1. Which Democrat was elected president in 1844 and had his eyes set on territorial expansion?
2. In 1844, what country owned present-day California, Nevada, and Utah; and parts of present-day Colorado,
Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming?
3. Sequence the events in the order in which they took place. (Write the number of each event in the correct
square.)
1. Mexican troops cross the Rio
Grande and engage U.S.
forces.
2. Polk orders U.S. soldiers to
cross the Nueces River to
guard against a possible
attack from Mexico.
3. Polk requests a declaration of
war from the U.S. Congress.
4. Polk orders General Taylor to
claim the disputed area
between the Rio Grande and
Nueces rivers.
5. The Texas Congress votes to
accept America’s offer of
annexation.
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4. Although Polk’s stated goal for a war against Mexico was to secure the U.S. border with that country, what did
most Americans believe the real reason was?
5. Complete the table to show the arguments for and against going to war with Mexico.
For War Against War
President Polk believed that war was necessary in
consideration of what?
6. What happened in California shortly before General Taylor went on the offensive in Mexico?
7. List at least four outcomes or results of the Mexican War:
8. Complete the following table to show the cause and effects of the California Gold Rush:
Cause Effects
What? gold was discovered
When? January 24, 1848
Where? saw mill construction site in
Colomo, California
Who? James Marshall
List at least three results or outcomes of the discovery of gold
in California:
9. After the war with Mexico, the United States had a lot of new territory, and settlers continued to go west in
large numbers. What problem did this pose for the United States?
Congress now had to determine how to make new states out of its acquired territories. Slavery was also
an issue—would new states be admitted as slave states or free states?
