Question

You are a reporter for channel 1848 and must report live from the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Write a short news report about the causes and outcomes of the war. Use your notes to help you. Make sure you explain the events that led to this major historical event. Use your notes to help you guide your News Flash.

MUST HAVES:
Explains the three causes of the U.S.-Mexican War (30 points)
States the document that ended the war (10 points)
Explains at least three outcomes of the war (30 points)
States if the war had a positive or negative effect on the U.S. and explains why (15 points)
Historical accurate; written in complete sentences (5 points)
3 images that represent the U.S- Mexican War (10 points)

write like a 7th grader

Answer 1

News Flash — Live from the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848!

I am reporting live as American and Mexican leaders put their names on the treaty that ends the U.S.-Mexican War. This war changed the map of North America and affected many lives.

What caused the war?
- Manifest Destiny and expansion: Many Americans believed the United States should stretch across the continent. Leaders wanted land and ports on the Pacific Ocean.
- Annexation of Texas and a border fight: The U.S. added Texas in 1845. Mexico said Texas still belonged to Mexico. The two countries argued over the border — Mexico said the border was the Nueces River, but the United States said it was the Rio Grande.
- Border skirmishes and political pressure: In 1846 American soldiers and Mexican troops clashed in the border area (the Thornton Affair). President James K. Polk asked Congress to declare war, saying Mexico had “shed American blood on American soil.”

What document ended the war?
- The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed today, February 2, 1848.

What are some important outcomes of the war?
- Big land gain for the United States: Mexico gave up a huge area called the Mexican Cession. This included present-day California, Nevada, Utah, most of Arizona and New Mexico, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
- The U.S. paid Mexico $15 million and agreed to assume some American claims against Mexico.
- The Rio Grande was made the official border of Texas.
- Political and social effects: The war gave the U.S. new territory, but it also caused serious arguments about whether slavery should spread into the new lands. Those arguments increased tensions between the North and South.
- Other effects: Many people died, Mexico lost much territory and felt bitter, and American soldiers gained experience that some used later in the Civil War.

Was the war good or bad for the United States?
- The war had both good and bad effects, but overall I would say it had a negative long-term effect. It helped the U.S. grow bigger and stronger by adding lots of land and giving access to the Pacific. But the new territory made the fight over slavery worse. That fight helped lead to the American Civil War, which caused huge suffering. The war also hurt relations with Mexico for many years.

This concludes my live report from the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo signing. I will send more updates as officials finish the final steps.

Images that represent the U.S.-Mexican War (useful for a school project)
1) Painting of the U.S. Army leaving Texas or troops at the Rio Grande — shows the border clash that started the war. (Search “U.S. troops at Rio Grande 1846 painting” or check the Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons.)
2) Map of the Mexican Cession after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo — shows the lands the United States gained in 1848. (Search “Mexican Cession map 1848” or look on the National Archives website.)
3) The actual Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo document or a picture of the signing — shows the agreement that ended the war. (Search “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo original document photo” in the Library of Congress or National Archives.)

End of report.