Mexican-American War Timeline
May 13, 1846
Zachary TaylorPortrait of Zachary Taylor in uniform as commander of the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.August 1846
Former Mexican president and general Antonio López de Santa Anna persuades Polk that if allowed to leave his exile in Cuba, he will negotiate a peace treaty between the United States and Mexico. Instead of acting for peace, however, on his return to Mexico, Santa Anna takes charge of the Mexican army.
January 1847
One front of the Mexican-American War is fought in California. American victories in the Battle of Rio San Gabriel and the Battle of La Mesa near Los Angeles mark the end of the fighting in this region. On January 13 Mexican and American officials sign the Treaty of Cahuenga.
February 1847
Mexican-American WarThe U.S. Army, commanded by General Zachary Taylor, encamped in Mexican territory during the Mexican-American War.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (cph 3g04557)March 9, 1847
Mexican-American WarU.S. troops bombarding Veracruz during the Mexican-American War, illustration by Carl Nebel.
MPI/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesMay 15, 1847
Scott marches on the city of Puebla, the second largest city in Mexico. The Puebla citizens are so hostile to Santa Anna that they surrender without offering much resistance. This opens the way for Scott to advance toward Mexico City, Mexico.
September 13–14, 1847
Mexican-American War: Chapultepec CastleAttack on the Castle Chapultepec, print by Nathaniel Currier, 1848.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (file no. LC-USZC2-1948)February 2, 1848
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, negotiated by U.S. diplomat Nicholas Trist, ends the war. The treaty sets the United States-Mexico border at the Rio Grande River and cedes to the United States nearly all the territory now included in the states of New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, and Texas, as well as western Colorado. In exchange, Mexico receives $15,000,000 and a pledge that Mexicans who remain in the ceded territory will retain their lands and be granted U.S. citizenship.
Key Facts of the Mexican-American War
Mexican-American War | Key Facts
Causes and Effects of the Mexican-American War
Mexican-American War | Causes and Effects