1. James Polk
   Abraham Lincoln
2. Gerald Ford

James Polk was Commander-in-Chief during the Mexican-American War. The conflict is a primary aspect of the man’s legacy.

1. 1810s
   1840s
2. 1880s

The Mexican-American War lasted from 1846-48, a generation before America’s Civil War. This war had a major impact on the U.S.’s territorial holdings.

1. true
2. false

It’s true. After conflicts like the American Revolution and the War of 1812, fought primarily on U.S. territory, the Mexican-American War saw U.S. troops fight outside their homelands.

1. Both sides believe they were destined to meet on the battlefield in glory.
   America wanted more territory.
2. Mexico believed it had a right to lands of Iowa.

In the 1840s, the lands of West were still very wild and untamed. Americans believed that they had a manifest destiny to settle and populate the territories between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

1. gold
   territory dispute
2. assassination attempt

Mexico and American were squabbling over lands of the Southwest, particularly in the areas around Texas. Hostilities escalated time and again, until eventually bloodshed became inevitable.

1. The Colorado River was dammed.
   The U.S. annexed Texas.
2. America outlawed burritos.

In March 1845, Mexico shut down diplomatic relations with America, all because the U.S. annexed the area of Texas. It was yet another step toward violence.

1. fewer than 80,000
   about 1 million
2. just under 3 million

When the war started, Mexico’s physical grasp on the contested land were weak — fewer than 80,000 of its citizens lived north of the Rio Grande. That gave America’s generals a head start on securing the area.

1. The war was very divisive.
   No one wanted anything to do with war.
2. Everyone wanted to burn Mexico to the ground.

At home, the war was a source of major controversy. Anti-slavery groups were apalled at the idea of the South finding more lands with which to expand the practice of human bondage, and many leaders decried the war’s financial costs and bloodshed.

1. No one really lived there.
   Very turbulent and violent.
2. Stable and peaceful ... until the Americans came along.

Northern Mexico was very violent and scary, thanks to major conflict with the Apache Indians, who killed thousands of civilians. The Mexican government did very little to calm the situation, a fact that gave American troops leverage as they advanced.

1. true
2. false

Although the process was fraught with controversy, Texas became the 28th U.S. state on December 29, 1845. But as it turned out, the transition would not be an entirely peaceful one.

1. all of Nebraska and South Dakota
   $25 million
2. his first-born child

President Polk secretly offered the Mexicans $25 million for the contested lands in the region. But the Mexican government showed zero interest in the money.

1. It was solid and capable government.
   It was a good government but with some corruption.
2. It was almost complete turmoil.

The Mexican government was in terrible turmoil, with constant turnover even at the highest levels. In short, weaknesses at the top made the country very vulnerable.

1. a river explorer
   the war’s first fatality
2. a famous U.S. general

In early 1846, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to occupy disputed areas between the Rio Grande and Nueces Rivers. Taylor became a central figure of the war’s hostilities. And later, he became president.

1. Mexico attacked America.
   The U.S. invaded Acapulco.
2. Taco Bell and Del Taco employees feuded in the streets of San Antonio.

On April 25, 1846, a group of Mexican cavalrymen attacked General Taylor’s troops in a contested area between the Nueces and Rio Grand Rivers. The war was on.

1. Harriet Tubman
   Frederick Douglass
2. Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln called out Polk in his eight "Spot Resolutions." In short, prove that American troops were attacked on U.S. soil ... or just admit that you’re using a so-called Mexican attack to justify a land grab in the Southwest.

1. true
2. false

Following Mexico’s aggression, President Polk was up in arms in front of Congress, which issued a formal declaration of war. Mexico, on the other hand, never declared war on the U.S.

1. in New York
   in exile
2. in Antarctica

Antonio López de Santa Anna was exiled to Cuba in the years before the war started. He was the Mexican general who had slaughtered everyone at the Alamo just a few years earlier.

1. true
2. false

False. The famous last stand at the Alamo took place in 1836, when Texians were fighting for independence from Mexico. But figures from this epic battle did play a role in the war.

1. to negotiate peace
   to start a taco truck business
2. to become a puppet leader in California

Polk let Santa Anna leave exile on the condition that the Mexican leader would help end the war. But Santa Anna broke his word ... once he reached Mexico, he took the helm in fighting the U.S.

1. He was easily confused — he surrendered even though he’d already won.
   He got lost.
2. He didn’t pursue the Mexicans.

Taylor won important early battles. But he clearly wanted no part of a full-scale invasion of Mexico, failing to pursue his adversaries in an aggressive manner, a fact that angered President Polk.

1. the same at America’s
   fairly modern, really
2. very outdated

Mexico’s weapons were very old, with antiquated muskets making up much of its arsenal. This turned out to be a major problem for the Mexicans during the war.

1. about 1,700
   about 27,000
2. about 127,000

Compared to some of America’s other wars, this one was fairly minor. About 1,700 troops died in combat.

1. Battle of Palo Alto
   Battle of the Bulge
2. Battle of Gettysburg

On May 8, a Mexican force of about 3,700 men clashed with 2,300 American troops at the Battle of Palo Alto. It was the first real battle of the war.

1. Maxim guns
   artillery
2. flamethrowers

The U.S. expertly deployed its artillery at the Battle of Palo Alto, particularly its horse-drawn light artillery. Americans won the battle in spite of being outnumbered.

1. He accidentally ended up in Oregon.
   His men were slaughtered.
2. There was no real resistance.

Kearny’s orders were to secure the area of New Mexico. He arrived and took Santa Fe without so much as firing a shot.

1. lasted just 20 minutes
   many cavalry charges
2. urban warfare

In September 1846, General Taylor’s men invaded Monterrey, and urban combat resulted. Nearly 500 American troops were killed, in part because many had no clue how to fight in a crowded city.

1. Tijuana
   Baja
2. Mexico City

In the fall of 1847, Gen. Scott besieged Chapultepec Castle in Mexico City. There, some school-age cadets supposedly committed suicide rather than surrender, adding to Mexico’s legacy of bravery during the war.

1. Mexico
   United States
2. It was indecisive.

After about a year of fighting, Mexico gave up the war. And America’s territorial expansion continued unabated.

1. It added fuel to the fire.
   It nearly ended slavery.
2. It really had no effect.

WIth America’s victory, the lands of the South expanded westward, giving more power to pro-slavery leaders. Just a few years later, that issue would be a major contributing factor in the agonizing Civil War.

1. about 5%
   about 30%
2. about 85%

Mexico’s disorganized response to the fighting cost it dearly. The country lost nearly one-third of its territory to America.