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Manifest destiny and its consequences
What is the cause and effect of manifest destiny
Manifest destiny and its consequences
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After Texas’s annexation to the U.S., Texas thought that their troubles with Mexico would be over. Texas thought wrong. Shortly after Texas joined the U.S., the Mexican American War broke out. The war was fought over where Texas’s borders were. Mexico claimed that the borders were at the Nueces River, while the U.S. said that the border line was at the Rio Grande. From 1846 to 1848, the two nations fought over the area between the two rivers, with the U.S. victorious. They signed the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which marked the Rio Grande as the official borderline between the two countries, and in addition, also got new territory from Mexico known as the Mexican Cession. But did the U.S. deserve all of the land it got from Mexico? Did they have the right to go to war with Mexico? The U.S. was able to justify going to war with Mexico because of these reasons: their manifest destiny and the slaughter of American soldiers on American soil. …show more content…
One reason that the U.S.
was justified into going to war to Mexico was because of their manifest destiny. The quote “...hostile interference against us,... hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Province (God)...” (Document A) by O’Sullivan is saying how they must keep on moving to the West to claim the lands that God told them to claim. Any nation that stands in the way of their manifest destiny must be removed. Since Mexico stands in their way, the U.S. has the right to remove them by the words of God. Mexico stands in the way of the U.S.’s manifest destiny and has to be taken care
of. The second reason that the U.S. could justify going to war with Mexico was because Mexico killed American soldiers on American grounds. The Mexicans crossed the Rio Grande and into the U.S. to attack General Taylor’s troops that were camped near the river. Sixteen Americans were killed or injured in the attack. “But now,... Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory, and shed American blood on American soil.” (Document B). Mexico had invaded the U.S. and killed their citizens in their territory. America thus has the right to declare war on Mexico. The United States was justified into going to war with Mexico and had its reasons to do so. The manifest destiny and the killing of American soldiers all was able to justify their reasons for war. Knowing if America was justified or not to go to war with Mexico is an important question that people need to know the answer to. Knowing that America went to war for the reasons that they had is a way for Americans to know that their country did not do it for their greed and selfish-ness. Instead, the U.S. did it for Texas and her people. They did it not for the glory, but to protect Texas and treat her as one of their own.
Although many Americans did not take the war seriously, the Mexican-American War of 1846 was responsible for the thousands of both Mexican and American deaths, and permanently left a scar on the the U.S’ relationship with Mexico. In 1846, the U.S declared war on Mexico after shots were fired at American soldiers on the “Texas side” of the Rio Grande, which the Americans believed was the border between Mexico and the U.S. The war was very controversial, and many Americans vigorously opposed President Polk’s decision to declare war. However after winning the war, the U.S gained most of Mexico’s territory in the West, completing the Manifest Destiny (BGE). Was the U.S. right to go to war with Mexico? The United States were unjustified in going
Later they wanted to annex it but Mexico said that any attempts to annex Texas would be an act of war. The Mexican War started in 1846, when Mexicans attacked a group of United States soldiers, under the command of Zachary Taylor, in a disputed zone on the border of United States and Mexico, killing about a dozen American soldiers. President Polk told the U.S. Congress that the “cup of forbearance has been exhausted” which means the Mexicans hit the last straw and it is time for war. President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to Nueces River vs. Rio Grande to poke the Mexicans to shoot and they did. The Mexicans have shed “American blood upon American soil.” The United States wanted war with Mexico now they have a reason to declare war ( History.com
Still the United States was still justified in going to war with Mexico. Mexico thought that they were at Texas first and that, that meant that they had the right to call the land theirs but Americans counteracted that they were positive that Texas was theirs and God even tells them that it is destiny to have Texas so why doesn’t Mexico just go right ahead and give Texas to them so they wouldn’t have to lose so many lives. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because if they wanted the land they would have to go into strife to prove that the land was
One reason the Mexican War was justified was the United States Manifest Destiny beliefs. Evidence supporting this reason is that, according to Document A, John O'Sullivan said it was God’s choice if the United States will grow by taking or buying territory. Also, the annexation of Texas helped grow the United States which gave the
Through Manifest Destiny, the U.S. conquered many new territories. Ever since the U.S. became its own country, they always wanted more land. They thought that the Manifest Destiny gave them the right to expand and conquer more land. The United States were offered a deal known as the Louisiana Purchase which doubled their size. Even after they received this land, they were thirsty for more. They wanted to have Texas as their own. After Texas got their independence from Mexico, President Polk annexed it. Polk had his eye set on California next. But before he could get California, he had to deal with border dispute in Texas, leading to the war with Mexico. So, did the United States have a good reason to go to war with Mexico? The answer is simple, the U.S. was not justified into going to war with Mexico. This is proven through the Manifest Destiny, border disputes, and an American viewpoint on the war.
These two countries had reached a deal of new boundaries between themselves. Although, Mexico believed the Nueces River was the newly formed border, while America thought the Rio Grande serves as the new border. President James Polk sent a total of sixty three troops to station along the northern banks of the Rio Grande. Now, the Rio Grande was south of the Nueces River. Because the Mexicans believed the Nueces, which was farther north, was the new border, it led them to believe the Americans had “invaded” Mexico, causing confusion, and bloodshed, eventually leading to a declaration of war from the U.S. government. The Mexicans had crossed what America thought was the border, the Rio Grande. James Polk issued a declaration of war with Mexico after hearing his troops were being killed, due to a “Mexican invasion” (Doc G). While James Polk believed Mexico had invaded Texas, now a part of the Union, the Mexican Republic believed American troops were at fault for invading Mexico. Rumors spread throughout both countries of the other invading. The Mexicans had formerly offered peace, yet none was reached, continuing on to the war. Confusion of new borderlines and “invasions” of troops spread causing more conflict between America and Mexico, which was one of the major causes of the Mexican War.
Rodolfo Acuña and Norman A. Graebner take opposing standpoints on this topic. Acuña takes the standpoint that the Americans took advantage of the Mexican government, which was young and unstable at the time. He argued that the United States waged an unjust war solely for the acquisition of new lands. His excerpt from Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, 3rd Edition provided the basis for his argument. On the other hand, Graebner took the standpoint that President James Polk pushed a policy, enforced by a stronger nation, to force Mexico to sell New Mexico and California and recognize the annexation of Texas to the United States without starting a war. His argument was taken from his article “The Mexican War: A Study in Causation”. Both sides of the American Imperialism argument contain their own strengths. However, after the examination of the articles, Graebner proposes a more convincing
The Mexican-American War was in 1846, many Americans and Mexicans died. Mexico was trying to win back the land they once had, while America wanted more of their land for their belief manifest destiny. The Mexican-American war was started by a simple mistake, the Americans went to Mexico to ask for more land. While some Americans were camping in Texas a group of Mexican soldiers killed all of the Americans. This was because American and Mexico haven’t decided on whose territory Texas was since The Alamo. The United States was not justified in going to war with Mexico because America came in and broke the laws, there were no borders for Texas, and America stole Mexico's land. Tejanos(Mexicans) invited Americans in to settle in Texas. Americans also known as Anglos Broke most of the few laws Mexico made. There was a war for the independence of Texas. A couple years later, President Polk went to go ask Mexico for some of their land because of their belief called Manifest destiny. Which was the belief that God wanted to expand America's land from Texas all the way to the Pacific.
In February, 1848 Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ending the war with America, albeit under the threat of total domination by the United States. Although not agreed upon in a mutual sense, Mexico did work diligently to ensure the rights of its people still homesteading within the border region. Specific provisions were set forth within the document that guaranteed free passage within the region, respect for worldly possessions, protection under U.S. law, and the ability to make a decision pertaining to citizenship under Mexican or American rule. However, with the document the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo appeared on paper, its practices were far less diligent in defending the rights of the Mexican-Americans caught up in the debacle.
Before the Gold rush, the United States was at war with Mexico over territory. If it had not been for the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848 the United States might have turned out differently than it currently is today. The Treaty of Guadalupe was signed on February 2, 1848 and ended the Mexican-American war. Mexico transferred nearly half of their land to the U.S. (Rohrbough 12). Some Americans felt it was part of Manifest Destiny, especially by believer President James Polk (Smith, Orsi, and Rawls 26). The Treaty of Guadalupe guaranteed that any Mexican citizen in California who did not want to continue their allegiance to Mexico would within a year be granted the automatic “title and rights of citizens...
The U.S requested the also be given the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande was south of Texas and clearly belonged to Mexico (refer to figure 1). The U.S felt that the Rio Grande was part of Texas and should be given to the U.S with Texas. Mexico would not give up the Rio Grande because they were certain that the Rio Grande belonged to them. America's greed is THE major reason this conflict occurred. The U.S also believed the Mexico should have to pay for any of the U.S's debts that were incurred during Mexico's conflicts with Spain. America was in debt 3 million dollars because of the Mexico and Spanish conflicts and America very strongly believed that these debts were Mexico's fault and they should have to pay for them.
It is my honor to speak before the House of Representatives and Senate and officially state that Mexico and the United States have signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty ends the Mexican-American War as Mexico has agreed to cede all regions that rightfully belong to the United States of America. The Mexican-American War started in April of 1846 and ended yesterday in February of 1848. I consider the war against Mexico as a conflict that largely benefited the United States. President James Polk and all of my fellow US Congressman were reasonable and justifiable to dictate that Mexico obstructed and interfered with the freedom and rights of the citizens in our beautiful nation, specifically in Texas. The Mexican general, Santa Anna, sent troops to invade one of the Union’s state, Texas, and the act is clearly an attack against the United States. In this speech, I will address to the critics of the war the facts, reasons and my clarifications to justify that the United State’s action to declare war against Mexico was reasonable.
The Mexican-American war determined the destiny of the United States of America, it determined whether or not it would become a world power and it established the size of the United States of America. Perhaps the war was inevitable due to the idea of Manifest Destiny - Americans thought they had the divine right to extend their territory. The Mexican-American War started mainly because of the annexation of the Republic of Texas (established in 1836 after breaking away from Mexico). The United States and Mexico still had conflicts on what the borders of Texas was, the United States claimed that the Texas border with Mexico was the Rio Grande, but the Mexicans said that it was the Nueces River, so the land in between were disputed and claimed by both the United States and Mexico. Hostilities started on April 24th, 1846, 2000 Mexican cavalry crossed the Rio Grande and attacked an American troop of 63 men.
[In 1836, Texas had declared its independence from Mexico and was later annexed to the U.S. in 1845 which strained the relationship between the two countries. The disagreement over Texas was which river would be the border. The United States said that the Rio Grande River should be the border while Mexico said the Nueces River was the border. The war had began in 1846 after 16 Americans were killed North of the Rio Grande River because the Mexican government said they had cross the border , while President Polk believed they (Mexicans) fired upon Americans on the “Texas Side. The war between Mexico and the United States lasted 2 years and ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.]
The US was justified in going to war with Mexico because the mexicans attempted to forcefully removed General Zachary Taylor’s men, Mexico killed Americans first and the US would be able to obtain California. Mexico had no reason to send forces into the disputed territory without communicating with the Americans. Mexico attacked and killed 16 Americans at the Rio del Norte, giving America no other choice than to defend their people. It was America’s Manifest Destiny to spread to the Pacific, so when America could distract Mexico with the war over Texas, they took their chance. America had many justifiable reasons for going to war with Mexico, but Mexico might tell another story, so take what I have told you and what others will tell you and choose whether or not the US was justified in going to war with