Hiatus Update! – How Did We Not Know That
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Show Notes
Before President James K. Polk, America looked a lot smaller than it does today. In this episode, Nat gives an overview of the Mexican-American War and how it changed the landscape of our country forever.
Sources:
- Khan Academy
- https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/mexican-american-war
- https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/treaty-of-guadalupe-hidalgo
- https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/james-k-polk/
- https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/bear-flag-revolt
- https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/texas
- https://www.tsl.texas.gov/treasures/republic/index.html
- https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo
Transcript
0:00:00.170,0:00:06.210
okay um hi everyone welcome to another
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episode of how did we not know that I’m
0:00:06.210,0:00:14.070
one of your hosts my name is Jack and
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I’m Matt and yes yeah and that’s that’s
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us okay so today NAT will be presenting
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on a topic that she chose go ahead now
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yes I’m going to be talking about the
0:00:24.449,0:00:30.000
mexican-american war yeah
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do you know much about that I know
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nothing I’m guessing that William
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McKinley is this the one who led us
0:00:34.170,0:00:38.879
through a result the spanish-american
0:00:35.790,0:00:42.030
war the spanish-american war so okay so
0:00:38.879,0:00:44.489
different things yeah so these are two
0:00:42.030,0:00:47.160
different things um yeah this war was
0:00:44.489,0:00:50.309
actually led by President James K Polk
0:00:47.160,0:00:50.879
um I did not know much about him as a
0:00:50.309,0:00:54.530
president
0:00:50.879,0:00:57.270
so I ever heard of him yeah yeah okay um
0:00:54.530,0:00:59.160
yeah I feel like I learned about the
0:00:57.270,0:01:02.579
mexican-american war maybe in high
0:00:59.160,0:01:05.850
school briefly um but like we didn’t
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talk a lot about it also my dad is from
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Mexico so like we’ll talk about it once
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in a while but like I really didn’t know
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the details of the war so like I had
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heard about it and I was like let me
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look into it a little bit more um
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because it was recently Cinco de Mayo I
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was thinking about past you know
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us-mexico relations so yeah so as you do
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on Cinco de Maya that’s how you
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celebrate Cinco de Mayo
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but yeah so I decided to look into this
0:01:31.860,0:01:36.659
war a little bit more so yeah so like I
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said earlier it was led by President
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James K Polk he was considered actually
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one of the last strong presidents until
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the Civil War so he was a he was a
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really strong leader whether or not you
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agree with his actions uh that’s the kid
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I asked when he was president so he
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would have been before Abraham Lincoln
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and so like way back yeah so he was
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actually elected in 1844 and he only
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served one term from 1845 to 1849 so
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this is a while back and he was a
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Democrat and his whole deal was that he
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was a huge supporter of manaphy
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destiny manifest destiny and he wanted
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to expand u.s. territory like all across
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North America basically he wanted to
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take over as much land as possible like
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his whole campaign was at the Oregon
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Territory should be reapplied and then
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Texas should be Rhian –ax so we’re
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gonna get it to Texas a little bit later
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all right
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we annexed is like we removed them like
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they’re not part of us the annex is
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basically like you take an independent
0:02:44.550,0:02:50.410
nation and then you like you make it a
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part of your nation so you okay so we
0:02:50.410,0:02:56.530
wanted to take Texas okay this is the
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part I did not know about at the time
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Texas was a country it was called the
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Republic of Texas but I believe that
0:03:01.030,0:03:06.100
literally if you meet anyone from Texas
0:03:03.280,0:03:07.990
they act like it’s a country still so I
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was like doing my research on the
0:03:07.990,0:03:12.160
Republic of Texas and there’s a lot of
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very like patriotic websites dedicated
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to the whole country but yeah for nine
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years it was an independent nation which
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I did not know they’re like most likely
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to split from the rest of the United
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States likely to yeah yeah so the whole
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time like James Polk really wanted to I
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wanted to annex the Republic of Texas
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and additionally on top of all this he
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also settled a border dispute with
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Britain and he gained control of
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Washington Oregon Idaho and then parts
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of Montana and Wyoming so this is so why
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yeah if you look at a map of the u.s.
0:03:53.709,0:03:59.070
like before James President Polk and
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then after President Polk it’s like
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insane and so during his campaign he
0:04:03.519,0:04:09.310
also said he wanted to acquire the
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southwest part of what is now today the
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u.s. but he wanted to control all those
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states by buying it but Mexico kept
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saying like no we don’t want to sell it
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oh so before then that Southwest was all
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territory of Mexico like California New
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Mexico Nevada
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California was even Mexico’s okay what
0:04:27.590,0:04:32.570
about um like in the North II no not
0:04:30.440,0:04:35.330
northeast the Northwest area so like
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Oregon and Washington was that whose was
0:04:35.330,0:04:40.280
that yeah I believe it was like British
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control because that’s when comes in and
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etc settles that border dispute but also
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like we have to remember like before
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that it was like Native American land
0:04:47.390,0:04:54.890
right like first and foremost but right
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right so yeah let me jump to the
0:04:54.890,0:04:58.880
Republic of Texas because this is what
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really may be interested in the whole
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topic so after Mexico gains independence
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from Spain so side note if you didn’t
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know Mexico was a Spanish colony um so
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then in Mexico gains its independence
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and they allow us settlers to start
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living in Texas in the state of Texas
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and once this happens like the
0:05:16.970,0:05:23.860
population of Texas booms and but this
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like really reduces the amount of
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Mexicans living in Texas so now it’s
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like mostly us settlers rather than
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actual Mexicans living in Texas and so
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because of this newest settlers like
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revolt against Mexico and they claim
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independence from the country of Mexico
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in 1836 and so there’s a whole Texas
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revolution that’s where I don’t know if
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you’ve heard of like the Battle of the
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Alamo I feel like the crown yeah I know
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nothing about it I always really
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remember the Alamo but yeah and they
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like we’re fighting against Mexico okay
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so when US settlers were fighting
0:06:01.760,0:06:08.590
against Mexico so it’s us settlers
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versus like Mexican soldiers and now
0:06:08.590,0:06:14.960
settlers would okay so that’s
0:06:12.139,0:06:17.330
you say remember that Alamo I gotta look
0:06:14.960,0:06:19.340
into that I don’t know something like
0:06:17.330,0:06:21.860
the Battle of the Alamo but it was one
0:06:19.340,0:06:24.860
of the battles within the Texas
0:06:21.860,0:06:27.379
Revolution yeah I wonder why they don’t
0:06:24.860,0:06:30.710
want to forget that remember the Alamo I
0:06:27.379,0:06:33.259
did it looking to be honest like battles
0:06:30.710,0:06:35.449
are not it like my strong suit they’re
0:06:33.259,0:06:38.659
not what I’m most interested in so as
0:06:35.449,0:06:41.090
well that’s fair yeah through the
0:06:38.659,0:06:43.039
battles but yeah it’s like a rabbit hole
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to I feel like when you look at one
0:06:43.039,0:06:46.819
battle it’ll connect to like multiple
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other ones and then you just can’t get
0:06:46.819,0:06:54.199
it out right right yeah so Texas gains
0:06:51.319,0:06:55.819
independence and at first the US didn’t
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want to incorporate it into the Union
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because the northern states didn’t want
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another new slave state so at the time
0:07:02.150,0:07:06.050
there was like a pretty good balance
0:07:03.199,0:07:07.460
between like slave states and non slave
0:07:06.050,0:07:09.289
states so they were like oh we don’t
0:07:07.460,0:07:13.909
need another safe safe so please don’t
0:07:09.289,0:07:15.919
please don’t join us actually it was a
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pretty risky move because the Mexican
0:07:15.919,0:07:21.169
government was also encouraging border
0:07:17.990,0:07:23.599
raids and they warned that like if the
0:07:21.169,0:07:26.750
US tried to annex Texas it would lead to
0:07:23.599,0:07:28.879
war and so yeah it was a pretty risky
0:07:26.750,0:07:31.310
move and if you’re wondering like what
0:07:28.879,0:07:34.129
the Republic of Texas was like as a
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country for the most part they really
0:07:34.129,0:07:39.169
had no money like credit or governmental
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structures it was really hard to
0:07:39.169,0:07:44.289
establish a strong government because
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they were constantly fighting against
0:07:44.289,0:07:50.089
like Mexican soldiers and then also
0:07:47.060,0:07:53.719
Native American tribes and yeah so it
0:07:50.089,0:07:56.659
was not really it it like it was a
0:07:53.719,0:08:02.000
independent nation but yeah it was not a
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very strong nation so in 1844 the
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president before President James Polk
0:08:05.500,0:08:13.939
who his name is President John Tyler
0:08:08.770,0:08:16.129
also don’t know much about him he right
0:08:13.939,0:08:19.159
before he leaves office he proposes a
0:08:16.129,0:08:21.680
Treaty of annexation to the republic of
0:08:19.159,0:08:25.160
texas so he also really wants to annex
0:08:21.680,0:08:27.140
Texas and this treaty is defeated in the
0:08:25.160,0:08:29.990
again because it would upset the slave
0:08:27.140,0:08:32.330
state free state balance and then
0:08:29.990,0:08:34.340
clovers go war with Mexico so they did
0:08:32.330,0:08:36.530
early no no thank you
0:08:34.340,0:08:39.289
however like pretty much like right
0:08:36.530,0:08:42.860
before he like a couple months before he
0:08:39.289,0:08:44.990
leaves office he actually does president
0:08:42.860,0:08:47.750
Tyler manages to get a congressional
0:08:44.990,0:08:51.980
resolution passed and this resolution is
0:08:47.750,0:08:55.880
signed into law on March 1st 1845 and so
0:08:51.980,0:08:58.160
then President John Tyler leaves office
0:08:55.880,0:09:00.560
President James Polk assumes office and
0:08:58.160,0:09:04.250
Texas and it’s officially admitted to
0:09:00.560,0:09:07.460
the Union on December 29 1845 so the
0:09:04.250,0:09:10.790
same day President Polk assumes office
0:09:07.460,0:09:13.280
Texas is right and the Union is like the
0:09:10.790,0:09:17.840
northern states right the Union is like
0:09:13.280,0:09:20.660
all the it’s like a you know okay it
0:09:17.840,0:09:23.180
just means the US then but yeah and I’d
0:09:20.660,0:09:25.810
it like a non slave state its Civil War
0:09:23.180,0:09:29.210
then you have like Union say
0:09:25.810,0:09:31.750
Confederates like my time it’s like the
0:09:29.210,0:09:35.270
Union is like it’s just everything okay
0:09:31.750,0:09:37.940
what side was Texas on for the Civil War
0:09:35.270,0:09:41.120
do you remember their Confederate
0:09:37.940,0:09:43.610
they’re like Oh in the south and they
0:09:41.120,0:09:46.910
were also a safe State so okay Shane
0:09:43.610,0:09:48.410
yeah so this is like yeah again just a
0:09:46.910,0:09:49.660
reminder like this is all right before
0:09:48.410,0:09:53.300
the Civil War
0:09:49.660,0:09:56.750
mmm like gives you a better yeah
0:09:53.300,0:09:58.550
understanding so even though like Mexico
0:09:56.750,0:10:01.160
was like hey if you guys annex Texas
0:09:58.550,0:10:02.960
we’re gonna go to war with you they
0:10:01.160,0:10:05.860
actually don’t end up declaring war
0:10:02.960,0:10:08.380
however like tensions start rising
0:10:05.860,0:10:11.960
because there’s huge border disputes
0:10:08.380,0:10:15.050
like even though the u.s. annexed Texas
0:10:11.960,0:10:16.400
like Texas is a huge state and so even
0:10:15.050,0:10:20.750
within that state there were border
0:10:16.400,0:10:23.390
disputes over like weird where the two
0:10:20.750,0:10:26.780
countries split off so basically Mexico
0:10:23.390,0:10:29.540
claims that this USS River is the border
0:10:26.780,0:10:33.140
but the US wants the Rio Grande to be
0:10:29.540,0:10:35.600
the border and so like they’re fighting
0:10:33.140,0:10:38.480
and arguing and within that border like
0:10:35.600,0:10:39.740
there’s a lot of like small little
0:10:38.480,0:10:45.519
permission I guess you would call them
0:10:39.740,0:10:51.079
like not official battles a skirmish is
0:10:45.519,0:10:54.920
actual term squirmish but I had like a
0:10:51.079,0:10:57.380
scuffle or something yeah I don’t know
0:10:54.920,0:10:59.029
yeah scrimmage scrimmage is like sports
0:10:57.380,0:11:01.670
when it’s like not a real game it’s a
0:10:59.029,0:11:03.529
scrimmage yeah okay maybe that’s what
0:11:01.670,0:11:08.990
I’m thinking of either way they’re like
0:11:03.529,0:11:14.570
my minor little stuff Oh war yet however
0:11:08.990,0:11:17.300
so July 1845 so Hulk and so this is
0:11:14.570,0:11:19.339
before like Texas is officially declared
0:11:17.300,0:11:21.019
a state right but this is kind of like
0:11:19.339,0:11:22.490
after resolutions have been passed so
0:11:21.019,0:11:24.709
they’re like okay it’s pretty much gonna
0:11:22.490,0:11:27.440
be official so will President Polk send
0:11:24.709,0:11:29.120
US troops to this like disputed land
0:11:27.440,0:11:33.320
that’s between the new Estes and the Rio
0:11:29.120,0:11:36.290
Grande and then in November 1845
0:11:33.320,0:11:39.110
President Polk sends a diplomat named
0:11:36.290,0:11:43.430
John Slidell to Mexico in order to seek
0:11:39.110,0:11:46.430
like boundary adjustments however in
0:11:43.430,0:11:48.949
they also want to like by California and
0:11:46.430,0:11:51.079
New Mexico but this doesn’t work out and
0:11:48.949,0:11:52.940
they kind of Mexico kind of shoots them
0:11:51.079,0:11:54.470
down they’re like no like we’re good we
0:11:52.940,0:11:59.000
just want to keep all of our land like
0:11:54.470,0:12:01.130
please leave us alone and because like
0:11:59.000,0:12:03.139
President Polk is very determined to
0:12:01.130,0:12:06.500
acquire all this land so he sends
0:12:03.139,0:12:08.480
general Zachary Taylor to the mouth of
0:12:06.500,0:12:12.139
the Rio Grande so this is kind of like
0:12:08.480,0:12:14.839
okay where this is official and we’re
0:12:12.139,0:12:18.010
taking this over basically so on April
0:12:14.839,0:12:20.810
25th 1846 the next year basically
0:12:18.010,0:12:23.420
Mexican Calvary attacks a group of US
0:12:20.810,0:12:26.810
soldiers in this disputed zone between
0:12:23.420,0:12:29.240
the two rivers and this these US troops
0:12:26.810,0:12:33.829
are under the command of general Zachary
0:12:29.240,0:12:39.019
Taylor and so about a dozen Americans
0:12:33.829,0:12:41.329
are killed and additionally Mexican
0:12:39.019,0:12:43.910
troops laid siege to an American fort
0:12:41.329,0:12:46.269
along the Rio Grande and so they kind of
0:12:43.910,0:12:48.019
like won this little battle and then
0:12:46.269,0:12:49.390
like after this
0:12:48.019,0:12:52.320
so after there they’re like winning
0:12:49.390,0:12:54.570
general Taylor calls in for reinforce
0:12:52.320,0:12:56.180
and this reinforcement is like they have
0:12:54.570,0:12:59.600
a lot of better weapons and our killer
0:12:56.180,0:13:02.690
artillery so like basically after that
0:12:59.600,0:13:04.649
there’s like a lot more battles but
0:13:02.690,0:13:06.839
basically I think once we call
0:13:04.649,0:13:10.019
reinforcements and we get congressional
0:13:06.839,0:13:12.120
support we’re able to like attack all of
0:13:10.019,0:13:15.089
these all of the Mexican troops that are
0:13:12.120,0:13:17.040
being sent and yeah and then we
0:13:15.089,0:13:19.740
basically win like everything after this
0:13:17.040,0:13:22.319
yeah so this little so because we kind
0:13:19.740,0:13:24.360
of lost this little upset President Polk
0:13:22.319,0:13:26.190
was like really really pissed and he
0:13:24.360,0:13:28.110
goes to Congress and he’s like hey like
0:13:26.190,0:13:29.819
we really need to declare war because
0:13:28.110,0:13:31.500
like so far you guys have been kind of
0:13:29.819,0:13:34.350
lenient I know you don’t want to upset
0:13:31.500,0:13:36.899
like the balance between the states but
0:13:34.350,0:13:39.120
like they’re attacking us so we have to
0:13:36.899,0:13:41.430
go to war so on May 13th Congress
0:13:39.120,0:13:43.199
declares war and again there’s
0:13:41.430,0:13:44.670
opposition from all the northern states
0:13:43.199,0:13:47.370
they’re like please don’t do this
0:13:44.670,0:13:48.959
um and additionally there’s throughout
0:13:47.370,0:13:51.449
this whole mexican-american war there’s
0:13:48.959,0:13:54.060
actually no official declaration of war
0:13:51.449,0:13:56.360
from Mexico so this is just kind of like
0:13:54.060,0:14:00.329
on the American side so I think that’s
0:13:56.360,0:14:02.430
important to keep in mind uh so after
0:14:00.329,0:14:04.620
this after this all happens the
0:14:02.430,0:14:06.870
mexican-american war goes into full
0:14:04.620,0:14:09.959
fledge so just to give you a little like
0:14:06.870,0:14:18.149
overview of the war as a whole so it
0:14:09.959,0:14:20.550
lasts from 1846 to 1847 Flick fought
0:14:18.149,0:14:23.339
mainly on foreign soil so I thought that
0:14:20.550,0:14:24.990
was super interesting yeah maybe that’s
0:14:23.339,0:14:28.440
why we don’t care about it so much
0:14:24.990,0:14:31.230
because it wasn’t on US soil yeah yeah
0:14:28.440,0:14:34.050
it was fought mostly on Mexican
0:14:31.230,0:14:36.870
territory and I mean the whole purpose
0:14:34.050,0:14:40.439
was like for territorial acquisition and
0:14:36.870,0:14:42.209
like so it’s yeah maybe that’s why we
0:14:40.439,0:14:44.760
don’t really talk about it as much but
0:14:42.209,0:14:46.889
there’s a lot of like high morale on the
0:14:44.760,0:14:49.290
US side because at this time we have a
0:14:46.889,0:14:51.149
really strong Navy our government
0:14:49.290,0:14:52.800
leadership is super strong as well and
0:14:51.149,0:14:54.300
then our economy is doing a lot better
0:14:52.800,0:14:56.370
than Mexico so everyone’s pretty
0:14:54.300,0:14:59.069
confident that we’re going to win this
0:14:56.370,0:15:01.829
um and additionally at this point
0:14:59.069,0:15:03.870
there’s only around seventy five
0:15:01.829,0:15:05.050
thousand Mexicans that are currently
0:15:03.870,0:15:07.060
living north of the
0:15:05.050,0:15:09.190
Rio Grande so because of this it’s like
0:15:07.060,0:15:11.980
really easy to conquer these lands
0:15:09.190,0:15:13.140
so wait before you on where is the Rio
0:15:11.980,0:15:16.060
Grande
0:15:13.140,0:15:19.019
that’s actually a little like a spoiler
0:15:16.060,0:15:22.899
that’s our that’s a current like border
0:15:19.019,0:15:27.790
a natural border between the u.s. and
0:15:22.899,0:15:32.970
Mexico oh I see okay Texas today I guess
0:15:27.790,0:15:35.740
ah so yeah it’s a really big river and
0:15:32.970,0:15:38.440
yeah it’s spoiler alert that’s that’s
0:15:35.740,0:15:42.850
not creme order today so I guess we know
0:15:38.440,0:15:44.440
how this ends but yeah you’re like
0:15:42.850,0:15:47.740
saving it for later it’s why you didn’t
0:15:44.440,0:15:51.040
tell me it’s fine I feel like yeah
0:15:47.740,0:15:55.540
people probably know but you know yeah
0:15:51.040,0:15:58.899
and but yeah so I guess there’s a lot of
0:15:55.540,0:16:01.540
battles there’s I could list them off is
0:15:58.899,0:16:03.579
the Battle of Buena Vista in February
0:16:01.540,0:16:05.649
1847
0:16:03.579,0:16:08.440
there’s the Battle of Veracruz the
0:16:05.649,0:16:10.360
Battle of Mexico City and again I kind
0:16:08.440,0:16:13.329
of like I’m just listing these off I
0:16:10.360,0:16:14.920
don’t mean to like diminish the I guess
0:16:13.329,0:16:17.500
the importance of these battles and like
0:16:14.920,0:16:21.670
make light of it I just I’m not I don’t
0:16:17.500,0:16:23.589
think I’m person qualified hungry yeah
0:16:21.670,0:16:26.380
these battles I don’t really have a
0:16:23.589,0:16:28.089
strong knowledge of like military and
0:16:26.380,0:16:30.880
like artillery like during this period
0:16:28.089,0:16:33.850
so yeah if you would like to learn more
0:16:30.880,0:16:37.390
please go ahead and look at history calm
0:16:33.850,0:16:40.480
has some amazing about these battles but
0:16:37.390,0:16:44.020
um so now I’m going to jump to like
0:16:40.480,0:16:45.970
Mexico’s perspective so Mexico is like
0:16:44.020,0:16:48.070
not doing great they’ve won they’ve lost
0:16:45.970,0:16:50.380
sorry they’ve lost pretty much every
0:16:48.070,0:16:55.209
battle um and it doesn’t look like
0:16:50.380,0:16:57.550
they’re gonna win and so they in a put
0:16:55.209,0:17:01.240
in like an act of desperation they turn
0:16:57.550,0:17:03.279
to general Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana
0:17:01.240,0:17:05.939
and so let me tell you a little bit
0:17:03.279,0:17:09.240
about this guy see the guy kind of a
0:17:05.939,0:17:13.839
wild wild record so he’s this very
0:17:09.240,0:17:16.929
charismatic leader uh who was actually
0:17:13.839,0:17:18.339
kind of a former dictator in Mexico um
0:17:16.929,0:17:19.990
and
0:17:18.339,0:17:23.409
you at this point in time he was
0:17:19.990,0:17:24.819
currently living in exile in Cuba so he
0:17:23.409,0:17:26.500
had like been arrested in Mexico and
0:17:24.819,0:17:28.750
they’re like get out like we don’t want
0:17:26.500,0:17:32.740
you anymore you’re kind of you’re too
0:17:28.750,0:17:36.640
much for us until in Cuba which was a
0:17:32.740,0:17:39.580
Spanish colony at the time however so
0:17:36.640,0:17:41.529
general Santa Anna like so they’re
0:17:39.580,0:17:43.419
Mexico is like you’re a really good
0:17:41.529,0:17:46.029
military leader so like we kind of need
0:17:43.419,0:17:48.429
you right now and Santa I was like okay
0:17:46.029,0:17:50.529
I’ll be there but I can’t really like
0:17:48.429,0:17:53.919
get there because like there’s so many
0:17:50.529,0:17:55.659
US naval blockades blocking my path like
0:17:53.919,0:17:58.750
I can’t get to Mexico from Cuba
0:17:55.659,0:17:59.289
and so what he does is he so general
0:17:58.750,0:18:02.470
Santa Anna
0:17:59.289,0:18:06.970
like talks to well I guess communicate
0:18:02.470,0:18:10.690
somehow through mail Oh carrier pigeons
0:18:06.970,0:18:12.940
or something so somehow he gets in touch
0:18:10.690,0:18:17.260
with President Polk and he’s like hey
0:18:12.940,0:18:19.120
like if you allow me to return to Mexico
0:18:17.260,0:18:21.970
and pass through all your naval
0:18:19.120,0:18:24.370
blockades I’m gonna end this war in
0:18:21.970,0:18:26.740
terms favorable to the US so he’s like
0:18:24.370,0:18:28.570
I’m gonna help out the US and they’re
0:18:26.740,0:18:30.580
like he’s like don’t worry like Mexico
0:18:28.570,0:18:33.549
wants me back but I’m not gonna let them
0:18:30.580,0:18:36.669
like win and so President Polk was like
0:18:33.549,0:18:40.390
okay cool like thanks you can go ahead
0:18:36.669,0:18:42.450
like so general Santana he makes it to
0:18:40.390,0:18:44.980
Mexico and then he immediately
0:18:42.450,0:18:46.630
double-crosses President Polk by taking
0:18:44.980,0:18:48.190
control of the Mexican army and then
0:18:46.630,0:18:51.100
leading it it’s a battle and like
0:18:48.190,0:18:54.220
straight thing the Mexican army he’s
0:18:51.100,0:18:54.850
like I played you so I’m honestly not
0:18:54.220,0:18:57.549
surprised
0:18:54.850,0:19:00.070
I don’t know how President Polk was like
0:18:57.549,0:19:03.010
yeah that sounds cool like his defense
0:19:00.070,0:19:05.770
like this general had been exiled from
0:19:03.010,0:19:07.510
Mexico and they like kinda all hated him
0:19:05.770,0:19:09.340
and they’re like okay so he made the
0:19:07.510,0:19:11.559
case like I don’t even look like Mexico
0:19:09.340,0:19:15.360
I’m gonna help you guys we’re not on the
0:19:11.559,0:19:18.669
same side so but okay well because of
0:19:15.360,0:19:19.870
general Santana the war lasts for almost
0:19:18.669,0:19:22.779
two years
0:19:19.870,0:19:24.760
so I mean it probably would’ve lasted a
0:19:22.779,0:19:28.360
lot shorter because the u.s. was like
0:19:24.760,0:19:32.200
doing so well before he came um so yeah
0:19:28.360,0:19:32.679
because his arrival and then his kind of
0:19:32.200,0:19:35.769
like
0:19:32.679,0:19:37.539
shaping of the whole army yeah it lasts
0:19:35.769,0:19:38.980
for like a lot longer than the US had
0:19:37.539,0:19:41.049
expected they kind of thought it was
0:19:38.980,0:19:44.350
going to be like really quick over and
0:19:41.049,0:19:48.639
done but it kind of dragged on a lot
0:19:44.350,0:19:52.450
longer they had expected and so yeah
0:19:48.639,0:19:54.249
there’s so many battles one battle that
0:19:52.450,0:19:56.740
I did want to go into a little bit more
0:19:54.249,0:20:01.179
detail about what’s called the Bear Flag
0:19:56.740,0:20:05.440
Revolt which is which was from June to
0:20:01.179,0:20:08.950
July in 1846 and so remember how I said
0:20:05.440,0:20:10.600
earlier um California used to be part of
0:20:08.950,0:20:13.059
Mexico that’s why I like in California
0:20:10.600,0:20:17.950
there’s so many like city names and
0:20:13.059,0:20:21.639
places that are like in Spanish huh and
0:20:17.950,0:20:24.759
so again in California there are a lot
0:20:21.639,0:20:26.889
of us settlers not as many as there were
0:20:24.759,0:20:29.860
in Texas but they’re still like a good
0:20:26.889,0:20:32.529
amount of US settlers in California and
0:20:29.860,0:20:34.269
so this there’s a small group of these
0:20:32.529,0:20:36.159
settlers that actually rebelled against
0:20:34.269,0:20:39.399
the Mexican government and then they
0:20:36.159,0:20:43.269
proclaimed the state of California as an
0:20:39.399,0:20:44.799
independent republic and so they yeah so
0:20:43.269,0:20:47.080
they like me they called it like the
0:20:44.799,0:20:51.249
fair flag state and they had a whole
0:20:47.080,0:20:53.379
bear flag okay is that the one that we
0:20:51.249,0:20:57.759
still have today that’s the one we still
0:20:53.379,0:20:59.889
have today okay yeah so I also make
0:20:57.759,0:21:01.869
sense to you I would say Texas is the
0:20:59.889,0:21:03.129
first state that I would be like yeah
0:21:01.869,0:21:05.110
they’re definitely gonna be their own
0:21:03.129,0:21:05.950
country and then California is a close
0:21:05.110,0:21:09.100
second
0:21:05.950,0:21:11.529
mm-hmm yeah yeah yeah I was like okay
0:21:09.100,0:21:13.720
this makes a lot more sense like
0:21:11.529,0:21:17.110
everything is clicking into place yeah
0:21:13.720,0:21:18.820
like however so the Republic of Texas
0:21:17.110,0:21:22.720
lasted for about nine years
0:21:18.820,0:21:27.190
but the Bear Flag state only lasted
0:21:22.720,0:21:30.129
about like three weeks because it’s so
0:21:27.190,0:21:31.690
embarrassing it’s pretty rough so like
0:21:30.129,0:21:33.220
basically like they were both against
0:21:31.690,0:21:34.929
the Mexican government they raise their
0:21:33.220,0:21:37.570
flag and then like about three weeks
0:21:34.929,0:21:39.850
later like the US military starts
0:21:37.570,0:21:42.249
occupying California they were like oh
0:21:39.850,0:21:43.840
we didn’t realize you’re like you’re
0:21:42.249,0:21:45.999
like this whole war is happening and
0:21:43.840,0:21:46.539
you’re like trying to claim all this
0:21:45.999,0:21:50.019
territory
0:21:46.539,0:21:53.259
so yeah so California actually joins a
0:21:50.019,0:21:55.029
union in the year 1850 and yeah the Bear
0:21:53.259,0:22:03.690
Flag became the official state flag in
0:21:55.029,0:22:06.579
1911 Wow so after all these battles um
0:22:03.690,0:22:08.799
Santa Ana hee general Santa Anna in
0:22:06.579,0:22:11.799
Mexico he’s not getting a lot of support
0:22:08.799,0:22:14.889
because even though like he did help
0:22:11.799,0:22:18.099
strengthen the Mexican army like there’s
0:22:14.889,0:22:20.679
only so much you could do um or he could
0:22:18.099,0:22:23.919
do because the u.s. just had a lot
0:22:20.679,0:22:26.409
better I guess artillery and like
0:22:23.919,0:22:30.279
weapons and yeah they had more funding
0:22:26.409,0:22:33.849
and so general Santa Anna quickly loses
0:22:30.279,0:22:36.909
public support and so he resigns slash
0:22:33.849,0:22:38.709
is pretty much overthrown it’s so kind
0:22:36.909,0:22:41.319
of like yeah they pretty much kick him
0:22:38.709,0:22:43.119
out and he’s exiled again and he like he
0:22:41.319,0:22:45.219
lives all over the world in exile it’s
0:22:43.119,0:22:49.299
crazy you people should look into his
0:22:45.219,0:22:52.799
bio he he lived a wild life really did
0:22:49.299,0:22:55.209
he lived everywhere um and so after this
0:22:52.799,0:22:56.919
so the US has won all these battles and
0:22:55.209,0:22:58.719
at this point in time they’re pretty
0:22:56.919,0:23:01.719
much just waiting for a new government
0:22:58.719,0:23:04.419
that’s capable of negotiations like to
0:23:01.719,0:23:08.709
form into place so they pretty much won
0:23:04.419,0:23:12.129
so flash forward nice word why do I okay
0:23:08.709,0:23:14.769
fast forward to February 2nd 1848 the
0:23:12.129,0:23:18.369
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed
0:23:14.769,0:23:20.889
and so this treaty between the u.s. and
0:23:18.369,0:23:23.499
Mexico establishes the Rio Grande as a
0:23:20.889,0:23:24.729
US Mexican border which is the border
0:23:23.499,0:23:27.399
that select this today
0:23:24.729,0:23:29.919
and then Mexico officially recognizes
0:23:27.399,0:23:32.109
u.s. annexation of Texas and is like
0:23:29.919,0:23:34.479
okay you guys can keep it and then
0:23:32.109,0:23:38.889
Mexico additionally agrees to sell
0:23:34.479,0:23:41.499
California and the rest of its territory
0:23:38.889,0:23:45.819
north of the Rio Grande for fifteen
0:23:41.499,0:23:49.629
million dollars plus assumption of
0:23:45.819,0:23:53.109
certain damages claims and so how much
0:23:49.629,0:23:56.499
is that in today’s yeah I was gonna
0:23:53.109,0:24:00.540
that’s a lie 50 million in like the
0:23:56.499,0:24:03.179
1800s but yeah
0:24:00.540,0:24:07.470
yeah I can’t imagine that’s gotta be
0:24:03.179,0:24:14.540
like try double-digit billion maybe yeah
0:24:07.470,0:24:14.540
yeah um so I can’t really find
0:24:14.570,0:24:18.889
I can’t keep finding conflicting numbers
0:24:16.369,0:24:23.109
but basically it was a lot a lot of
0:24:18.889,0:24:26.389
money yeah good for Mexico make them pay
0:24:23.109,0:24:27.919
sounds like they got bullied right and I
0:24:26.389,0:24:30.799
was like actually kind of surprised that
0:24:27.919,0:24:32.659
like they still paid Mexico for the
0:24:30.799,0:24:33.649
territory I was like I kind of assumed
0:24:32.659,0:24:35.629
the worst and they were just gonna be
0:24:33.649,0:24:36.889
like well you law so it’s not just like
0:24:35.629,0:24:40.009
not ours now
0:24:36.889,0:24:42.440
yeah but this treaty so this treaty
0:24:40.009,0:24:44.539
actually added an additional five
0:24:42.440,0:24:49.549
hundred twenty five thousand square
0:24:44.539,0:24:51.949
miles to the US so it’s crazy so so okay
0:24:49.549,0:24:53.989
the aftermath of the war is insane
0:24:51.949,0:24:57.799
because Mexico loses about a third of
0:24:53.989,0:25:01.039
its territory so the u.s. gains
0:24:57.799,0:25:03.349
California Arizona New Mexico and then
0:25:01.039,0:25:06.379
parts of Utah Nevada Wyoming and
0:25:03.349,0:25:08.569
Colorado so again if you look at a map
0:25:06.379,0:25:10.969
before and after the mexican-american
0:25:08.569,0:25:15.679
war it’s crazy how much land was
0:25:10.969,0:25:18.259
acquired um and so even though President
0:25:15.679,0:25:20.539
Polk had won the war he actually lost
0:25:18.259,0:25:23.119
public support because the war had
0:25:20.539,0:25:25.489
lasted about like two years and it was
0:25:23.119,0:25:27.019
really bloody and like it costs the US a
0:25:25.489,0:25:28.369
lot of money and they were kind of like
0:25:27.019,0:25:30.440
we thought this was going to be like
0:25:28.369,0:25:33.649
less than a year but you kind of dragged
0:25:30.440,0:25:36.529
out and so yeah people are upset with
0:25:33.649,0:25:39.709
him and additionally this war reignited
0:25:36.529,0:25:42.319
the slavery debate and it ultimately
0:25:39.709,0:25:44.449
results in a civil war in the 1860s so
0:25:42.319,0:25:47.269
this was like a precursor to the civil
0:25:44.449,0:25:49.849
war because people started like I guess
0:25:47.269,0:25:52.129
yeah regretting this debate because all
0:25:49.849,0:25:54.139
these states a lot of them are going to
0:25:52.129,0:25:55.339
end up is people are arguing are they
0:25:54.139,0:25:56.809
going to be like slave states are they
0:25:55.339,0:26:00.339
gonna be free states and the whole
0:25:56.809,0:26:04.789
debate ensues and so yeah okay he’s not
0:26:00.339,0:26:07.819
doing well with the polls he doesn’t
0:26:04.789,0:26:10.159
seek reelection and he actually so
0:26:07.819,0:26:13.729
President Polk actually passes away in
0:26:10.159,0:26:15.889
June 18-49 pretty much right after he
0:26:13.729,0:26:20.539
leaves office and he’s 53 at the time
0:26:15.889,0:26:22.729
and so in the next election so if you’re
0:26:20.539,0:26:26.690
wondering who like who becomes president
0:26:22.729,0:26:28.110
after James Polk so remember a general
0:26:26.690,0:26:30.929
Zachary Taylor from early
0:26:28.110,0:26:32.669
so he had me he was the one who like led
0:26:30.929,0:26:34.409
all the US troops to fight against
0:26:32.669,0:26:37.620
Mexico and because of this he became
0:26:34.409,0:26:41.960
like a national hero so he actually wins
0:26:37.620,0:26:45.990
the next election however so so
0:26:41.960,0:26:48.600
president Zachary Taylor is in office
0:26:45.990,0:26:51.210
however he actually becomes severely ill
0:26:48.600,0:26:54.269
and he passes away sixteen months after
0:26:51.210,0:26:55.769
his inauguration Wow
0:26:54.269,0:26:59.760
yeah I was gonna say I’ve never heard of
0:26:55.769,0:27:02.130
Zachary Taylor I cuz he yeah he passed
0:26:59.760,0:27:06.059
away like really quickly after he
0:27:02.130,0:27:09.360
assumed office and so he is Millard
0:27:06.059,0:27:12.179
Fillmore and he assumes office after
0:27:09.360,0:27:14.279
that so that’s also never heard of
0:27:12.179,0:27:17.549
president
0:27:14.279,0:27:20.070
yikes yeah I just automatically assumed
0:27:17.549,0:27:24.110
I was like okay this is before the Civil
0:27:20.070,0:27:24.110
War so like Abraham Lincoln’s next
0:27:25.620,0:27:30.500
[Music]
0:27:27.529,0:27:34.049
favorite prezi
0:27:30.500,0:27:36.840
yeah so that’s pretty much the Mexican
0:27:34.049,0:27:39.000
American War one quick thing I did want
0:27:36.840,0:27:42.179
to talk about so it was recently a sink
0:27:39.000,0:27:45.059
was a mile and so there’s a lot of like
0:27:42.179,0:27:46.830
misconception about what like sinkhole
0:27:45.059,0:27:48.779
or they might actually celebrates so I
0:27:46.830,0:27:51.659
wanted to ask you if you know like what
0:27:48.779,0:27:54.330
the celebration behind Cinco de Mayo is
0:27:51.659,0:27:56.399
like why that’s a yeah I hope I get this
0:27:54.330,0:27:58.649
right because you know my best family
0:27:56.399,0:28:01.529
friends are Mexican American so I’m
0:27:58.649,0:28:06.419
pretty sure Cinco de Mayo is when the
0:28:01.529,0:28:07.769
the Mexican army had to okay but this is
0:28:06.419,0:28:09.929
probably completely wrong but I thought
0:28:07.769,0:28:12.779
the French army was trying to take over
0:28:09.929,0:28:15.299
Mexico and the Mexicans had like maybe
0:28:12.779,0:28:17.639
like a fifth of the size of like the
0:28:15.299,0:28:20.399
French army and like way less resources
0:28:17.639,0:28:21.269
but they somehow won and like we’re able
0:28:20.399,0:28:24.269
to sell
0:28:21.269,0:28:27.090
yeah keep you go yeah no you’re like
0:28:24.269,0:28:29.159
completely 100 percent correct yes all
0:28:27.090,0:28:30.990
right cool cool cuz a lot of people
0:28:29.159,0:28:33.779
think it’s like oh Mexico’s independence
0:28:30.990,0:28:35.639
day but it’s a holiday that celebrates
0:28:33.779,0:28:37.799
yeah the day that they won this battle
0:28:35.639,0:28:40.500
against the French army in the shrinko
0:28:37.799,0:28:41.940
Mexican War so nice like Mexico ends up
0:28:40.500,0:28:43.950
losing this war but this
0:28:41.940,0:28:46.889
it was like really significant because
0:28:43.950,0:28:49.200
like the odds were not in their favor
0:28:46.889,0:28:51.080
but they still want so definitely yeah I
0:28:49.200,0:28:52.740
know okay I’m so glad I got that right
0:28:51.080,0:28:56.159
dr. barrows
0:28:52.740,0:29:00.299
I love you guys yeah we love it so yeah
0:28:56.159,0:29:02.639
that’s amazing work nice thank you for
0:29:00.299,0:29:04.950
sharing today I think it even though
0:29:02.639,0:29:07.830
like it president and Pope lost the
0:29:04.950,0:29:09.570
favor in turn it is like good because it
0:29:07.830,0:29:13.289
sparks the slavery debate which was
0:29:09.570,0:29:16.289
necessary for moving forward 100% 100%
0:29:13.289,0:29:19.379
and yeah yeah again like these maps like
0:29:16.289,0:29:21.899
before and after the war like how much
0:29:19.379,0:29:25.710
the US grows is crazy
0:29:21.899,0:29:29.100
and yeah I mean I didn’t realize like I
0:29:25.710,0:29:31.559
knew we had that Mexico like lost a lot
0:29:29.100,0:29:33.559
of its territory to territory to the US
0:29:31.559,0:29:36.360
but yeah you look at these maps and it’s
0:29:33.559,0:29:38.250
so crazy to think about they Mexico
0:29:36.360,0:29:40.590
literally lost a third of its territory
0:29:38.250,0:29:43.340
in this war so yeah they really smell
0:29:40.590,0:29:46.159
like they got pushed around a bit so
0:29:43.340,0:29:48.450
synchrony Maya always a big deal that
0:29:46.159,0:29:51.169
we’re like we’re done with this thing
0:29:48.450,0:29:53.730
but it might happen after this
0:29:51.169,0:29:58.080
mexican-american war before yeah it’s
0:29:53.730,0:30:00.600
after so it’s in 1862 nice so yeah and
0:29:58.080,0:30:02.850
actually like see code a mile is not
0:30:00.600,0:30:04.649
really celebrated as much in Mexico
0:30:02.850,0:30:06.750
itself like my family that lives in
0:30:04.649,0:30:08.820
Mexico like they don’t really celebrate
0:30:06.750,0:30:11.250
it I think I’m like Pueblo where the
0:30:08.820,0:30:12.720
battle was fought I think like the
0:30:11.250,0:30:14.730
people living there celebrate it more
0:30:12.720,0:30:18.659
but it’s really like it some was an
0:30:14.730,0:30:20.639
American honestly I feel like we just
0:30:18.659,0:30:24.559
took it over so we could have coupons on
0:30:20.639,0:30:24.559
like taco is there something that day
0:30:26.490,0:30:38.789
[Music]
How Did We Not Know That 