Mexican American relations were at an all time low following the defeat of a power hungry dictator known as General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna by the Republic of Texas. When Texas was annexed by the United States as President James K. Polk was taking office, tensions continued to escalate. Diplomats were sent, but then scoffed at, causing Polk to call for troops along the border. Mexican aggression fueled a small, armed conflict that became known as the Thornton Affair, furthering the escalation of Mexican American tensions. War became necessary to end this widespread political and military issue. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because the US was defending Its sovereignty, Mexico was the initial aggressor, and …show more content…
it was God's destiny for the US to expand. The United States of America was defending its sovereignty when it decided to declare war against Mexico. Firstly, The Americans were on their own land when they were fired upon. Texas was annexed by the United States following the end of the Texas Revolutionary war. The Mexicans had no reason to contest the United States’s presence in the region because Santa Anna, the acting leader, made the decision to give away Texas, something that was very much within his power. Continuing, Mexico choose to escalate the conflict when it fired upon American troops. On April, 25, 1846, Mexican troops fired on American troops who were stationed along the Rio Grande. The Americans were patrolling their own land, due to the fact that Texas had been annexed by the United States. The Mexican firing upon the Americans was an act of war and terror on American soil. Furthermore, in coherence with his constitutionally given powers Polk had a right to respond to aggression however he saw fit. Polk, the President at the time of the incident on April 25,1846, stated, “The cup of forbearance had been exhausted even before the recent information from of the frontier of the Del Norte” (Polk, 10). With Mexico being the primary and continual aggressor in the conflict by firing upon American soldiers Polk was well within his power to respond to such aggression by any means he deemed fit. The United states was justified in going to war with Mexico because Mexico was the initial aggressor in the conflict.
Firstly, American troops were brought to the border due to the Mexicans challenging America's honor. Following the Slidell affair, in which Mexican officials ordered an American diplomat with a formidable and respectable offer to buy California was kicked out of Mexico City, troops were stationed along the border as a show of force and a response to the to the challenging of America's honor. The manner in which the Mexicans treated Slidell, the American diplomat, was deplorable and was a direct attack on an American citizen. And on the twenty fifth of April these troops were then fired upon by Mexican soldiers. If Mexico had accepted Americas generous offer for California, no troops would of been present along the border avoiding a conflict. Continuing, Mexico fired the first shoots of the war. James K. Polk the president at the time of the Mexican American war stated, “[The Mexicans] invaded our territory and shed American blood, upon American soil” (Polk, 10).The land in which the incident occurred was American territory following the Annexation of Texas. Mexico firing upon American troops was the first armed incident of the Mexican American war, and a subsequent cause for war, which warranted a strong response to the incident due to the fact the incident was a direct attack on America on American land. Moreover, Mexico had ignored, and scoffed at …show more content…
multiple attempts to end the conflict. Following the annexation of Texas Polk wanted to take California, he did so in a peaceful manner again trying to maintain peace and restore relations and fix diplomatic ties. Mexico dismissed the idea. Polk also sent John Slidell to attempt to buy California, again Mexico refused the offer. Mexico's refusal to peacefully resolve the conflict and tensions made it necessary to end the conflict in a more forceful way. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because it was God's destiny for the United States to expand.
Firstly, the US was more fit to control the land because they were a superior religion in God's eyes. The majority of the citizens of the United States were Protestant whereas the Mexicans were majority Catholic. The citizens of America were better suited to control the land the Mexicans possessed due to the fact that Protestants interpret God's teachings in a superior way compared to Catholics. The war that followed was merely doing God's work liberating the Mexican citizens of an unfit leadership of a lesser religion who had no business controlling such a large portion of land. Secondly, the United States was destined to control the Mexicans land. The land the Mexicans possessed was according to God's will bound to be the United States. The Americans on such land were supernaturally successful, with rapid industrialization and gold filled soil, the success of the Americans could only be explained by god rewarding his people for doing his work. The war was acting upon God's plan and behaving as good followers of the lord by taking such land. Lastly, the citizens of America had no reason to not believe that God wanted them to control the Mexican’s land. John O'Sullivan, a newspaper writer, and average American citizen, stated “Of our manifest destiny to overspread continent allotted by God” (O’Sullivan, 8). The people of America during that time truly
believed that God wanted them to have the Mexicans land, and because of that acted in a way, by declaring war, they believed God would want them to. As the War ended never had so much land been added to the continental United States. The United States of America had undoubtedly won a conflict that was necessary to maintain the values this country was founded upon. As a nation the United States protected its sovereignty, defended its honor, and followed God’s will. Mexico was and is seen as the enemy, who was challenging a clearly defined border. During this time Mexico acted in an inexcusable and deplorable manner that was unbecoming of a nation. As a country today, we have forgiven the Mexican people as a whole for their role in instigating a large armed conflict. Such behavior may be forgiven but not forgotten because one should never sacrifice their integrity or honor for the fear of repercussions. For today we must remember this incident because as a country we defended our honor, our sovereignty and our way of life.
This book by Otis A. Singletary deals with different aspects of the Mexican war. It is a compelling description and concise history of the first successful offensive war in United States military history. The work examines two countries that were unprepared for war. The political intrigues and quarrels in appointing the military commanders, as well as the military operations of the war, are presented and analyzed in detail. The author also analyzes the role that the Mexican War played in bringing on the U.S. Civil War.
"After Mexico gained it's independence from Spain in 1821, it faced internal power struggles that left it in a volatile state of rebellion and instability for years." In 1846, the Mexican government, under the dictator Santa Anna, went to war with the United States. As an outcome of that war, Mexico lost a large amount of land--the land we now know as Texas. In 1854, Juan Alvarez and his troops led a successful revolt to drive Santa Anna out of power. One of Alvarez's strongest supporters was a man by the name of Benito Juarez, a Zapotec Indian leader. In 1855, Juarez became the minister of Justice under the new regime and issued two new controversial laws. One denied the right of the church and military courts to try civilian cases and the other made the sale and distribution of church lands legal. Many people disagreed with these laws and for three years a civil war raged between the two sides. In 1861 Juarez took control of the capital, Mexico City, and put his new Constitution into effect. Not only had Juarez's laws split the country, they had caused the civil war that left Juarez in debt to Spain, England, and France. The three countries were concerned about the debt, so they held a meeting in London, at which Spain and Britain decided to waive the debt in exchange for military control of the Custom House in Vera Cruz. France did not agree to these terms and invaded Mexico in 1861 in hopes of defeating the country and disposing of Juarez. The French troops--deemed among the best trained and equipped in the world--marched into the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862, expecting no resistance. The French army consisted of 6,000 men under the command of Marshal Lorencz. The French were met by an armed force of 2,000 peasants under the command of General Ignacio Zaragoza. The Mexican guerilla forces successfully defended their positions and attacked and drove back the French forces. Victory, however, was short lived. Within a year, France had successfully conquered Puebla and the rest of Mexico, and went on ruling there until 1867 when Juarez was once again restored to power. He ruled the country until his death in 1872. Cinco de Mayo, therefore, does not celebrate Mexico's independence, rather it symbolizes "the right of the people to self determination and national sovereignty, and the ability of non-Europeans to defend those rights against modern military organizations.
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
The war between the United States and Mexico was brutal, but yet very interesting.“Today, we stand as a united country and are much closer to the ideals set forth in our Constitution that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The first sentence of this quote is a perfect example of the Mexican American War, the we were supposed to be united. Manifest Destiny states that we as the United States are bound to have all the land, God wants them to. The war between Mexico and the United States started in 1846, should the United States go to war with Mexico. The United States was indeed justified to go to war with Mexico, because 16 Americans lost their lives in a battle with Mexico, second, Mexicans were mad about the revolution, and Mexico treated U.S. diplomats poorly.
Many people do not know that the Mexican War had increased the United States by 50%. The Mexican War started in 1846 and ended in 1848 and took place mostly south of the Rio Grande. What forced Mexico to declare war was the annexation of Texas, the citizens in Texas disobeying the Mexican laws, and Americans crossing the border. Do you think the United States had enough justification for going to war with Mexico? The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because the United States’ Manifest Destiny beliefs, the Mexicans passed the border of Rio Grande, and the American citizens supported going to war.
This caused conflict between the two countries. Is it right for the United States to declare war against Mexico? America was justified in going to war with Mexico because they could gain economic benefits, Mexico threatened America first, and citizens and James K. Polk wanted to fulfill their manifest destiny. Another reason that the Mexican War was justified was because Mexico had already threatened the United States by advancing past the boundary of the United States.
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.
Polk, the new president, made a proposal to the Mexican government to purchase the disputed land. When that offer was rejected, troops from the United States were moved into the disputed territory of Coahuila. These troops were then attacked by Mexican troops, killing 12 American troops and taking 52 prisoners. These same Mexican troops later laid put upon a US fort along the Rio Grande. This would lead to the conflict that resulted in the loss of much of Mexico's northern territory.US forces quickly occupied Mexico and California Territory, then invaded parts of Northeastern Mexico and Northwest Mexico. The Pacific took control of several garrisons on the Pacific coast.
Just before Polk's presidency Texas had freed itself from Mexican rule and desired American annexation. This desire came from thousands of former American citizens that settled in Texas in the 1820s. This was due to the Mexican government supplying huge land grants to entice new settlers to Texas and secure its northern border from America. The Mexican government failed to realize the true impact that their persuasion of Americans for settlement would cause. In 1830, Mexico finally put a freeze on all American immigration due to the large number of American settlers and their certain revolution. In 1836, The Republic of Texas was est...
The Mexican-American war began in 1846, but reasons for the war began much earlier when Mexico made the crucial decision to entice settlers to Texas, with the promise of affordable land grants, actions which eventually led to the annexation of Texas by the United States. All they had to do was accept Mexico 's requirements of becoming citizens, speaking Spanish and converting to Catholicism, this to people who were use to a government that people had rights and freedoms, not experienced in Mexico. Mexico wanted them to develop these long uninhibited lands of Texas, in hopes that it would promote development in the area.(Nardo, 1991, p. 16). The selling of land grants started in the 1820s and the Mexican-American
The Mexican–American War, also known as the Mexican War, the U.S.–Mexican War, the Invasion of Mexico, the U.S. Intervention, or the United States War Against Mexico, was an armed conflict between the United States and the Centralist Republic of Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico considered part of its territory despite the 1836 Texas Riot. Through this time, supply ships from San Blas continued to be unpredictable and the missions—with their native workers—were worried to provide for the population. When the native groups began to resist the bigger demands, they were placed under firmer military control. Also, additional tribes were gathered, mixed, and combined into dense groups in order to serve the payment. Under these conditions, new diseases quickly spread and native cultures were further disrupted.
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 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.
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.