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The Start Of The Mexican American War
The Mexican-American War started on April 25, 1846, after President James Knox Polk pressured Congress and demanded immediate war on Mexico. The political issue surrounding war with Mexico had been the expansion of slavery to the Southwest of the U.S. Former president John Quincy Adams, became one of the few voices in the House of Representatives. -
The Battle Of Palo Alto
The Battle of Palo Alto was fought on May 8, 1846, just north of present-day Brownsville, Texas. Mexican General Mariano Arista countered by bringing a 4,000-man force, the Army of the North, to Matamoros. He crossed the Rio Grande to the west and headed east to place his army between Taylor and his supply base, while putting Fort Texas under siege. Taylor managed to slip past Arista’s trap with the bulk of his forces on May 1, but left behind a small American garrison in dire straits. -
Ruling Independence Hill
General Zachary Taylor moved his 6,640 man army into position on September 19, and later captured the road leading to Saltillo. Taylor planned a double assault for September 21, with General William J. Worth’s Division to attack from the west while the regulars under control of John Garland demonstrated against Monterrey’s eastern defenses. Worth’s assault then moved on to capture redoubts on Independence Hill, as well giving U.S. troops command of the heights overlooking the city. -
Mexican Army Turns To Defensive Position
In August 1847, the Mexican army fell back to defensive position just two miles from the gates of Mexico City. Key to this position was the castle at Chapultepec, 2,000 yards to the west, and the fortified stone buildings and of Molino del Rey halfway between. Worth’s 3,400-man army in two columns advanced against this position. Lieutenant Colonel James S. McIntosh leading his brigade on the left toward the Casa Mata, and Brigadier General George Cadwalader commanding the reserves. -
The Capture Of Mexico City
In September of 1847, Americans pushed into central Mexico and captured Mexico City. After capturing the port of Veracruz in March, General Winfield Scott was able to secure a base and move inland and defeat a large Mexican force at the Battle of Cerro Gordo. After routing the Mexicans at the Battle of Churubusco, Scott's army was only five miles (8 km) away from its objective of Mexico City. In the battle, the U.S. captures the city. Santa Anna loses 4,000 men while Scott loses only 900. -
The Battle Of Buena Vista
The Battle of Buena Vista was on February 23, 1847. President James K. Polk told Taylor’s soldiers to join an adventure with General Winfield Scott, who would go into Mexico City. Taylor was to defend his position with 5,000 inexperienced troops. Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, moved to catch the Americans while they made their transition. Taylor, hearing of the news, placed his outnumbered group near a mountain by Hacienda Buena Vista, where his small numbers might succeed. -
Stronghold Of Veracruz Fall To American Forces
The vitally important Mexican port and stronghold of Veracruz fell to American forces on March 28, 1847, after a two-week siege. General Winfield Scott, with the assistance of Commodore David E. Conner’s Home Squadron, landed an army of 10,000 men at Collado Beach to the south of Veracruz on March 9. Covered by the guns of Conner’s ships, the U.S. troops moved north to invest the defenses of the city, eventually bottling up 3,000 Mexican troops under General Juan Morales behind its defenses. -
The Battle Of Churubusco
The Battle of Churubusco, fought on August 20, 1847, was part of a larger operation by U.S. forces under General Winfield Scott against Mexican General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s defense of Mexico City. U.S. troops faced a challenge of rooting out these forces from several carefully prepared defensive positions. Scott wanted to eliminate these positions in detail. He sent half his army, to eliminate a Mexican force on the western side of the roads, while he faced the Mexican at San Antonio. -
Storming Of The Chapultepec Castle
The successful storming of Chapultepec Castle on September 13, 1847, struck the final blow to the Mexican defense of their capital. The imposing structure - a large castle-style fort, a park, landscaped grounds, and all surrounded by a high wall - commanded a rise that towered over the surrounding plain. American General Winfield Scott ordered his army to take that position, directing General Pillow and his 2,500-man regular division to spearhead the assault. -
Ending The War
The United States won the war and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February 2, 1848. The treaty gave the U.S. lands that would become the states of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, southwestern Colorado, and southwestern Wyoming. Mexico received 15 million dollars and gave up its claims to Texas.
