Mexican-American War Dbq

Over the course of early American history, America had set their eyes on expansion in the effort to trade, to market, gain resources, and security. The Americans referred their effort to expand as ‘manifest destiny,’ it was a belief that justified the inevitable expansion of the United States to the West, the land not yet settled. However, the effort in their conquest of the land was never the simplest action for adversaries from a foreign country lived or owned the land before the United States’ claim. Such volatile actions were no exception to its attempt to annex Texas into the United States. History has proven that there is always a reason for war; the Mexican-American War was a result of a prelude battle between Mexicans and Texans. However, a lack of research prevails on the reasoning of the Texans’ could falsely claim their independence from Mexico after the signature of the treaty of Velasco. The study covers the argument behind the Mexican-American War to further understand the reasons from both parties, Mexico, and

Texans; furthermore, the internal dispute of the United States government of annexing and assisting Texans to repel Mexican invaders.
There was plenty of discrepancies over the discourse between Mexico and Texans; ultimately, the possibility of a misunderstanding on who had the authority over the disputed territory. The Mexicans had inhabited the region before the American migrated to such territory, the Mexican people had welcomed them into their society with conditions that did not suited well with the Americans. For instance, the Mexican government allowed these American with land grants that need to be paid over six years, the recipients of the land grants were called empresarios, and among them, a well-known recipient was Stephen F. Austin. Austin encouraged the settlers to learn their culture and to serve under the Mexican military, though, Austin intentions were not to assimilate into their culture but rather to Americanize the territory by bringing in people; this was during the Jacksonian Era as the U.S. was eager with the ambition of western migration. As American kept migrating into the Mexican territory, there were multiple reasons for Americans to disregard Mexican way of life as religion and social practices were unalike.
A grave issue was the institution of slavery since Mexico had abolished slavery in 1829, which the Americans had not done yet. The United States immigrants of Tejas had a continued practice of slavery since the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1619, Mexico, however, has had the practice of slavery until their oppressor, Spain, were repelled. Furthering the difference between them, Mexicans had incorporated Catholicism by the Spaniards as the Americans brought their beliefs Christianity. Despite their difference of religion both Americans and Tejanos were accustomed to freedom of religious choice. The Mexican government viewed their action as a disruption to their social order that was in place; therefore, the Mexican government tried to eliminate the land-grant that was previously given to them while limiting the immigration process for Americans. The policies meant to slow immigrant into Mexican territory; however, it was too late for the population of Anglo’s presences was overwhelming the Mexican population. To further Mexican instability of control, the Mexican political environment was unstable at that time as its current president resigned and quickly replaced by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who led its army North of Mexico to defeat Jose Antonio Navarro in the Siege of Bexar what is now San Antonio. Santa Anna was well supported by all its political factions for he liberated from their struggles in becoming an independent country.
Slavery was progressively entering into parts of Mexican territory at the time known as Tejas (nowadays the state of Texas), Santa Anna and many of his political faction supported to venture with military force to bring order in Tejas since the American immigrant’s actions were becoming intolerable. However, there were unforeseen obstacles that further their losses during their battles against American immigrants. First, the maintaining its military discipline before and during their trek to Tejas. Before and during its military deployment to Tejas, some enlisted soldiers had abandoned their duties for their fear of death; also, the animals that would support their equipment, and meals would die from exhaustion, hunger, or thirst, which consequently made the Military deployment ever more difficult. Second, the president of Mexico knew they were at a disadvantage when engaging with the American forces because Mexico had to use all of its resources to logistically transport materials into their effort to win the armed conflict, while the American resources were readily available as it became a territorial advantage against the Mexican soldiers.
Additionally, Mexico had gained Bexar as their advancement into the Northern portion of Tejas in 1813.

In 1835, the Texan Revolution began and ended in 1837; however, it was unimaginable that the Mexican military had lost with a larger army than their opponents. The Texan had lost key forts such as the Presidio La Bahia in Goliad; furthermore, the glorious well-noted battle had occurred in the Alamo. The Battle of the Alamo was one of the biggest lost for Texans, Americans and Mexicans of Tejas banded together to fend off the Mexican military; however, the Mexican army had won the battle of the Alamo. Santa Anna had left survivors of the battle to clothe food and unharmed, San Jacinto was where Santa Anna’s army was to regroup, but it was also their downfall. Sam Houston army on the east of Texas was the only contributor who disrupted the fiesta of Santa Anna and entered in with a surprise attack, Sam Houston defeated and captured Santa

Anna.
Although Mexico had lost the battle, Mexico did not acknowledge Texans’ independence, Mexico had not given up on their territory at that time. During their first engagement, the president of Mexico was captured and held prisoner and was presented conditions of surrender which he refused, the president of the newly independent Texan coerced the ex-president of Mexico to sign a treaty that the land would be bought and relinquish any intention of violating the treaty of Velasco. This incident is where history discussion diverges as one country believe that the American immigrants legally obtained Tejas by repelling Mexico and having the president of Mexico signed such treaty. The other country; however, does not recognize such signature as valid for numbers of reason: 1) the Mexican president was captured as prisoner of war that alone renders him with no authority over Mexico; 2) it was believed that the newly Independent State coerced the president into signing the treaty: and 3) the Americans were immigrants allowed to live within Mexican territory thus giving Mexico the rights to regain order within its parameters.
The disagreements between both countries became the precursor of what would lead into the Mexican-American War of 1845-1847, however, before the war, there were skirmishes between the newly independent state and Mexico. On the other hand, the United States had begun to gain interest in annexing Texas for a multiple of reasons. One which the president proclaim that it was a virtue by their belief or manifest destiny in which had granted the U.S. permission and seized the lands on the west coast, this view was most supported among Americans. However, opportunistic Americans wanted to expand slavery westward and consequently supported the president’s rhetoric of expanding the United States territories as a pretext. In reflection, the Louisiana purchase had already taken place, which enabled people to own slaves or send slave into labor. However, the westward expansion was to allow the white American to create jobs for those unfortunate due to the cheap labor the African American had provided to slave owners.
In the election of 1844, James Polk won against Martin Van Buren, Polk was an individual whose strategy aligned well with the belief of manifest destiny. Polk was showed interested in the expansion of slavery than the interest of expanding the Douglas Firs and salmon in the Southwest. The president of the United States first action toward the Mexican authorities was to offer a deal that would include California, most of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and parts of New Mexico and Wyoming for 30 million dollars which were offered the war. Mexico had refused the deal presented by diplomat James Slidell while continuing their claim of their territories, Polk furious of the outcome of the deal and called the act of war against the United States; however, he and many senators know it was not enough to bring a war to their cause. In 1845 Texas was allowed into the United States to gain support on repelling Mexican invaders and was also admitted as a slave state. Therefore, President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to incite Mexico to attack and use it as a pretext as an act of war, in Polk’s words “Mexico had shed American blood on American soil” in 1845. Essentially, the Mexican-American War was manufactured as later admitted by General Ulysses S. Grant commented, “We were sent to provoke a fight, but it was essential that Mexico commence it.” The decisive blow during the war against Mexico was given by the second unit led by Winfield Scott who penetrated Mexico defenses in the Battle of Chapultepec which led him to conquer the capital of Mexico on August 2, 1847.
Additionally, this event was systematically affected in other states similar to the rebellion in Tejas, California was owned by Mexico had an insurrection by a group of people that opposed the Mexican authority in 1846. This revolt was similar to the Texas conflict, but quicker rebellion in 1835; however, the resistance in California, which was called the Bear Flag Revolt, was not substantial compared to Texas because it did not have enough support in their efforts. Despite their shortfall, with a large Anglo population with an economic support, the takeover was simpler than Texas. The upper territory of Mexico was bound to collapse as U.S. soldiers were cutting off the Mexican from its territory in the San Pasqual and San Gabriel in 1847.
Despite the decisive attack of General Winfield Scott into Mexico’s capital, a diplomat, who accompanied the General Scott was Nicholas Trist. Trist attempted to negotiate a term to end the war with diplomatic solution, despite two failed efforts, the president of the United States, Polk, had order Trist to cease the negotiation with Mexico after multiple efforts. However, Nicholas Trist had a character of principles that diplomacy would always give an open option for any issue. Nicholas Trist final attempt to negotiate with Mexico, the Mexican authority had accepted Trist’s terms were ratified, despite president’s Polk knowledge. On February 2, 1848, without the X article which protected the Mexican land grants. The agreement was later referred as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; however, the value that was previously offered to Mexico was reduced instead of thirty million it was accepted for fifteen million dollars.
Inevitably, President Polk had successfully acquired the lands that he was inspired to gain through manifest destiny as slave owners rejoice, these lands were essential for the Americanization of these states that were previously owned by Mexico. However, the issue of whether the intention was good or wrong and its method to achieve were all controversial to begin, the institution of slavery was one prominent reason for the vast movement to the west while creating a sense of American dominance. Furthermore, the United States method of acquiring these lands was not the most genuine because the practice of manufacturing or coercion could be considered an illegitimate arrangement as slave owners' goal were met in 1845 when Texas entered the United States as a slave state.