In my exhibit, I would put: 

• One of Stephen F. Austins suits, from when he studied law with former U.S. Congressman Joseph Hawkins, and successfully helped the Mexican independence movement. I would put this artifact at the beginning of the exhibit.

 

• Since General Antonio López de Santa Anna was a military leader, I would put one of his weapons he used to fight in my exhibit in a case towards the end of the exhibit.

  

• Pictures from the aftermath of the war, because they depict what happened to the survivors of the war. I would put these pictures all along the walls of the museum. I would use pictures from the Graham Pilecki Collection.

 

• I would also put newspaper articles from the time of the war in my museum. These would help people understand what happened to the economy during the Mexican War.

  

• Another interesting artifact to use in my museum would be pictures that people drew of the battles while they were taking place.

 

• I would put the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in my museum as the end artifact because my museum was created for the Mexican/US war, it would be fit to put the document that ended the war in my exhibit.

   As an interactive part of the exhibit, I would set up a movie on the Alamo, and some other movies about the main people who fought in the battles. This would be set up at the beginning of the exhibit because it would provide all the background information people would need before viewing other artifacts in the museum.

U.S. - MexicanWarMuseum

Curator - Daniel Steliga

The museum will be split into two major parts each representing a different point of view. The Rooms and exhibits themselves will be split in half, each side representing either the U.S. or Mexican point of view. The museum will also be decorated accordingly showing styles of the Americans and Mexicans. Primary source documents will be implemented all throughout the museum as well, when possible, for interested people and to show actual evidence and real opinions of people of the time.  Throughout the museum in each exhibit there will be a continuing and interactive timeline to help visitors put the situation in context both in the Americas and globally at the time.

 What is to be included in my museum:

1. An introductory exhibit on both countries and their respective economic, political, and geographical issues of the time in context. This will include maps before and after the war with details on the borders of the countries.

2. An exhibit showcasing the presidents and their positions, policies, and beliefs. There will be primary documents from both with an option to listen to it in audio version as retold by an actor. There will also be a video of a debate between the two also done by well-trained actors. To help the visitors get a good idea of what the presidents looked like their will be the most accurate representative wax life-size figures of each shown.

3. Another exhibit will be on the period before the war and topics that led to the war. Such that will be shown and elaborated on are: Manifest Destiny, existing trade routes, and claims to land, borders, and boundaries.

4. The next exhibit and biggest room will be highlighting the War itself. One section will be dedicated to each sides army and statistics regarding each along with explaining how each worked and what it would be like to be in each. It will have a section that will show what life was like for the people living close to and on the borderlands and what their opinions were.  In another section it will show many of the battles that took place, especially important key battles, with comments from people who wrote about them at the time. The last section will show the wars resolution and the provisions of the Treaty of Guadalupe.

5.  The last part of the museum will show the aftermath of the war including its effects on both countries and address issues that were raised during the time.

5. At the end of the tour will be a food court continuing the divisive state of the museum by having a Mexican and American themed restaurant, souvenir shop, and restrooms.

List of Items for MexicanAmericanWarMuseum

 

1. Life like mannequins that present a debate between President Polk and Abraham Lincoln about the differing opinions between the President and the Whig Party regarding the War and about President Polks initial account of the events that led to the war.

 

2. Brief movie presentation of Battle re-enactments.

 

3. Maps showing movement of American troops during the Mexican American War.

 

4. Life like statues of important figures involved in the war such as General Zachary Taylor.

 

5. Uniforms worn by soldiers from both sides of the Mexican American War.

 

6. Weapons used during the Mexican American War era.

 

7. Miniature displays of some of the battles of the war, such as the Battle of Veracruz and the Battle of Santa Ana.  The display would include miniature figures, weapons and terrain.

 

8. Mexican American War documents such as :

Speeches

Proclamations

Treaties

Battle reports

Diaries or writings of soldiers from both sides.

      

9. Roster of veterans of regular and volunteer groups of the war.

 

10. Mexican Era Artifacts:

Pipes and other smoking materials

Plates , cups and eating utensils.

Drinking canteen

Saddle

Musket balls

            Medical supplies   

Tuesday's Assignment

My exhibit would be broken into seven sections. Each of these sections would have pictures and specific information pertaining to that title. I would try to recreate this time period. People who visit this exhibit get a sense of what actually happened. I would use newspaper articles from that time frame so you can read a direct perspective from the folks that lived during this time period. I would finish the job with adding artifacts from the war, such as guns or mugs, some sort of visual.

 

 

1. Cause : Background

·        This section would basically describe the causes of the war.

 

2. US view

·        This section would just state Americas opinion on the war and explain why this country thought its actions were just.

 

3. Mexico View

·        This section of my museum would state Mexicos view on the war. It would also explain Mexicos position, and why it their actions were just.

4. Important People (leaders)

·        This part of my exhibit would just expose the people in charge, or someone who had an impact. Each person would have a picture, a small bio, and why they were significant at this time.

 

 

United States	Mexico
Stephen A. Austin	Hernan Cortez
President James K. Polk	Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
Sam Houston	General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna
President John Tyler	General Jose Joaquin de Herrera
General Zachary Taylor	President Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga
Commodore David Conner	Juan Almonte
Commissioner John Slidell	General Mariano Arista
Captian John C. Fremont	Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Colonel Stephen W. Kearny	Valentin Gomez Farias
Commodore John Sloat	President Benito Juarez
General Winfield Scott	President Pofirio Diaz
Abraham Lincoln
Nicholas Trist
Ulysses S. Grant
James Bowie

 

 

5. Battles/ Army Life

·        This exhibit would have plenty of pictures to display exactly how soldiers lived, and the hardships they endured. I would also try to have a few artifacts. To bring out the past.

·        I would list the battles, and have a movie to watch, a 3-D interactive movie so you can feel the bullets pass by your face, and horses galloping around you. This movie would be interesting, enjoyable, and educational.

 

6. Aftermath

·        This part of the exhibit would just explain what happened after the war.

·        The advantages and disadvantages of the war.

·        How the war affected people.

·        Explain the changes after the war.

The Mexican American War was a major victory in the completion of Manifest Destiny but not all Americans were happy with the expansion.  The dream of having the United States boundaries extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean was realized after the United States was victorious over Mexico.  Although the expansion was positive in the eyes of many Americans there were others who were unhappy with the results.

 

            The term Manifest Destiny is a term used to describe the feeling of many Americans that the United States was destined to expand its borders west to the Pacific Ocean.  It is a term used to express the feeling that it is Gods will and destiny that the United States should expand its western border.  The 1872 painting by John Gast, is a good illustration Manifest Destiny.  The picture has a female angel hovering over the western territory moving in a westerly direction following chasing out wild animals and Native Americans and overseeing the movement of railroads and wagons with white settlers to the area.

 

            John Polk was very much in favor of expansion and one of his first acts once he was sworn in as President of the United States was to force a war with Mexico to fulfill Manifest Destiny. President Polk believed that the border between Mexico and Texas should be the Rio GrandeRiver and not the NuecesRiver as Mexico claimed. He sent General Zachary Taylor to set up a fort on the banks of the Rio Grande and by doing this he angered the Mexicans and they attacked the fort.  After the attack on the fortPresident Polk appealed to Congress to declare war on Mexico.  His desire for war and his belief of where the border lies is clearly stated in his speech to Congress on May 11, 1846 when he states Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, and has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil.

 

            There were some Americans who were not in favor of Manifest Destiny and thought that it was just a way of a certain group of Americans to expand slavery.  This can be seen in the Letters of Horace Mann in 1850 when he writes Our present difficulties, which as you well know have arrested the gaze of the nation and almost suspended the legislative functions of Congress, pertain to the destiny of freedom or of slavery, to which our new territories are to be consigned.  David Wilmot in a speech to Congress in February 1847 also questions whether slavery will expand to the newly acquired territory when he asks, we are told that California is our, that New Mexico is ours-won by the valor of our arms.  They are free.  Shall they remain free?  Shall they be homes of the white labor of freemen or the black labor of slaves?

 

            The Mexican American War was a major victory for the United States.  It was a victory for Manifest Destiny.  After the war the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and this treaty fulfilled the United States dream of Manifest Destiny.  The treaty made the Rio GrandeRiver the southern border between Mexico and the United States, just as Polk and many Americans wanted.  If also further expanded the United States by adding a large land mass which included New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and California and parts of Colorado, Arizona and Wyoming.  The quest to expand to the PacificCoast was accomplished.  The addition of California to the U. S. was also a goal of President Polk and this is seen in his diary writing of October 1845 when he writes, I had California and the fine bay of San Francisco as much in view as Oregon. 

 

            Although the Mexican American War fulfilled the American dream of Manifest Destiny it also created a division among the nation.  Many were satisfied with the results while others were fearful that the completion of the dream to expand to the Pacific Ocean would just mean an expansion of slavery.  So it is fair to say that the actual accomplishment of Manifest Destiny was successful due to the Mexican American War but it was not a triumph shared by all Americans.

Oregon Trail Project
Family Member 3,
in Alexa and Calisa's Group:

Starting from Missouri to Oregon
I was the oldest daughter, who was brave and optimistic. I was eighteen years old.

The list of items that my cousin should have packed for the journey were washtubs, washboards, flatirons, starch and soap, a sewing machine, and some common food amounts that families would take with them would be 500 pounds of flour, 300 pounds of meal, 50 lbs beans, 100lbs rice, 50 pounds of cheese and butter, and 400 pounds of sugar. They would also need a campstove, their own clothing, cooking kettles, frying pans, featherbeds, and quilts.


It would usually take a family 5 or 6 months to complete the journey. Since our cousin was starting from Missouri, they would follow our trail and stop in every state along the way to Oregon. The most important rest stops would be in safe areas where Native Americans weren't located, so our cousin wouldn't be trespassing on their land. They would proceed, probably with about 50 other families along their way to Oregon, and the people as a group, would be able to combat any threats, or dangers.

Students will examine the letters, diaries and documents associated with westward expansion with a particular focus on Mexican Americans and Native Americans.  Students will use the materials available from the Digital History website for their research materials.  Using the tools of historiography, students will make educated inferences concerning the events and issues of the 1840s.

Native Americans Discover Europeans

William Wood

When white men first came to America, they never properly acquainted themselves with Indian tribes, therfore the Indians never became friendly and trusted them. The white people never told the Indians about their way of life, and never acquainted them with their belongings. "They took the first ship they saw for a walking island."
This started the relationship between Native Americans and whites off badly. As with the was things were in the 1840's, Native Amercans neber learned to be comfortable around white men, and didn't know how to make agreements with them over land. If the white people had gotten to know the Native Americans when they had first come here, both groups of people would have been able to coexist peacefully within the same lands.

Patrick's Museum

In this exhibit there will be a gift shop where people will be able to buy coon skin hats, sombreros, cowboy hats, and other little nic nacs.

First stop on the exhibit is the Manifest Destiny Room. Here there will be an interactive map of the trails leading west with accessable detailed descriptions of the use of each trail. There will also be a real refurbished wagon, where people can enter and take pictures in, that will be stocked with most of the normal supplies brought on a trip westward. Flash photography is allowed.
 
Next stop is the Hall of Mexiacan Indepence. Here there will be a shrine dedicated to the mexican leader Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna. His statue will be covered with flowers on one half and flames on the other showing the mixed feelings about him. On one hand people see him as an opurtunistic leader who abuses his power and on the others see him as a hero who only does what is best for his country. This shrine will have a button you can press that will have an auditory short biography. There will also be a map of the land Mexico owns and the land Mexico is renting out to Americans with a brief explanation of what rules were required to buy that land.

Now we enter the conflict room. This room is filled with manacans exhibiting the exact opposite behavior required to own the land they bought such as slave labor. It will have plaques with stories of conflict on it and it will also have a section explains why the U.S. didn't join the fight right away and why they later on joined.

The War rooom is the next on our tour. The floor is a map of the mexican territory. This room is big. You will be able to travel to the exact location on the map where that battle took place, and there will be an interative soldier of the army that one that battle and he will describe the battle. At the exit of this room will be a treaty table with a man from each nation on either side and a man dressed up like Nicholas Trist will be selling copies of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with a slot for you to write your name (Frame sold seperately).

Zinn Chapter 8 Assignment

 

Who were the opponents to the war? 

The opponents to the war included: some churches, Congressmen, abolitionists, The American Peace Society, The American Anti-Slavery Society, New England Workingmens Association, and some soldiers.

 

How did they manifest (in word and deed) their opposition to war? 

Many of the abolitionists and writers like Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Ethan Allen Hitch**** wrote in essays their opposition to it.  However Thoreau went a step further and physically protested it by not paying his taxes.  There were many churches opposed to it but most that did kept silent.  The congressmen who were opposed to it spoke out against it during sessions in Congress.  Men like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass wrote and printed anti-war articles in their respective newspapers and so did The American Anti-Slavery Society also write against it.  The American Peace Society printed a newspaper, the Advocate of Peace, which published poems, speeches, petitions, sermons against the war, and eyewitness accounts of the degradation of army life and the horrors of battle.  The New England Workingmens Association protested it by verbally condemning the war and refusing to join the army.  The soldiers protested it by deserting the army and even taking a position in the Mexican army. 

 

To what degree were their tactics effective?

Ultimately their tactics were highly ineffective and unsuccessful for the U.S. finished and won the U.S.-Mexican War.

 

How could they have been more effective (what were the obstacles in the way of their success)?

They could have been more effective if they had gotten more people to actively participate in protesting the war but in a way that ensured that the soldiers returned safely so as not to deprive them of supplies due to a loss of funds.  What stood in their way was the fact that many powerful people, and sometimes greed ones too, wanted this war for economic gains and used the popular idea of Manifest Destiny to support them.

As a museum curator, I would split this exhibit into four parts:

Parts one and two would be two separate halls, side by side. The first hall would give a brief overview of what the U.S. was going through before the US/Mexican War. This would include the U.S.s ideas and beliefs on Manifest Destiny, the Indian Removal, and its expansion westward before the war. The second hall would give a quick summary about what had happened in Mexico before the US/Mexican War. The hall would include the Mexican War against Spain and Mexicos attempt to have a greater population. Both of these halls would also give insight on the tensions between the U.S. and Mexico before the war. Artifacts, pictures, paintings, and written documents will be on display to portray these two halls.
The two halls will join and open up into a large room which will be where the third part of the exhibit is located. In this large room will be where information on the US/Mexican War will be located. From the Battle at the Alamo to the Battle at Goliad till the end of the war at the Battle at San Jacinto, the war will be portrayed though pictures, paintings, artifacts, items of clothing and real life sculptures of the people involved in the war.
This large room will open up into a slightly smaller room, which will be the fourth part of the exhibit. This room will portray the aftermath of the war. This includes documents stating Texass independence, the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo. Maps will be hanging from the ceiling to show how much land Mexico lost and the U.S. gained from the outcome of the war.