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In 1845, when Texas was annexed as a slave state, Mexico believed that was an act of war. When America tried to pay them money for Texas, California, and New Mexico, they declined. This caused both sides to send troops to the Rio Grande river, the border between Mexico and Texas. When the Mexican army killed and wounded many soldiers there, Congress officially        declared war against Mexico. General Stephen Kearny with his soldiers and western volunteers, captured California and New Mexico without firing a single shot. They named this land the Republic Of California.

They US troops invaded Mexico in two directions. They battle of Buena Vista took place in northern Mexico where General Taylor with his 4,800 troops well trained troops defeated Santa Anna's 15,000 troops. After the first day of fighting, Santa Anna gave Taylor a choice to surrender, but at the end, it was Santa Anna who retreated. The other battle happened where Winfield Scott defeated the Chapultepec defenders in Mexico City. On February 2, 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo  was signed which ended the war. This made Mexico realize that Texas was a US state. California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Wyoming and Colorado were also added to the US as result of the Mexican Cession.

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John O'Sullivan should be taking some credit for making the idea of "manifest destiny". When me and my buddies were making our way to the Rio Grande, that helped motivate us through those rough deserts. That helped us make sure that we were killing all these people for a reason! The US is our home, so we want to make it bigger. Once we got through with those Mexicans, it only felt like a bump in the road.

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I was on my ranch in San Francisco minding my own business when  ten large men with guns came bursting through my door! Apparently Santa Anna got into some beef with the Americans and now they are taking over our land! I have been tending to this land for twenty years now, and they are just going to take it from me! I heard they are going to replace men like me with slaves from the west. Hopefully the Americans leave me and my property alone because I don't want them tagging my cattle.