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VIDEO PROGRAM
Volume 279: Episode IV: The Fate of Nations
OBJECTIVE
Students will examine the role of diplomatic negotiations in ending a war.
CLASS QUESTIONS
What is a truce and what does it require in order to be successful? Did this truce meet those requirements?
What is needed for peace negotiations to be successful?
Why did the war not end at this time?
PRIOR TO CLASS VIEWING
Review the CLASSROOM TIPS FOR USING ANY VIDEO CHAPTER .
Use THE U.S.-MEXICAN WAR MAP to locate Mexico City. Pinpoint other cities currently occupied by the U.S. Army. Consider the distances and the time it takes to travel to and from Washington. All this was evaluated as General Winfield Scott and Nicholas Trist made decisions based on information and opportunities available at the moment.
CONNECTIONS TO SEMESTER STUDIES
Identify other treaties negotiated by the U.S., including those with Native Americans.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Ongoing Project
Divide the class into focus groups of journalists - one group reporting for the United States and the other reporting for Mexico. Have each group interview leaders involved in the peace negotiations. Have the journalists report on what these leaders wish to accomplish during the negotiations.
Small Group Activity
Ask students to imagine what it was like for civilians who remained in Mexico City during the time of the truce. How did it affect their daily lives? Have students create a mural on large sheets of paper depicting some of the scenarios they imagined.
Critical Thinking Skills
Ask students to draft and discuss key points that they think should be included in a peace treaty between the U.S. and Mexico. What role do territory and boundaries play in these negotiations? What considerations should be given to native peoples during the peace negotiations?
| NCSS Standards | United States | Mexico
| VI
| After the fighting on August 20th, both armies had suffered severe losses.
| General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna offered a truce and General Winfield Scott accepted.
| VI
| Scott received permission to send wagons into Mexico City to buy supplies.
| Santa Anna used the time to fortify the city, which was against the terms of the treaty. Tensions grew as both armies moved in close proximity to one another.
| VI
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| As the armies regrouped, the peace negotiators met. For Nicholas Trist and the Mexican peace commissioners, the task was complicated because Santa Anna did not have the authority to sign a treaty. That responsibility belonged to the Mexican Congress. Santa anna placed strict guidlines on these commissioners.
| VI
| Scott decided that Santa Anna was using the opportunity to prepare for the next battle, and demanded he surrender.
| Santa Anna refused to continue the peace negotiations because he knew that the war would resume.
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