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Mexican-American War, also known as the Mexican war or the invasion of Mexican, which occurred from April 1846 to February 1848. This war is very meaningful to the United States, which determined whether it could become the most powerful nation or not, also established the size of the United States. The war involved American and Mexican fighting over Texas, after the United States had annexed Texas as the fifteenth slave state. There were several causes for the war happening, some of which major and the others of which minor. However, the most important reasons were the idea of manifest destiny, Texas War of Independence, westward movement of the American, the refuse of negotiating of Mexico and the border dispute. The first origination was driven by the idea of “Manifest Destiny”, this phrase was first employed by John L. O’Sullivan in an article on the annexation of …show more content…
After the United States annexed Texas, both countries continued to argue the ending border of Texas. The Mexico claimed the Nueces River as its northeastern border, meanwhile the American claimed it ended at Rio Grande River. President Polk thought that military force would be needed to fulfill the United States’ manifest destiny, he commanded General Zachary Taylor to advance his four thousand-men army toward the banks of the Rio Grande. Taking the American advance as aggression, on April 25, 1846, a party of Mexican cavalry attacked a small group of American soldiers in a disputed territory, which killed or wounded sixteen members and captured the rest of them. This act of Mexico accidentally triggered the detonator of the war. When the news of the slaughter came to president Polk, he approached the Congress and claimed, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded the American territory, and shed American blood upon American soil. Therefore, on May 13, 1846, the war is officially
The Mexican-American War of the 1840s, precipitated by border disputes and the U.S. annexation of Texas, ended with the military occupation of Mexico City by General Winfield Scott. In the subsequent treaty, the United States gained territory that would become California, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado.
the land and yet it had such a weak economy and could use the money
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 1845 the U.S attempted to Annex Texas. Basically America wanted Texas to become one of the states rather then and independent nation by itself. At this time Texas was an independent nation that was not a part of America or Mexico. Mexico wanted to keep Texas neutral if not a part of its own country. When the U.S attempted to annex Texas Mexico became outraged, " In November 1843 Mexico had warned that if the United States should commit the 'unheard-of aggression' of seizing an integral part of 'Mexican territory' Mexico would declare war " (Bound for the Rio Grande, 62). Despite the warning the U.S attempted to annex Texas. In doing so Mexico retaliated by breaking off all diplomatic relations with the U.S. Mexico felt that the U.S was insulting them by not taking them seriously when they threatened with war. So at this point America showed a very large interest in possessing Texas. America was very close to actually acquiring Texas when they made their first mistake in the war.
I think that the start of the Mexican-American War was influenced by many political factors at the time, as well as disputes over land ownership. A primary factor in the cause of the war was that of the annexation of Texas. Texas was considered to be a province by Mexico, but the United States wanted it to become a state. Texas also wished to become a state, as they hoped it would solve some of their financial and military problems. In March of 1845, the United States Congress approved annexation, and the Texas Congress approved it in June. Texas became a state in December, thus angering the Mexican government, who considered it to be stolen.
In 1846, the war between Mexico and America was beginning. But many Americans and Mexicans questioned if going to war was the most justified thing to do. The United were not justified into going to war with Mexico because they didn’t have justification to respond with violence against Mexico. Also, the war with Mexico and the United States was a product of the belief of manifest destiny. President James Polk’s desire to gain new territory from the Mexicans and disappointment over Mexico refusing to sell him California were possible factors in his action to wage war against Mexico. Under the leadership of president Polk, the United States provoked Mexico into attacking United States troops. The United States had no right to start a war with
[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.]
Beginning with the influx of American into Texas, Mexico where Anglos began to outnumber the Mexican population in the area. With the influence of the Anglos in Texas, Tejandos fought for their independence from Mexico and declared themselves the Republic of Texas. Later, with fact that the Unites States annexed the Republic of Texas caused a stir of problems between the two nations that resulted in U.S – Mexico War between 1835-1836. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war and gave the United States Texas for free and the rest of the Southwest territory 15 million dollars. The treaty also granted the Mexicans in the newly acquired full U.S citizenship, giving birth to the Mexican American identity. Declared by the treaty, Mexican Americans were legally white and allowed them maintain their culture and
The Government of Mexico had started most of the war it treated Texas poorly, had many harsh laws
could not decide on the Texas border. "[In early 1846, on Polk's orders] the troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Río Grande, across from the city of Matamoros, thus occupying the territory in dispute and increasing the possibilities of a confrontation... In the eyes of the [Mexican] government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico … As a consequence, the Mexican government reaffirmed the instruction to protect the border, meaning the territory located between the Río Grande and the Nueces river - an order which led to the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma ..."(Document C) Since Polk sent the army past the Nueces River, which is were Mexico believed to be the borderline, Mexico believed that it was an act of war to basically, "cross the line." The first shot fired by Mexico was provoked by President Polk and this did not give the U.S. a good reason to declare war on
President Polk thought that America’s “manifest destiny” was more important than other countries and that he was supposed to help America grow bigger. Santa Anna, the Mexican president at the time, forced people of his race and others off of their own land because he wanted it and they didn’t deserve it. “It is time for opposition to the Annexation of Texas to cease…. Texas is now ours…. Let their reception into the “family” be frank, kindly, and cheery….” (Sullivan 323). Both leaders of their countries were selfish and risked so many of their own people’s life just so they could do what they believed was right. “In the eyes of the [Mexican] government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico….” (Velasco-Marquez 327). Not only did these national leaders risk lives, they gambled some of their country, in which Mexico would soon lose a lot of it. The leaders did not care about who’s lives they were risking, as long as they were following their thoughts and doing things without
"After reiterated menaces, Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American Soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are at war," is what President James K. Polk has sent to the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States in May 11, 1846. The American Mexican War began for which state would have annexed Texas. The War of 1812 began for many reasons. The war began because the British was impressing American sailors, or independence, and the American expansionism. The war of 1812 and the Mexican war was justified.in 1812 Britian created blockades, impressing sailors, and cutting American trade.
Polk. He strongly believed that Mexico had violated many terms of peace against the United States. He wrote a war message to Congress in effort to convince them of the need of war with Mexico. Polk says, “As war exists, and, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and patriotism to vindicate with decision the honor, the rights, and interests of our country” (75). This citation indicates that Polk believes that Mexico had violated many sections of the U.S. Constitution and there was need for retribution. He would declare war with Mexico and the United States would benefit greatly because the country would double it’s size by acquiring California and other new
The Mexican-American War was a conflict between the United States and Mexico in which Mexico fought to defend itself from the U.S, while the Americans wanted to annex Texas and gain some more land from Mexico. This was a very important war because it determined whether the U.S. would become a powerful nation, and be on par with France, Great Britain, and Russia. Also, it determined how big the U.S. would be. At the start of the war, the president at that time was James K. Polk, and he strongly favored U.S. expansion. He, like many other Americans, believed in Manifest Destiny, which is the belief that it was the God-given right of the U.S. to spread across the continent. It was because of the Manifest Destiny that
“U.S. historians refer to this event as “The Mexican War”, while in Mexico, we prefer to use the term, “The American Invasion”... “ (Marquez 327). In the eyes of Mexico’s government, they were being attacked and in the Americans eyes, the Mexicans were intruding on their land. Therefore, Mexico had a reason to attack America without trying to negotiate. Marquez supports,” ...In the eyes of the (Mexican) Government, the mobilization of the U.S. army was an outright attack on Mexico…”(Marquez 327). From the hook exercise, a map that shows the boundaries, explains that the Mexicans boundary was the Nueces River and the U.S. and Texas boundary was the Rio Grande. (Roden 315). This is important because it shows that the Mexicans were wrong about where they thought their boundary was. Polk has stated,” ...The Congress of Texas, by its act of December 19, 1836, had declared the Rio del Norte to be the boundary of the republic….”(Polk 325). This is important because the US and Texas did not ask Mexico first about what the border was, and that set Mexico off. Ergo, America was not justified to go to war, because of how they did not explain what the border was, causing Mexico to believe that America was