In 1825 President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel Poinsett as the first U.S. minister to Mexico. His first assignment was to persuade the Mexican government to sell the U.S. the province of Texas, thus continuing the rapid expansion of the American democracy. The United States continued to pursue Texas with little success for the next 20 years. It was not until December 1845 when the U.S. finally annexed Texas by a joint resolution (and thus simple majority) . Immediately following the Texas acquisition, and with U.S.-Mexico relations swiftly deteriorating, the U.S. wanted the Mexican province of California, mainly for her harbours San Frasisco and San