`Jacob Ketcham
Of the birds of Arizona, the cactus wren is likely to be the most well known, as it is the state bird. The cactus wren is a very vocal bird with the white eye stripes behind each of it’s eyes. Its breast is heavily flecked with dark brown and black, whilst its tail feathers alternate between black, brown and white. Its beak also has a faint curve to it. The cactus wren makes its home in a variety of desert environments, most commonly in the foothills with all manner of scrub such as yucca, mesquite, and its namesake, cactus. One of the most numerous birds of the city is quail who tend to live in washes and bushes as they are often too heavily weighted to fly far off the ground or for long distances. The Northern mockingbird also
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Mexican culture is perhaps the largest influence on the state of Arizona, affecting the cuisine of Arizona quite heavily. Mexican food is widely popular in Arizona, meaning that there are plenty of local Mexican restaurants, each giving a unique experience. Mexican culture also has strong ties to the history of Arizona, as it was once territory belonging to Mexico. Mexicans who inhabited the region over a century ago fought with tribes native to the land in order to wrest control from them. However, war erupted with America on April 25, 1846. The war, now known as the Mexican-American War, resulted in the Mexican Cession. The Cession effectively indoctrinated the states of California, Nevada, most of Arizona, and various sections of other current day states. The war’s start can be contributed to many things, one such reason being the acceptance of Texas as a recognized state by the U.S. This created a great deal of tension with Mexico, as Texas was once their territory, until Mexicans and Americans overthrew the governor of the region and appointed their own leader, Samuel Houston. Houston then brought Texas in as a state to the U.S. in order to assuage any aggressive acts by Mexico. However, tensions soon flared when several small incidents along the border of Mexico and Texas lead to the war. Many politicians in the northern states opposed the war, claiming that it was an attempt of the southern slave owners to gain influence in the new territory. While most of the territory of Arizona was obtained by the end of the war, it was the Gadsden Purchase that attained the rest of the state, along with the southwesternmost part of modern day New Mexico. The purchase gets it’s name from the United States ambassador to Mexico, James Gadsden, who signed the treaty approving the purchase of the territory in the year 1853, not all too long after the
The Mexican-American War of the 1840s, precipitated by border disputes and the U.S. annexation of Texas, ended with the military occupation of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott. In the subsequent treaty, the United States gained territory that would become California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado.
In February 2, 1848, the final armistice treaty Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, through which the United States government got the access to entire area of California, Nevada, Utah plus some territory in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming. As a compensation, the United States government paid 18.25 million dollars to Mexico.( Pecquet, Gary M., and C. F. Thies. 2010) However, apart from the death of people, Mexico lost half of its territory in this war, which initiate Mexican’s hostile towards American. In addition, after the Mexican-American war, there was an absence of national sense in Mexican, which had a negative effect on the unity and development of the country.
believed Mexico could not govern their territory properly, Mexico still owned and had authority over California. The U.S. was not justified in going to war with Mexico because they ignored Mexican authority by settling in California, Mexico’s territory, and established slavery in disputed territory when it was against Mexican law. According to John L. O’Sullivan’s “Annexation”, “The Angelo-Saxon foot is already on [California’s] borders...armed with the plough and the rifle…” (Doc A). The U.S. believed that Mexico “never can exert any real governmental authority over such a country” (Doc A), so they set up towns along the borders of California with armed soldiers in line. These actions were used to pressure Mexico into an attack, so the U.S. could annex California. Charles Sumner states in “Objections to the Mexican-American War”, “Slaveholders crossed the Sabine [river between Louisiana and Texas] with their slaves, in defiance of the Mexican Ordinance of freedom.” (Doc D). Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1821, and one of their founding laws was the ban of slavery. In spite of this, the U.S. broke Mexican law and established slavery in disputed territory.The U.S. used tactics such as angering and pressuring the Mexicans, which helped provoke a war that was
Later they wanted to annex it but Mexico said that any attempts to annex Texas would be an act of war. The Mexican War started in 1846, when Mexicans attacked a group of United States soldiers, under the command of Zachary Taylor, in a disputed zone on the border of United States and Mexico, killing about a dozen American soldiers. President Polk told the U.S. Congress that the “cup of forbearance has been exhausted” which means the Mexicans hit the last straw and it is time for war. President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to Nueces River vs. Rio Grande to poke the Mexicans to shoot and they did. The Mexicans have shed “American blood upon American soil.” The United States wanted war with Mexico now they have a reason to declare war ( History.com
As Americans, we’ve taken far greater than just tacos, burritos, and nachos from the culture of Mexico. Through America’s past relations with Mexico, America has taken large amounts of land, and a sense of power from country south of the United States, Mexico. In 1846, James Polk, a former president of the United States, declared war on Mexico. There was confusion between Mexico and America. Land was being traded, new borders were being formed, but disorientation was aroused causing conflict. Differences in culture, beliefs, and even national law led to dispute among these two countries, making it even more difficult to reach a treaty of peace, or a deal. The Mexican-American War was not justified because it was an excuse for gaining land,
The Mexican-American war began in 1846, but reasons for the war began much earlier when Mexico made the crucial decision to entice settlers to Texas, with the promise of affordable land grants, actions which eventually led to the annexation of Texas by the United States. All they had to do was accept Mexico 's requirements of becoming citizens, speaking Spanish and converting to Catholicism, this to people who were use to a government that people had rights and freedoms, not experienced in Mexico. Mexico wanted them to develop these long uninhibited lands of Texas, in hopes that it would promote development in the area.(Nardo, 1991, p. 16). The selling of land grants started in the 1820s and the Mexican-American
Let us begin in the 1500’s this was when Arizona was first explored by the Spanish. In 1539 Arizona was claimed for Spain by Marcos de Niza. The first Spanish settlers were established in 1752 in Tubac. There were many revolts from two tribes Pima and Papago. In 1821 Mexico acquires military control over Arizona. The United States won the Mexican war in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the United States most of Arizona. The rest of the state was given to the United States in 1853 by the Gadsden Purchase. Arizona discovered Copper in 1854. Arizona became a state on Valentine’s Day in 1912. This states name comes from the "Spanish word Arizonac. This term means little spring" (Bright, 2004, p. 47). The states motto became “Ditat Deus” which translates to “God enriches”.
From the early days of pioneers and settlers, thousands of Americans began to move into what would become Texas. The Mexican government was wanting to populate the Texas area to increase the economy. For a long period of time the Mexican government had placed many laws on the territory, but none that were deeply inforced. Finally when a new dictatorship came into power, they began to enforce the laws. Slavery among other issues
Between the years of 1820 and 1840 there was a vast amount of conflict between America and Mexico. Mexico had just declared its independence from Spain in 1821, in result opening up trading with America. Although the trading flourished over the next two decades between U.S and Mexico, the relations along the Texas borderland worsened. Mexico and the U.S eventually went to war because America was eager to colonize westward and dispute over where the borderline lies in Texas. After years of fighting America claimed victory. America won because all the disadvantages Mexico faced during the war such as a weak central government, a lack in technology, and were at war with the Indians.
Beginning in 1845 and ending in 1850 a series of events took place that would come to be known as the Mexican war and the Texas Revolution. This paper will give an overview on not only the events that occurred (battles, treaties, negotiations, ect.) But also the politics and reasoning behind it all. This was a war that involved America and Mexico fighting over Texas. That was the base for the entire ordeal. This series of events contained some of the most dramatic war strategy that has ever been implemented.
The Mexican-American war determined the destiny of the United States of America, it determined whether or not it would become a world power and it established the size of the United States of America. Perhaps the war was inevitable due to the idea of Manifest Destiny - Americans thought they had the divine right to extend their territory. The Mexican-American War started mainly because of the annexation of the Republic of Texas (established in 1836 after breaking away from Mexico). The United States and Mexico still had conflicts on what the borders of Texas was, the United States claimed that the Texas border with Mexico was the Rio Grande, but the Mexicans said that it was the Nueces River, so the land in between were disputed and claimed by both the United States and Mexico. Hostilities started on April 24th, 1846, 2000 Mexican cavalry crossed the Rio Grande and attacked an American troop of 63 men.
The Mexican War of 1846-1848 was one of major importance to U.S. history, but has since fallen into annals of obscurity. It was the nation’s first war fought on foreign soil: a war that advocated the concept of “manifest destiny”, the United States God-given right to claim territory for the establishment of a free democratic society (Stevenson 2009). Even though many historians claim the war was forced on Mexico by slaveholders greedy for new territory, President John Polk viewed the war as an opportunity to defend the annexation of Texas, establish the Rio Grande as its border, and to acquire the Mexican territories of California and New Mexico (Stevenson 2009).
It was the starting point of hatred between the Mexicans and the Americans, which would develop into the Mexican American War. The Compromise of 1850 resolved the war it was a five bill package that lessened the confrontation between slave and free states. The compromise established California as a free state, New Mexico and Utah as territories with the question of slavery to be set by popular sovereignty, settled a boundary between Texas and Mexico, terminated slave trade in Washington, D.C., and made it easier for southerners to get back their slaves. The Texas problem however, would grow into a revolution led, without any help from the American army. The Mexicans end up being defeated and Texas is declared independent in 1836 but due to slavery Texas was taken over until 1844. Some positive annexation on Texas was that since it was a large state it provided land for raising large cattle farms and had access to the gulf. The negative effects were that it was another slave
The earliest indigenous cultures of Arizona most likely lived in the region as early as 25,000 B.C. A later culture, the Hohokam who lived around 500–1450 A.D. were pit dwellers and built irrigation systems. The Pueblo culture built many of the cliff dwellings that still stand. Later, the Apache and the Navajo came to the area from Canada around 1300 A.D.
After being part of Spain for centuries, Arizona became part of Mexico in 1810. However, during the Mexican-American War in 1848, The United States occupied Mexico City and later on, it claimed much of northern Mexico, including what later became Arizona. In 1853 the United States bought the southern part as well. This event is known as the Gadsden Purchase, named after James Gadsden who was the American ambassador to Mexico at the time.