AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: Conflict with Mexican Americans (Day 169/309)

Hey APUSHers, let’s chat about Conflict with Mexican Americans as part of my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Acquisitions of Territory, Library of Congress

When the Mexican-American War ended in 1848 and the U.S. took control of the Mexican Cession, the approximately 75,000 Mexicans in the region were offered U.S. citizenship and guarantees to their property rights.

 Painting of a Mexican Vaquero, Wikimedia Commons

However, with the Gold Rush and other mass migrations that ensued, land hungry settlers displaced many Mexican Americans and relegated them to jobs with low pay and poor conditions including manual labor and cattle herders.

Texas Rangers, Wikimedia Commons

Several white vigilante groups, including the Texas Rangers, rained terror on Mexicans who sought to maintain their property and culture. Records document 547 deaths of Mexicans by mob violence, but anecdotal evidence suggests thousands more.

Las Gorras Blancas, Latin By Nature

Some Mexican Americans resisted including Las Gorras Blancas, or the White Caps. They conducted raids against whites to intimidate against further land seizures. Others pursued political strategies to protect their rights.

After the Mexican-American War, migrants to the West took land and engaged in violence against Mexican-Americans who pursued a variety of strategies to protect themselves and their property.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Conflict with American Indians in the next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!