The Mexican-American War
Territory gained, and questions raised
- The United States added large territories in the West through victory in the Mexican-American War and diplomatic negotiations, raising questions about the status of slavery, American Indians, and Mexicans in the newly acquired lands.
- One acquisition, three status questions — and the CED lists them together because they were decided together.
- And diplomatic negotiations means the gain was not only military, which matters for how the acquisition was justified.
Select all three status questions the acquisition raised.
Listed together because they were decided together.
What happened to the people already there
- U.S. government interaction and conflict with Mexican Americans and American Indians increased in regions newly taken from American Indians and Mexico, altering these groups' economic self-sufficiency and cultures.
- Newly taken from is the CED's own phrasing, and it names both parties the land was taken from.
- Altering these groups' economic self-sufficiency and cultures is the effect, and self-sufficiency is precise: they had it, and it was reduced.
The territories were added through victory and...
The gain was not only military.
Why the slavery question was unavoidable
- 3.7's Northwest Ordinance had already banned slavery in one territory, so Congress had a precedent for deciding.
- 4.3's Missouri Compromise had drawn a line, so a new acquisition immediately asks where the line now runs.
- So new territory does not raise a new question; it re-opens an old one under a fresh map.
The gain, a status question, or an effect on people?
Sort each element of the Mexican-American War.
The CED says conflict altered these groups' economic ____ and cultures.
Precise: they had it, and it was reduced.
New territory re-opens an old question under a fresh map. The Northwest Ordinance had set a precedent and the Missouri Compromise had drawn a line — so the moment large territories were added, the question of where that line now runs became unavoidable.
Match each group to the question the acquisition raised for it.
Three different questions, named separately by the CED.
Three groups, three different questions
- For enslaved people, the question was whether the institution would extend into the new land.
- For American Indians, it was sovereignty and land, continuing 4.8's removal policy.
- For Mexicans in the ceded lands, it was citizenship and property under a new government — a distinct question the CED names separately.
New territory re-opens an old question rather than raising a new one.
The Ordinance set a precedent; the Compromise drew a line.
Causes and effects
- The objective is the causes and effects of the Mexican-American War.
- Causes: 5.2's expansionist argument and the desire for territory to the Pacific.
- Effects: large territorial gain, three unresolved status questions, and increased conflict with the people already living there.
Draw a line across a map to settle an argument, then add land beyond the edge of that map. The line has not been broken; it has simply run out, and everyone can see that the next stretch has to be negotiated from nothing.
The United States added large territories in the West through victory in the Mexican-American War and diplomatic negotiations, raising questions about the status of slavery, American Indians, and Mexicans in the newly acquired lands. U.S. government interaction and conflict with Mexican Americans and American Indians increased in regions newly taken from American Indians and Mexico, altering these groups' economic self-sufficiency and cultures.