Mexican-American War (1846-1848) — Multiple Perspectives Including US Opposition (Trauma-Informed)

Sovereignty Promise + Truth-and-Resilience Promise. Show MG-11 pre-1846 boundary — note Mexico extended much further north (present-day CA/NV/UT/AZ/NM + parts of CO/WY/KS/OK/TX).

• Recite Promises
• Confirm caregiver letter received (MG-15 was sent for this lesson)
• Set tone: 'today we see the war from multiple perspectives — including from US opponents'

Direct teach: 1846-1848 Mexican-American War. Texas annexed by US in 1845 (Texas had declared independence from Mexico in 1836 — Texas Revolution; Mexico did not recognize independence). 1846 boundary dispute: US claimed Texas extended to the Rio Grande; Mexico claimed Texas extended only to the Nueces River. President Polk sent US troops into the disputed zone; fighting began. Multi-perspective: (a) Mexican government perspective — invasion of sovereign Mexican territory; (b) Mexican civilian communities of Santa Fe, Taos, Tucson, Los Angeles — life continued under Mexican governance until US troops arrived; (c) US government perspective — manifest destiny + boundary claim; (d) US soldier perspective — enslaved African Americans were among US troops; (e) US opponents — Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes supporting the war and wrote 'Civil Disobedience' 1849; Abraham Lincoln as a congressman from Illinois introduced the 'Spot Resolutions' 1847 asking President Polk to identify the SPOT where Mexican blood was shed on American soil; abolitionists opposed the war seeing it as expansion of slave territory. Read age-adapted Spot Resolutions excerpt.

• American history is not one story — Americans disagreed in 1846-1848 just as Americans disagree today. Honest history shows opposition voices.

  model No. Many Americans opposed the war. Congressman Abraham Lincoln (R-IL) wrote the Spot Resolutions asking the President to identify the spot where Mexican blood was first shed on American soil. Henry David Thoreau refused to pay taxes supporting the war and wrote Civil Disobedience. Many abolitionists opposed the war seeing it as expansion of slave territory.

  prompt Did all Americans support the Mexican-American War?

• Did the Mexican-American War have universal US support?
• Who were the Spot Resolutions named after?
• What was the disputed boundary?

Apply MG-7 to Spot Resolutions excerpt: WHO? Abraham Lincoln, US Representative; WHEN? December 1847; WHY? to challenge President Polk's war justification; AGREE/DISAGREE with Polk? DISAGREE; CLOSE READ key phrase; WHOSE voice silent? Many — Mexican civilians; enslaved soldiers.

M-4-S-HIS-11-A Map

MG-11 displays pre-1846 Mexican territory (including all of present-day CA/NV/UT/AZ/NM and parts of CO/WY/KS/OK/TX) clearly outlined. Star markers identify Mexican American communities pre-1846: Santa Fe NM (founded 1610), Taos NM, Tucson AZ, Los Angeles CA, San Diego CA, Monterey CA, San Antonio TX. Margin shows Treaty Article IX excerpt.

MG-11 Map

Mexican Cession Map — pre-1846 Mexican territory boundary (including all of present-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas) shown against post-Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo 1848 boundary; further changes shown for 1853 Gadsden Purchase; the original 1846 boundary shown for Texas Annexation context. Star icons mark the Mexican American towns and rancho communities that were INCORPORATED INTO the US by the treaty (NOT immigrant communities) — Santa Fe NM, Taos NM, Tucson AZ, Los Angeles CA, San Diego CA, Monterey CA, San Antonio TX. Treaty Article IX excerpt printed in margin: 'The Mexicans... shall be incorporated into the Union of the United States, and be admitted at the proper time... to the enjoyment of all the rights of citizens of the United States, according to the principles of the Constitution.' Style: cartographic with clear before/after boundary lines, Article IX quoted in margin.

• 5-perspective sort: place 5 perspective cards in priority order for understanding the war.

  scaffold Sentence frame: 'From [perspective]'s view, the war was ___'
• Locate the Rio Grande and Nueces River on MG-11. Mark the disputed zone.

  scaffold Use MG-11 with overlay.

M-4-S-HIS-11-B Diagram

5 cardstock perspective cards: (a) Mexican government; (b) Mexican civilians of pre-1846 communities; (c) US government / Polk administration; (d) US soldiers (including enslaved African Americans drafted); (e) US opponents (Lincoln Spot Resolutions, Thoreau Civil Disobedience, abolitionists). Each card includes 1-2 sentence summary + a portrait.

• Name 2 US figures who OPPOSED the Mexican-American War.
• What was the boundary dispute?

• Brief Compassion Circle: each child shares one word on the multi-perspective framing
• Preview tomorrow's Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo Article IX work

• No homework after trauma-informed lessons. Optional: caregiver discussion on dissenting voices in any historical moment.