Description
Mexican-American War Portfolio Directions
Directions: For this portfolio project, you will evaluate whether the Mexican-American War was justified.
Description
You have been reading about the war between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It sprang out of a dispute between two countries over the southern border of Texas. The U.S. claimed the Rio Grande as the border, while Mexico claimed the Nueves River farther north. Each based its claim, in part, on agreements made at the end of the Texas war for independence, which ended in 1836. Each also based its claim on nationalism, or national self-interest, and a desire to expand its territory. For this portfolio project, you will explore different perspectives regarding the Mexican-American War. You will then present your findings in a short essay. Your final product will describe each point of view. It should give historically accurate facts. Your portfolio assignment has four steps:
- Research the Mexican-American War—its causes, the course of the conflict, and its results.
- Examine the Pearson Realize Civic Discussion Sources A–E for additional information.
- Analyze your research.
- Form your judgment and write your essay.
Step 1
Conduct the following research to complete your assignment:
Research |
Source of Information |
List basic facts about the root of the conflict—include who, what, when, where, and why. |
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Describe the Texans’ actions—how Texas came to exist. |
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List some differences between the Texan and Mexican perspectives. |
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Describe the beginnings of the conflict. |
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Describe the course of the war and its results. |
You can use note cards, type your notes on a computer, or use another note-taking method. You may use EBSCOhost databases and Grolier Online™ encyclopedias to identify reference materials for this activity. Follow the directions below to access these resources.
EBSCO
- From your EMS home page, select EBSCO under Links.
- Select Student Research Center – High School & Middle School.
- Narrow your search using the Search By Topic menu.
- Narrow your search further or use the Find field, and then select the Search button.
Grolier
- From your EMS home page, select Grolier Online™ under Links.
- Select a resource from the menu on the left or type your search criteria into the Find it Fast! Field and select the Go button. Alternatively, conduct a safe search on the Internet or at your local library for information about the Mexican-American War.
Step 2
Before you write your essay, answer the following questions:
- What allowed settlers to establish a colony in Texas.
- How did the interaction between the settlers in Texas and the Mexican government develop and change over time?
- How do you think the perspectives of the Texas settlers and the Mexican government would vary?
- On what things might the Mexican government and the Texas settlers agree?
- How can you demonstrate the differences in the perspectives about Texas and its independence with historically accurate facts?
Step 3
You will be writing a short essay for your final product. In order to evaluate whether the Mexican-American War was justified, you need to consider the perspective of each side. In establishing the perspective of each side, you will need to use the actions, words, and circumstances of each side and how the sides interacted with one another in order to build your logical argument.
Explanation & Answer
Here you go, student. Let me know if you need edits.
Running head: [SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS]
Mexican American War
[Author Name(s), First M. Last, Omit Titles and Degrees]
[Institutional Affiliation(s)]
1
[SHORTENED TITLE UP TO 50 CHARACTERS]
2
Mexican American War
Questions
1. What allowed settlers to establish a colony in Texas?
One of the key factors that allowed American settlers to establish a colony in Texas was the
sparse non-Native population in the area. American settlers provided an opportunity to foster
economic growth and keep the threat of Indigenous conflict relatively at bay.
2. How did the interaction between the settlers in Texas and the Mexican government
develop and change over time?
At first, the American settlers in Texas were benefitted by the Mexican government, as it
allowed the land grants that were extended to the settlers to be recognized by the law. However,
as Americans began to grow in number and power within the region, Mexico would try to
assert a centralized authority that had not quite yet been thoroughly established within the
Mexican territory. The result was a revolt and, eventually, its annexation to the United States.
3. How do you think the perspectives of the Texas settlers and the Mexican government
would vary?
For the Texas settlers, their constant presence in the area meant that they were active
particip...