WAR NUMBERS
TIMELINE OF THE U.S.-MEXICAN WAR
December 29, 1845 - Texas is annexed by the U.S. and becomes the 28th state. Mexico claims Texas
is still part of Mexico.
January 2, 1846 - General Mariano Paredes becomes President of Mexico. He refuses to meet with
the U.S. representative in Mexico.
March 8, 1846 - General Zachary Taylor, leader of the U.S. Army, marches to the Rio Grande.
March 21, 1846 - President Paredes announces he will defend Mexico against the U.S. invasion of
Texas.
March 28, 1846 - The U.S. Army arrives on the Rio Grande opposite the Mexican city of Matamoros.
They start to build a fort.
April 24, 1846 - General Mariano Arista arrives in Matamoros, takes command of the Mexican Army,
and orders soldiers to cross the Rio Grande.
April 25, 1846 - Skirmish at Rancho Carricitos. Mexican forces capture 46 U.S. soldiers.
April 30, 1846 - The Mexican Army starts crossing the Rio Grande to attack the U.S. fort.
May 1, 1846 - General Taylor and 3,200 soldiers march to Point Isabel to get supplies
May 2, 1846 - General Taylor arrives in Point Isabel.
May 3, 1846 - Mexican troops bombard the U.S. fort with cannonballs.
May 7, 1846 - General Taylor marches from Point Isabel to rescue and bring supplies to the U.S. fort.
May 8, 1846 - Battle of Palo Alto. The armies of Arista and Taylor ght to a standstill. Both armies
spend the night on the battleeld.
May 9, 1846 - Battle of Resaca de la Palma. Arista’s army is defeated and pushed back to Matamoros.
Taylor learns of the death of Major Jacob Brown, defender of the fort. President Polk learns of the
skirmish at Rancho Carricitos
May 11, 1846 - President Polk asks Congress to declare war on Mexico
May 13, 1846 - The U.S. Congress declares war on Mexico.
May 18, 1846 - U.S. troops occupy Matamoros.
September 20-24, 1846 - Battle of Monterrey. U.S. victory.
February 22-23, 1847 - Battle of Buena Vista. U.S. victory.
March 9 – 27, 1847 - Siege of Vera Cruz
September 13, 1847 - Battle of Chapultepec. U.S. victory
September 14, 1847 - U.S. troops occupy Mexico City.
February 2, 1848 - The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is signed. The Treaty establishes the Rio Grande
as the boundary between the United States and Mexico.
Vocabulary
annex: to add territory to one’s own territory
bombard: to attack forcefully or continuously
occupy: to take or hold possession of
skirmish: a minor battle
treaty: an agreement made by negotiation
A lesson by Palo Alto Battleeld National Historical Park
www.nps.gov/paal
