| Mexican Cession Essay, Research Paper
Sam Simon
12/18/1996
History
8/A/5
Mexican Cession
The battle of the Mexican War started on May 8, 1846. Before and during the war
the United States were having disagreements. The conflict was about, when they won the
land from Mexico if it was going to be a slave state(s). There was a young congressman
from Pennsylvania that proposed that slavery would not be allowed after the Mexican
War. But then some men from the south said that slaves are their “property” and that they
could have them. There were many more slavery questions asked. Then there was a bill
that was proposed from another young congressman, David Wilmot. David was also
from Pennsylvania. His bill said, all the land won from Mexico would not be a slave state.
This bill pass the House of Rep, but it didn’t pass the Senate. During this period the
north looked at the south as if they were another country. Yet the southeners that didn’t
have slaves still agreed with the other people from the south. Then there was a new party
formed, they called themselves the “Free Soilers.” Their misson was to spred slavery in
the new states. In 1848 the two other partys, the Whig and the Democratic parties
opposed the spread of slavery. In fear that the nation would split they meet in Buffalo,
New York. There they met the Free Soil party. There slogan was “free soil, free speech,
free labaor, and free man.” Although they were to spread slavery, some of them were
different. They wanted to help them, slaves.
The Mexican War started when the president of the United States tried to buy the
land off of Mexico. Mexico said no to this deal, so we went to war with them, that
wasn’t the only reason why we went to war. The
anti-slavery New England opposed the war with Mexico. The war lasted almost for two
years, from May 8, 1846 to September 14, 1847. The United States was out numbered,
and almost every time we fought them we were out numbered. The mexican’s admitted
defeat in some areas, by leaving the field, and the land in that area. The battle turned at
the battle of Santa Anna, were Buena Vista won with his army of 4,700 troops and was
out numbered but defeated the 20,000 Mexicans. When the war ended on September 14,
1847; it was because the American troops defeat and entered Mexico City. The peace
treaty was made on February 2, 1848. The treaty was called “The Treaty of Guadalupe-
Hidalgo.” This treaty gave the United States the land they wanted and more. The land
was California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Mexico received 15 million dollars for the land and as a peace giving. The land had many
natural elements, encluding silver and gold. From this land they got the the Pacific Ocean
for exploring, and the Orient for spices, slik, and trade. Then the question came up again,
sould it be slave states?
|