Mexican American War

History.com. A&E Television Networks. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. .

The Mexican government opposed slavery. After the capture of General Santa Anna in 1836, he was forced to recognize the sovereignty of the Republic of Texas (Hickman, 2011), however; the Mexican government still considered Texas a province and would not honor General Santa Anna’s agreement. General Santa Anna was exiled to Cuba until he outwitted President Polk in 1846 and resumed command of the Mexican army. In the course of the next nine years, the United States rejected the annexation of Texas into the union because they were concerned about having another slave state. Other members in government were concerned about Mexico and provoking a conflict.

Argument #1: The United States and Mexican War was unlawful. America acted supreme over Mexican land and their rights without a valid reason. The US government used Manifest Destiny as excuse to expand borders and go to war with Mexico. The term “manifest destiny” was born by John O’Sullivan and was thought of a year before the war began. During the year 1846, people were moved by manifest destiny and seeked influence from the government to push west.

Mexico responded by breaking off diplomatic relations. President Tyler left the office as the 10th president before he was able to purchase Texas, so President Polk as 11th president continued with the campaign to buy up Texas. The Annexation included the territories of California and Oregon. The Mexican-American War played a vital role which led to the occupation and eventual expansion of the Un... ... middle of paper ... ... they had owned for centuries, in the end it cost Mexico lives and land. The United States knew that Mexico was a weaker nation so by using their military force they were hoping to coerce Mexico into giving up the lands because Mexico stood no chance against the might of the United States military force.

Richard D. Vogel. Web. 7 Apr. 2014. “The US-Mexican War.” PBS KQED 9.

After years of fighting America claimed victory. America won because all the disadvantages Mexico faced during the war such as a weak central government, a lack in technology, and were at war with the Indians. The huge dispute about immigration and slavery in 1820’s at Texas foreshadowed an upcoming war between U.S and Mexico. In the beginning the Mexican government allowed American immigration to Texas. They also turned the other way when Americans brought slaves in order to help grow cotton.

Americans’ hunger for land and resource took a toll on Mexico. The turmoil of a new Mexican government, Annexation of Texas, and American scheme to acquire Mexican territory led to Mexico ceding all land north of Rio Grande from Texas west to California. Trouble began long before Mexico gained their independence from Spain. The government in Mexico became destabilized and chaotic when the French arrested the Spanish King and occupied Spain in 1807 (Tindall & Shi, 2010, pg.386). This disordered rule led Miguel hidalgo y Costilla, a creole priest, to organize a revolt to declare Mexican freedom from Spanish rule; however, he was eventually captured and executed in 1811 (Tindall & Shi, 2010, pg.

The earliest start to the Mexican Revolution of 1910 happened one hundred years earlier when two priests, Miguel Hidalgo and Jose Morelos, led a stand against the Spanish colonial officials who were controlling Mexico at the time. On September, 16 1810 Hidalgo led Mexico's Indians in a revolution directed against the Spanish plantation owners in northern Mexico. He was motivated by a need for a new government and a re-location of both the church's and plantation owner's lands. Hidalgo and the Indians, armed with only farm tools and weapons, marched towards Mexico City. While Hidalgo was marching into Mexico City, Jose Morelos organized an attack force and began raiding Spanish plantations and towns.

The origins of the Mexican-American War were the border disputes between Texas and Mexico. Texas claimed land up to the Rio Grande as their border based on the Treaty of Velasco and Mexico refused to accept this by claiming the border as the Nueces River. U.S. President Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor and his forces south to the Rio Grande in which Mexico ordered the Americans to withdraw from their lands and return to the Nueces River. Taylor ignored the demands of the Mexicans and built a fort on the banks of the Rio Grande opposite the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas. On April 25, 1846, a U.S. patrol commanded by Captain Seth Thornton was attacked by a Mexican force of 2,000 commanded by General Mariano Arista.

Around the same time, American President, James K. Polk (who took office on March 4, 1845) sent diplomat John Slidell to Mexico with an offer to buy Texas, New Mexico and California for about $30 million. Mexico rejected the offer. President Polk wanted to define the “borderline” of America. He sent orders to US Army General Zachary Taylor to set up a defense system on the north bank of the Rio Grande River. In addition, Polk also wanted to influence the people who lived in the region to pressure the Mexicans to sell off the territory that was not actually under any established form of government at that time since Mexico’s frontiers had no formal king or leader.