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Oregon being shared between Britain and US
Russia and Spain had given up their claims to Oregon, allowing America and Great Britain to occupy it together. -
California only has around 3,200 colonists
These colonists felt little connection to their faraway government in Mexico -
Mexico ends mission system in California
The government of Mexico removes the mission system in California, which was a system that had people adopt the religion, culture, etc. of Spanish Priests. -
A strong nation
The United States gains a booming economy and population, being barely 70 years old! -
John Tyler kicked from office, replaced with Henry Clay
In 1844, the Whig party dropped John Tyler as a senator and replaced him with Senator Henry Clay. The first thing he did was change his mind on what he was going to do originally, due to pressure from southern politicians. After this, the Democratic party chose James K. Polk to oppose Clay, but they both favored acquiring Texas and Oregon, but Polk was favored as the expansion candidate, and as a result, southerners feared losing Texas when Polk was assigned to take Texas for expansion. -
"manifest destiny" is coined
The term "Manifest Destiny" was coined, meaning something that will happen for America. The exact definition is "the belief that the US was a chosen land that had been allotted the entire North American continent by God." This caused people to travel and discover the US. -
Mexico
Mexico is angered when America gets Texas because they now considered it a "stolen province." However, Mexico still owned Arizona, Nevada, and California. -
Texas' approval needed for Annexation
The last state that was needed for annexation was the second state that Polk had been after originally, Texas. However, the Republic of Texas' approval was needed to use Texas as an annexation point. -
Polk ordered to take the Nueces River
Mexico lays down the border along the Nueces River, but the US claimed the border was farther south, along the Rio Grande. President Polk then ordered General Zachary Taylor to take an army into the region. However, Mexico refused to speak to the US government when they offered to buy Mexico and California for 30 million dollars. -
Texas approves
The Republic of Texas approved America's request for annexation with Texas, because Texas considered that being part of America could help with economic problems. It was an official state in December. Mexico gets angry because they considered Texas a "stolen state" when America got it. -
Britain and US sign Oregon to US; Canadian border is drawn
After years of arguing over where the Canadian border should be, the US signed a treaty with Great Britain that drew the Canadian border horizontally across from the coordinates 59°40' North Latitude, only 4° south of where America wanted it. -
Taylor led his troops to the Rio Grande
After Mexico failing to negotiate with the US buying California and itself, General Taylor led his troops through the Rio Grande. In April, the Mexican commander told Taylor to go away, but when he refused, the two sides had a battle, killing several US soldiers. -
American General Kearny invades
General Kearny led his army into Mexico, successfully taking Santa Fe, their capital, without a fight. His army claimed the entire province of Mexico, and marched to California, where another conflict was already in progress. However, California wanted to declare itself a nation, with a Bear flag, the revolt coined the Bear Flag Revolt. -
New Mexican General
After being thrown from power, Santa Anna came after Taylor's men. They clashed in 1847, Mexicans eventually retreating. -
Californios surrender
The Californios' revolt was still going at this time, but they finally surrendered, when California was already taken earlier. -
Mexico falls
After having soldiers rather jumping to their deaths than be taken by the US forces, Mexico had to surrender after US troops got to the edge of Mexico City. Santa Anna fled the country afterwards. -
treaty is signed
After long years of war, the US and Mexico signed a treaty that forced Mexico to give over its Northern territory, and also ended the war, known as the Mexican Cession. This increased the US's size by almost 25% as a result. -
Oregon becomes an organized US state
Oregon finally gets organized, after being signed in to America in 1846. -
Mexico is paid 10 million.
After only having Californian railroads built on American soil, the US government paid Mexico 10 million, and the US received Southern parts of Arizona and New Mexico, the boundary of Mexico being fixed.
