so that allows the americans to get a to get a beachhead. He starts marching inland in april. And there to mexico city by september 14th, so you think of this war in a couple maybe three phases then so you got the first phase and thats in the north. Its in the what the Northern Frontier that the United States is going to annex at the the end of the war and thats pretty much wrapped up over the summer. Although theres a lot of constitutional quandaries and interesting stuff going on there, which is how does a republican gage in military government and just whos in charge in california two branches of the service and a third guy john fremont are going to bicker over who whos really in charge in california, and its going to be courtmartials in a big mess over that. So theres theres a lot going on in the north of militarily speaking. Its pretty much calmed down by the end of the summer of 1846. Thats the first phase in the second really. Is this this overland invasion, which goes from april to september just a few months in 1847. But the americans dont depart until the summer of 1848. So theres a long period of occupation and military government in mexico cities by American Military governors trying to use local civilians to govern and mayors and that sort of things thats thats part of the war too that we dont really have time in this class to to go into so scotts plan is is this hes going to take the national highway. On into mexico on into mexico city his first meeting with santa ana. Is the kind of battle that would normally end any other war in these days and thats a battle of sarah gordo at the pass of cerro gordo on april 18th and 1847. So its been about a year since the war started. But despite not having the high ground and despite fighting. Its in another countrys territory scotts army is victorious. Santa ana retreats from the field i cant remember if this is the battle where the americans. Came away with one of santa anas legs or not. He had a false leg prosthetic leg and he always carried a few extras as you can as you can imagine so you theres sometimes weird trophies and wartime due to atrocities. Theres even weirder trophies. I didnt know that well have time to talk about them today, but but i think it may have been cerro gordo, but im not sure. Well from sarah gordo scott passed on to occupy the large city of pueblo mexico and on may 15 pueblo pueblo, mexico is one of the i think most beautiful cities on the continent. I have been there in a couple decades, but its a its a wonderful place and hes occupied pueblo and in may on may 15th in 1847. And heres the way the army works in those days if you sign up if you signed up as a volunteer a longterm enlistment to you is about six months, which is barely enough time even to train so in a republic the idea was that virtuous men would sign up for military and wartime, but you wouldnt have a Large Standing Army when its not wartime. Because a large number of men under arms is not only expensive. Which grows and grows the size of the Central Government . It increases its power and authority and strength and likelihood it will abuse it. But to also you wouldnt have those underarms because its its just armies are theyre unrepublican places, right . You have to take orders and somebody else is telling you when to get up and what to do all the time and the the americans prior to prior to 20th century really just bristled at that sort of thing. So the idea was it in wartime you would volunteer out of virtuous defensive home and hearth and there would be enough volunteers and then after the war you go down to a tiny army then if you need a big army during war you get a big army again, then it goes down what happens to pablo at pablo is most of the volunteers those who had signed up for a year, its done. Probably scott sits in pueblo all summer long because he doesnt have enough troops to advance with they just they you know, they watch the clock and they go home and theyre done as far as theyre concerned. Theyve done their service. Theyve done their duty and thats thats what happens in public so scotts there for a long time and in the summer. But he leaves by by august and the path to mexico cities now more heavily guarded than before santa ana had retreated from sarah. Gordo had to mexico city. The generals have decided the mexican generals have decided to give it one one last stand and they do and so one option for the americans is to send a division to flank the mexican army at cherubusco by by by cutting across these lava beds a not so young and not so young engineered named robert e. Lee finds the path to cross these lava beds, but theyre relatively unguarded path to mexico city because no one it seems had found a path through them before at least not invading army clearly, so theyre relatively ungurred. So thats thats one possibility to to do by marching across the lava bit taking the small village of contreras. And then attacking from the rear and that would split the Mexican Forces and thats thats really the american plan to take mexico city. So, its august 19th an American Division marches across the lava beds. Theyve theyve fought earlier in the day at contreras. Theyre gonna fight later in the day the same day the battle of chura bus go with turned into one of the bloodiest of the war aura bus go the americans faced a battalion called the san patricios or the Saint Patricks battalion. This was a battalion composed of former american soldiers some who had deserted before the war some who had deserted deer in the war. Irish immigrants german immigrants Saint Patrick was on their on their their flag and blazoned on the battalions flag. So they know that if they get caught theyre going to be theyre going to be executed as as traitors. They had been lured with broadsides from santa ana that said things like, how can you attack . Your fellow catholics and defend the country thats burning our churches back in the United States and burning our neighborhoods in the United States. So santa ana is well aware of the anticatholic rioting in the United States and trying to lure american soldiers out of the army and into his own and coming with that is going to be some acreage a good bit of land right and thats thats a pretty good lure too. So the leader of the san patricio was from clifton iowa. Thats actually in the west of of ireland and County Galway where the Aquinas College students go every year to telecross ireland. Thats the Biggest Little town. I shouldnt call it. The Biggest Little towns the only town really near near near telecast of any real size. Theres a san patricio street there there used to be there used to be a little monument to to john riley last time. I was there it had somebody had taken it. There was just a marble block. Now but here at monument to john riley once stood i guess maybe they need a new sign. Maybe they replaced it since the last time i was there but anyway the san patricio has become a heroic and mexico they become seen of course as traders in the United States and when scott catches him is going to hang 27 of john riley who had deserted prior to hostilities his branded with a d on his cheeks for deserter and then and then let go its thought that he continued living in mexico, but people say they know i dont know if anybody really knows theres a couple good books on john riley. So thats chura busko and contrerasan on august 20th rather than advance on the capitol scott decides to offer an armistice to santa ana. The american diplomat trist was his name had been in mexico city. For for quite a while now, and he think well, maybe thatll have give peace a chance to work. Give a treaty a chance to work without having to go into the city of mexico itself. So he hopes that having the threat of the capital occupied by a foreman or foreign army the mexicans might negotiate a piece making that final battle unnecessary. Santa ana however is a little bit smarter than that and he was determined to use the lowell and hostilities to strengthen his position. He had lost canon. He had lost munitions. He had lost a third of his army at cherubusco. Which reminds me of another point when santa ana had outsmarted the americans he was actually an exile in cuba. Not the last time mexico was going to exile. He was an exile in cuba in the beginning of the war and pope comes up with this scheme to talk to santa ana and maybe sand he if he can get santa ana back into mexico santa ana will then sell them, california. So he helped santa ana get back into mexico. And santa ana says i cant believe he really believed that and and then he builds up an army and goes to war against the americans. But so thats what happens during the armistice the armistice last a few weeks negotiations break down in early, september and hostilities ensue. First the americans take a palace like structure overlooking mexico city chapultepec. Thats going to have to be taken before they enter the capital. Its on on high ground then after a daylong fight on september 13th americans take the palace santa anas army flees the capital scotts army marches triumphantly into into mexico city and they raised the flag the American Flag over the National Palace of mexico. Following two or three days of looting by mostly volunteer american troops the occupation of mexico city begins so thats in september of 1847. So theres going to be military government by the United States of mexico of mexico from september 14th the date of the ticket of mexico city all the way until june of 1848. So this is a famous painting by carl neville of scotts army marching in in the capital. Let me pause here for a moment and ask for questions before we talk about the treaty and wrap this up and i get your exams and papers back to you as well. The questions about taylor scott san patricios the war wonderful, you know i picked this class because youre my most talkative class. Yeah. You know that. Yes, brandon wait for that wait for the there you go. Do we know how many members there were in this end . Patricios battalion . The right question is do i know . Right. Do i know this is a battalion. I want to say of about maybe 100 to 200. Im just guessing. Im just guessing i do know they they fight in several battles, but they fight very hard at your boost go because they know whats going to happen with when theyre caught and it figures pretty pretty solidly into the anticatholic rhetoric. Because you imagine the catholics in the United States they spend all their time talking about how patriotic they are. And then theres a catholic battalion of mostly catholic deserters fighting on behalf of mexico during during the war so they become they become a theyre well used by the the anticatholic rhetoric though. Its more complicated than just your religion issue as you might imagine, but thats just my educated guess on how big the battalion was. Im not sure anybody would really would really know. So theres the the rogues march is the best book on that by in my opinion. But the rogues march. Good question about the san patricios in fact good so that you know, were taught at death toll on the amira the death star on the mexican side is going to be much larger because the civilian deaths particularly and very cruise on the american side youre talking about in the very low thousands between one and one in five thousand in the whole war and almost all of its from what the american soldiers called the vomito or yellow fever. The combat deaths are very low. This is what makes the civil war. We just wrapped up some were you in the system. I dont know you were in. Yeah, youre in the civil war class right last semester said that you Start Talking about over a hundred thousand men clashing and when battle in the civil war here, were talking about, you know, five the biggest battle it the place like buena vista. Its 5,000. Its 15,000. Thats just dwarf by battles a couple decades later decade and a half later in the civil war. So these are also on a much smaller much much smaller scale in this form. Treaty deliberations are going on all the while. Finally on february 2nd, a treaty is signed a Guadalupe Hidalgo new mexicos most sacred shrine for our lady of guadalupe. Thats passed up north to the United States. And heres a complicated issue polk had already fired the man trust. Who negotiated the peace so paul castes decide whether he takes the piece or not. Once the United States stood in control of these mexican cities. Members of folks on Democratic Party prominently and also many members of his own cabinet are pushing him to take what they called all mexico. So because the allmexico movement its called theres this push in january and on into february to take all mexico and the one thing important thing the arrival of the treaty does is is take the take the steam out of that because in the treaty the United States agrees to pay mexico 15 Million Dollars though. Its not clear where that money ever ended up. Or if it ended up anywhere for that matter. 15 Million Dollars for california and then the mexican session is going to become. That that northern mexican frontier polkaimed all along that this was not a war of conquest that it was a war font because debts were owed by mexicans to americans. And treaty obligations were not being followed that there was a clash on american soil. So these were all the claims of polk the the antiwarf folks had said this was award us to spread slavery. So particularly the pacifists in the abolitionists were very vocally antiwar. Some of them are anticatholic that made them ambivalent. Thats one of the things i did in my missionaries of republicanism book is talk about that but for the most part there theyre against the war because they think its going to spread slavery. So a northern congressman and polks own party at the beginning of the war had challenged polk. To put his money where his mouth is and and sign into law a proclamation that that any territory gained from this war. Would not allow slavery. And polk wont do it. This is david wilmot and that becomes known as the wilmont proviso Something Else i think is worth writing down in your notes. The wilmot provides you it never passes. Congress but it becomes famous. It becomes famous because it breaks open the slavery issue in the middle of this war. Ulysses asked grant who fought in this war as said i would have at the time in his diary. He writes i would have come to mexico as a private if i could come no other way. After the civil war and in retrospect he later in his memoirs called the mexicanamerican war one of the most unjust wars ever waged by one nation against another and what what had come in between those two opinions was you know, the young man who wants to glory on the battlefield and now somebody whos just closed out the civil war with hundreds of thousands of american dad that grant was sure in large part had to do somehow with the fight over the institution of slavery the mexican war opens that up and it never really closes again. Thanks to the wilmont proviso as it turns out though. Theres going to be no slavery in, california. Not legally anyhow, and the institution of slavery same in new mexico taxes had already been annexed. So in some ways then theres slavery is not sent into these territories, but it does wet the appetite of some who realize if the missouri compromised line stays at 36 30 as we talked about last week. If it stays there theres really theres theres nowhere to go but south so youre gonna have to go farther south or into the caribbean if you want to continue to expand slavery and create new new slave states. The treaty the treaty ending the war then finally is approved ratified by the senate in march. Its in ratified by mexico. Not long after that and the us troops left in june. So the the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo netted the United States, california just off to california the current state of, california. New mexico the very expansive new mexico we mentioned and then also recognize the the texas border at the at the rio grande in return the United States as i said paid mexico 15 Million Dollars and military rule ended in in june of 1848. Any questions wrapping up our our look at the mexicanamerican war . In 1848 in 1848 polk had pledge only to serve one term and he kept his promise. So Zachary Taylor. Runs against one of those democratic generals that polkit appointed Zachary Taylor wins, and its going to be Zachary Taylor whos in charge at first until he died in office in 1850 of trying to figure out how to organize the mexican session a third of mexico has become part of the United States. Immediately. Theres theres talk of civil war possible disunion. What will be a slave state . What wont be a slave state . How will california come in new mexico and texas each claim the same territory will those two areas the territory of new mexico in the state of california go to war whats going to happen . So thats all going to well talk about that next time. Its called the compromise of 1850 and its going to be clay who comes up with the idea but clay also dies in 1850. Hello, but eventually theres going to be a compromise and theres kind of a breathe. Theyre gonna breathe the savory leaf the missouri compromise had lasted 30 years over slavery this one maybe the last 30 years. It doesnt last very long at all as it turns out but theres at least hope at that point. So taylor does use his battlefield fame to become president grant lee a lot of the other folks who are later prominent in the civil war on both sides have have fought together in the mexicanamerican war but theyre gonna fight against each other in the civil war about a decade and a half later polk died in 1849. Anyway, right after becoming president and thats thats it. No if theres no other questions, well stop there. Ill hand back your exams. And your papers okay, lets do that. Well, good morning. Everybody. Good to see you. Weve been looking at aspects of gilded age and progressive era American Life for the last couple weeks. Weve looked at the west weve looked at the jim crow south. Weve looked at capital and labor and progressive reforms. Today were looking at how the life of one crucially important figure from this period helps the flesh out. And kind of concrete life some of those abstract ideas that weve been looking at so today were looking at the life and career theodore roosevelt. Not the last time that well come back to him in this class. But today kind of just specifically geared toward him. His life does fit the themes of the gilded age progressive era ve