Question

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Answer:

To solve this fill - in - the - blank passage about the Mexican - American War, we analyze the historical context:

First Blank (after "Mexico/We began in 1846 and was the first war the United States fought mostly on foreign soil. The tensions between the U.S. and Mexico centered around the territory of Texas. President")

The president at the start of the Mexican - American War was James K. Polk. So the first blank should be filled with "James K. Polk".

Second Blank (after "did not want to sell it as another state since it would likely enter the country as a slave state, upsetting the balance of power in Congress. But in 1844, president")

As mentioned above, the president in 1844 related to the Texas - Mexico - US tension was James K. Polk. Wait, no, let's re - examine. Wait, the first part: "The tensions between the U.S. and Mexico centered around the territory of Texas. President [blank] did not want to sell it...". Wait, no, Mexico did not want to sell Texas. Wait, the U.S. president who was involved in the Texas annexation and the start of the war was James K. Polk. Wait, maybe a mis - read. Wait, the original text: "The tensions between the U.S. and Mexico centered around the territory of Texas. President [blank] did not want to sell it as another state...". Wait, no, Mexico (the Mexican government) did not want to sell Texas. But the U.S. president pushing for Texas annexation was James K. Polk. Wait, maybe the first blank (the first one in the passage) is "James K. Polk" as the U.S. president.

Third Blank (after "In June of 1846, Major John C. Fremont led a small force to overthrow Mexican rule in northern California. Weeks later, General Stephen Kearny led his troops to capture the capital of the New Mexico Territory, [blank]")

The capital of the New Mexico Territory during that time was Santa Fe. So this blank is "Santa Fe".

Fourth Blank (after "By September of 1847, the capital of Mexico City was taken by U.S. forces and the fighting came to an end. The war officially came to an end with the Treaty of [blank] on February 2, 1848.")

The treaty that ended the Mexican - American War was the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. So this blank is "Guadalupe Hidalgo".

Fifth Blank (after "The treaty said that Mexico would recognize the [blank] as the")

The treaty recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas (and also had other provisions, but in terms of the boundary related to Texas, it was the Rio Grande). Wait, no, the treaty recognized the Rio Grande as the border between Texas (U.S.) and Mexico. Also, Mexico ceded a large amount of territory. But for the blank here, the "Rio Grande" or the "boundary" related to Texas. Wait, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo recognized the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas. Also, Mexico ceded California, New Mexico, etc. But in the context of the boundary of Texas, the answer is "Rio Grande" (or more precisely, the treaty recognized the Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas). Wait, maybe the fifth blank is "Rio Grande" (as the boundary of Texas that Mexico recognized).

Final Answers (filling the blanks in order):

1. James K. Polk
2. James K. Polk (Wait, no, maybe the first blank is "James K. Polk" and the second blank - let's re - check the passage structure. The passage: "The Mexico/We began in 1846 and was the first war the United States fought mostly on foreign soil. The tensions between the U.S. and Mexico centered around the territory of Texas. President [blank1] did not want to sell it as another state... But in 1844, president [blank2]...". Wait, no, the 1844 election was won by James K. Polk, who campaigned on the annexation of Texas. So both blanks related to the president here are "James K. Polk". Then the third blank (capital of New Mexico Territory) is "Santa Fe". The fourth blank (Treaty of...) is "Guadalupe Hidalgo". The fifth blank (the [blank] as the...) - the treaty recognized the Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas, so "Rio Grande".

But let's correct the step - by - step:

Step 1: Analyze the first president - related blank

The Mexican - American War started in 1846, and the U.S. president who was in office and involved in the Texas - Mexico tensions was James K. Polk. So the first blank (after "President") is "James K. Polk".

Step 2: Analyze the second president - related blank

In 1844, the president - elect (and then president) related to the Texas annexation and the start of the war was James K. Polk. So the second blank (after "But in 1844, president") is "James K. Polk".

Step 3: Analyze the New Mexico Territory capital blank

The capital of the New Mexico Territory that General Stephen Kearny captured was Santa Fe. So the third blank is "Santa Fe".

Step 4: Analyze the treaty blank

The treaty that ended the Mexican - American War is the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. So the fourth blank is "Guadalupe Hidalgo".

Step 5: Analyze the boundary blank

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary of Texas (the U.S. - Mexico boundary for Texas). So the fifth blank is "Rio Grande".

Final Answers for the blanks (in order):

1. James K. Polk
2. James K. Polk
3. Santa Fe
4. Guadalupe Hidalgo
5. Rio Grande