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How did the original inhabitants resist American expansion?

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How did the original inhabitants resist American expansion?

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Groups like Las Gorras Blancas would do things like break barbed wire, burn barns, and tear up train tracks to retaliate against the white settlers taking their land.

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Was the U.S. justified in acquiring the territory? Why or why not?

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Was the U.S. justified in acquiring the territory? Why or why not?

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The U.S. was justified in acquiring this territory because the costs were just temporary. For example, the protests only happened during the war, the worry about slavery did not affect people in this territory after all. Also, Americans benefited because they were able to find gold in California.

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How did U.S. acquisition of this territory impact those who already lived there?

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How did U.S. acquisition of this territory impact those who already lived there?

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The Mexicans that were already living there were forced to become U.S. citizens. Most of the Mexicans wanted to stay Mexican citizens, so they would run off to present day Mexico to ensure this.

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President James K. Polk tried to buy the northern half of Mexico, (New Mexico and Alta Califor-nia), but Mexico was offended and refused to sell it. The U.S was mad and claimed that Mexico had invaded their territory and declared war on them.

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What were the costs of gaining this territory, for the U.S.?

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What were the costs of gaining this territory, for the U.S.?

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A war with Mexico had to be fought to gain this Territory. Many people supported the war, but some thought the fighting would have stopped quickly. This caused there to be protests including ones in magazines, pamphlets, and newspapers. People called the war Polk’s war, after the president who they were mad at. Polk questioned these people’s patriotism. People who opposed slavery believed that the war was a Southern scheme to expand slavery because Polk supported slavery, and it could be brought into the Mexican Territory.

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How did gaining this territory benefit the U.S.?

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How did gaining this territory benefit the U.S.?

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The California area was now gained by the U.S. which meant that they could start going into California to get gold.  This was the beginning of the gold rush; many people began to migrate towards California for the gold which would lead to settlement there, and then lead to further development.

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The West: A Film by Steven Ives | Ken Burns | PBS

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The West: A Film by Steven Ives | Ken Burns | PBS | The West | Ken Burns | PBS

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A nine-part series chronicling the turbulent history of one of the most extraordinary landscapes on earth. Beginning when the land belonged only to Native Americans and ending in the 20th century, the film introduces unforgettable characters whose competing dreams transformed the land. It was a…