Fought near present-day Brownsville, Texas, the battle of Palo Alto was the first major engagement of the Mexican-American War. United States General Zachary Taylor’s fame for his exploits in the war grew tremendously, enabling him to attain the presidency in 1849.

Lithographer Nathaniel Currier learned the printing trade as an apprentice at the Boston firm of William and John Pendleton, the first successful lithography firm in the United States. Currier moved to New York City with John Pendleton in the early 1830s and soon established his own firm there. Currier found success producing images of current events and making them available quickly and inexpensively. James Merritt Ives joined the firm in 1852 and became a partner in 1857.