READING FOR SOCIAL STUDIES
Making Generalizations—Multiple Choice
Directions: Read the passage about the War with Mexico. Use the information in the
passage and your knowledge of U.S. history to answer the questions.
The treaty that ended the Mexican War in 1848 added a large amount of territory
to the United States. Not counting Texas, whose annexation in 1845 had been one
of the causes of the war, the area of the U.S. grew by almost a third. The territory
added was larger than the Louisiana Purchase. The West, including the Southwest,
would become a place for expanded settlement, a supplier of basic resources,
and a market for manufactured goods. The discovery of gold in northern
California in 1848 launched the gold rush of 1849. Another precious metal, silver
began to be mined in Nevada, while Arizona and Utah opened copper mines.
Not everyone had been in favor of this expansion of American territory.
Many in the North had opposed the war, fearing that the annexation of
Mexican territory would open the way for expansion of slavery. Even John C.
Calhoun, a southerner, had warned that territorial conquests did not always
yield totally positive results. In fact, the expansion of slavery in the federal
territories, would become an issue of deep sectional division, leading
ultimately to the Civil War.
Many generals who would fight on different sides in the Civil War, fought
together in the Mexican War under the leadership of Zachary Taylor and
Winfield Scott. Some of these were William Tecumseh Sherman, Stonewall
Jackson, George Meade, Franklin Pierce, Ulysses S. Grant, and Robert E. Lee.
In addition, three military heroes later became presidents of the United States,
namely Taylor, Grant, and Pierce.
Test Your Knowledge
What generalizations could you make that reflect the differing
points of view about the Mexican War?
TT The Americans
36 Test Practice Transparency
1. Which generalization is NOT
supported by the passage?
AEveryone in the United States
supported the Mexican War.
BThe Mexican War brought the U.S.
a large amount of territory.
CThe Mexican War had direct links to
the American Civil War.
DGaining territory is not always a
totally positive thing.
2. Which statement is a generalization
of the information in the passage?
AGold was discovered in California
in 1848.
BRobert E. Lee fought in the Mexican
War and the Civil War.
CTexas was annexed to the United
States before the Civil War.
DThe Mexican War completely
transformed the United States.
