Approval is managed by annexing land as far south and west as the Rio Grande. Texas is the 28th state. The U.S. declares war on Mexico after provoking a skirmish in disputed territory along the Rio Grande. 1848 Mexico surrenders after the U.S. occupies Mexico City for nine months. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, which ends legalized slavery in the U.s.
Former soldiers push westward, joining the growing numbers of settlers looking for land.
Many Mexican Americans are forced from their lands as mining and other developments lure settlers to the Southwest. 1897 Mexican-American Miguel A. Otero is appointed governor of New Mexico. One of the first Hispanic newspapers was El Mississippi , published in New Orleans. The Mexican Revolution begins. Many Mexicans move to the U.S. for safety and employment.