Ch 9 Sec 3 and 4

What contributions did General Zachary Taylor and General Winfield Scott make to the American victory over Mexico?

Scott captured Mexico city and Veracruz and Taylor captured Monterrey.

Why did the North and the South have such different views on the possible war with Mexico?

South wanted a war because they wanted to increase their power and expand slavery. North opposed the war because they didn't want the South to have more power or expand slavery and didn't want innocent lives to be lost.

How long did Texas exist as an independent country?

Texas existed as an independent country for 9 years.

Today, the state of Texas regards the Americans who died in the siege of the Alamo as heroes. Do you think they were heroes? Why or why not?

The Americans could be seen as heroes as they died for the cause of western expansion.

Were the Americans in Texas justified in their war of independence against Mexico?

The Americans in Texas were justified in their war for independence as the Mexican government issued against Austin for inciting self-government The American settlers wanted to keep their slaves and did not like the laws created by the Mexican president Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

What attracted Americans to settle in Texas?

Americans were attracted to settle in Texas because of the Manifest Destiny or the will to expand west. By travelling to Texas this was fulfill the American urge to remove any barriers to settlement of the west. Also in America there was cheap, free land available that were free from tariffs.

Why was the annexation of Texas as a state so controversial in the U.S. Congress?

By annexing Texas, there will be another slave state within the union. This could cause an imbalance in power between free and slave states in the senate.

What did the United States gain from the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo of 1848?

Mexico officially surrenderred the Rio Grande border for Texas, New Mexico and California, Utah and Arizona for $15 million.

Was Mexico justified in its 1830 decision to ban illegal American immigrants from sneaking over the border into their country?

Mexico was justified in 1830 to ban illegal American immigrants from sneaking over the border into their country. With the introduction of American cultures of slavery and spoke English rather than Spanish. They did not want a power shift in Mexico with the increase of American immigrants making them the minority.

How would President James K. Polk explain his support for war with Mexico? What reasons would he give? How would he justify it?

Polk thought that the war would bring New Mexico and California into the union. When he sent the emissary John Slidell to Mexico, he hoped that the Mexicans would react agressively to him and the Americans would want to support war.

Why did the Mexican government encourage Americans to settle in Texas?

The Mexican government encouraged Americans to settle in Texas to prevent border violations form horse thieves and to protect the territory from Native American attacks. Also by encouraging American settlers to come to Texas, the farmers could purchase farm implements from the US to increase the flow of manufactured goods into Mexico.

Who were the Tejanos?

The Tejanos were the Mexican settlers of Texas

What started the war- Did the United States invade Mexico, or did Mexican soldiers attack American troops?

The US started the war and then blamed it on Mexico. They invaded their territory and attacked their soldiers but the US considered it an attack on their soil and then claimed that Mexico had started a war.

What did the author mean when the textbook states that "owning a vast territory did not mean controlling it."?

The author meant by this phrase that simply owning territory did not mean that you could manage all of it alone. The Mexican territory was a huge space, and all outside factors could control all of this territory.

Why do you think that the University of California calls its sports teams the "Golden Bears"?

The name "Golden Bears" because of two reasons. The first term "Golden" may be from the Gold Rush in 1949 in California. The second term "Bear" came from the national animal of California, the grizzly bear. The grizzly beat is important to California, as this was the symbol used to declare their independence from Mexico.

Why did California's population rise so quickly after 1848?

The population of California rose quickly after 1848 because of the Gold Rush. News of a gold travelled eastwards, which encouraged migration to California. The population went from 1,000 people to 35,000 in only two years.

How did the population of Texas change between the years 1820 and 1835?

The population of Texas drastically changed between the years 1820 and 1835. The Mexican population living in Texas was far less than the population of other ethnicities. There were only 4000 Tejanos, but 30,000 Native Americans, 30,000 Anglos, and 5000 African Americans.

When California became a state in 1850, how far away was the nearest American state? How did you get from the east coast of the United States to California?

When California became a state in 1850, the nearest American state was Kansas. Kansas was 800 miles away from California, Santa Fe.

When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, how would you describe the population of the province of Texas? What sort of people lived here?

When Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, the population of the province of Texas was made of Native Americans and Mexicans. Native Americans captured by the Mexicans and put into unpaid labor. Comanche and Apache tribes retaliated by terrorizing the Mexican settlements.