Mexican-American War Dbq

The Mexican-American War certainly did allow the U.S to fulfill its desire of given power to civilizing the North American continent, yet it did not fully occur because of a religion or based on God's given destiny. It was more because of the desire of the U.S. leaders and that of President James K.Polk, who sought expand the country to the Pacific Ocean after the Louisiana Purchase and once they became drive by the lust of riches that had been discovered in the Southwest, Therefore after the war from 1846 to 1848, the United States would be left with vast miles of land and eventually civilizing the North American continent. Money had become a more important role than that of the course of religion, and the would U.S sought to seize the land they believed belong to them.

The Mexican-American War was fought throughout the years of 1846-1848, playing a significant role in the history of Mexico and the United States. The war was undoubtedly won by the U.S since the they had better educated commanders from West Point, and they used use of better weapons and supplies than those of Mexico. One big result of the war was that the United States would gain 539,000 square miles. Texas would be annexed and the New Mexico territory would ceded by Mexico.

Before the annexation of Texas, the Spanish in mexico used the concept of defensive expansion. In other words, it was a way in which they would protect their frontiers, by creating mestizos, and moving in an influx of

Anglos into the region. The Anglo Indians were given permission to remain in the region with the condition of converting to Catholicism and by taking an oath of allegiance to Mexico. In the effort to convert the Indians to Catholic Christians, the idea of building missions was brought in. The missions would serve to house the Indians, all over the south west part of mexico which part of this region was Texas. Within the 18th century more than 29 missions would be built. All of this with the purpose to tie the Indians to the land and influence them with the Spanish culture.
Later in the year of 1824, The Constitution of Mexico was documented, it was said that it would lease on a new life for democracy in Mexico. General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana would be know as a truly bad person in Mexican history, as he would initially set up to support the Constitution, but in reality it would be proved that he tried his best to undermine The Constitution. He would sabotage the right that would have had been guaranteed by this new legal document. Santa Ana would later leave his presidency, violating the Constitution's requirements since he handed over his power by simply pointing at a successor. It was then when he realized that something needed to be done, a “trade off” which would be given to the people of Mexico. This tradeoff would be a form of introducing empresarios into the area, hoping to create a capitalist system. With a capitalist system it was hoped to create a democratic government to produce wealth. In result the Mexican committee suggested that bringing in empresarios would serves as “an earth-shattering mistake”, which would foreshadow what was about to happen. The empresarios could not be trusted, even after they would have to renounce their U.S citizenship , speak & write Spanish, and lastly convert to Catholicism. The Azcarate Commissioner would prove that the empresarios could not be trusted as they “rode their discontent into action against Mexico” resulting in the birth of the Republic of Texas in 1836. Later the Annexation of Texas, yet when Texas was born the new republic was said to have gone bankrupt. Since the part of land that was won was bereft of its most productive lands, with agricultural uses. In the effort to resolve this “bankruptcy conflict” the U.S. would send off John Slidell to Mexico City. With secret orders for Slidell, his mission was to do anything possible to proke Mexico into war. Due to Slidell’s obstinacy, Mexico declared war on the United States, on April 25th 1846. Luckily for the U.S since they pretty much expected a war, their plan for attacking was superior than those of Mexico. The U.S forces would attack from 3 different directions leaving Mexico hopeless, the forces would do whatever they wanted and anything possible to win the war.
The war left a catastrophe for Mexico, since half of its land was seized by the United States, along with several million of its former citizens.

The Mexican region would give up vast amount of territory, states including; California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. The civilians who were once part of the mexican region, would be given so called “citizen rights” from the U.S. For the next couple of decades this civilians who would be called Mexican Americans would suffer into poverty, and

oppression.
After the war the state of Washington kept in thought, on what to do with the extra land that was just seized for the U.S. Due to the Missouri Compromise in 1819, the South became the states in which slavery was permitted . Therefore, the extra land would serve as a new opportunity of further land to enslave ,“ Americans would experience generations of suffering and poverty so that slavery could expand westward”. In the 1850’s the land of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California would become states in which slavery would be based on popular sovereignty, while in Texas the state would become a slave state.
Once the Mexican-American war was won by the United States, vast miles of land were obtained giving the opportunity to people to civilize this lands. The North American Continent would become a larger U.S , in which in the Southwest part of the country Mexican-Americans would experience extensive hardships in order for slavery to expand throughout the year.