Causes Of The Mexican-American War

“The war... was an unnecessary condition of affairs, and might have been avoided if forbearance and wisdom had been practiced on both sides.” - Robert E. Lee

The Mexican-American War was a battle fought between the United States government under president James Polk, who believed it was their “manifest destiny” to conquer and claim the land across the continent to the Pacific,1 and the divided unprepared government of Mexico. After Texas became independent from Mexico in 1836, Texas requested to become part of the United States Union twice, however both cases were denied. One of the main causes of this rejection being that the northern states opposed the idea of adding another slave state to the Union.2 And let's not forget the other

soldiers, killing about twelve in the process6. After the Mexicans captured an American fort along the Rio Grande, General Taylor called for reinforcements, allowing them to defeat the Mexicans at Polo Alto and Resaca de la Palma.7 Two days after Polk told the Congress that the “cup of forbearance has been exhausted, even before Mexico passed the boundary of the United States, invaded our territory, and shed American blood upon American soil.”, Congress declared war, regardless of the northern legislators who opposed the

Stephen Kearny, were able to conquer the land north of the Rio Grande with ease since only about 75,000 Mexicans inhabited that area. Monterrey was captured by Taylor in September. Mexico, seeing the loses adding up, realized that they needed help, and fast. They turned to the exiled, charming General Santa Anna. He told Polk that if he were allowed to return home to Mexico, he would convince them them to end the war on terms agreeable to the United States.8 However, when Santa Anna was granted his freedom and returned home, he betrayed Polk and sided with his countrymen, leading them to war against the Americans. On February 1847 General Santa Anna's army suffered many casualties at the Battle of Buena Vista, driving them to retreat. During this time, Veracruz was seized by General Winfield Scott and his U.S. troops and started heading to Mexico City. The Mexicans resisted along the way, however the force of the U.S. army was too much for them, so they resisted but with no success. The U.S. army, lead by Scott, were victorious in September 1847, conquering the Mexico City 's Chapultepec