The Mexican–American War of 1846–48 would prove one of the most consequential events for Mexican Americans in United States history. In 1846, U.S. general Stephen W. Kearney marched into New Mexico, where he faced little resistance from the Mexican residents of Santa Fe. He installed local elite nuevomexicanos as the head of the provisional military government, which largely placated the residents of the territory. In his first public speech to residents, he proclaimed the forthcoming equality of an American regime, claiming that, “"El fuerte, y el debil; el rico y el pobre; son iguales ante la ley… protegeré los derechos de todos con igualdad"” (both the strong and the weak, the rich and the poor... everybody is equal before the law and will be protected by the same equal rights).