a. The War with Mexico i. Polk wants control over ALL of Mexico, between Texas and Pacific Ocean- willing to go to war ii. Texas Republic accepted statehood in 1845=1845 Mexico broke off diplomatic relations with the US iii. Polk intimated Mexican Gov- Zachary Taylor occupy all the lands in the Nucese River and Rio Grande iv. Sent John Slidell to Mexico city- to secure Mexican acceptance of the Rio Grande boundary and to buy Mexico and CA- officials did not see him v. Alternate plan was to start a CA revolution (like Texas) to get independence and join the US vi. Polk ordered naval commanders to seize CA 's coastal towns (in case of war) and sent John C Fremont 's troops into Mexico vii. Polk encourage and brought on …show more content…
Fredrick Douglas- black abolitionist, spoke about William Lloyd Garrison 's American Anti Slavery Society viii. Democrats nominate Lewis Cass- presidential candidate another expansionist proposed squatters sovereignty ix. Free Soilers- Martin Van Buren and Whigs- Zachary Taylor x. ZACHARY TAYLOR (from the Mexican war)WON THE ELECTION c. California Gold and Racial Warfare i. John Sutter discover gold flakes in January 1848 ii. Men arrived in California in search of gold by 1849- more than 80,000 people mostly men arrived in CA iii. Men began working for wages with hydraulics and underground mining, other became farmers iv. Farmers got land from Indians or Mexicans v. Subjugation of the Indians- in 1848 150,000 Indians in Ca by 1861- 30,000 Indians vi. Diseases killed most Indians but CA more aggressive settlers tried to exterminate them vii. Political leaders did nothing to stop these incidents viii. Settlers murdered Indians to push off reservation lands, other whites did the slave trade w/ Indians ix. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo guaranteed land grants made by Spanish and Mexican authorities would be inviolably respected x. Land Commission created by Congress upheld 75%