The Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 was initially just a border dispute between the Americans and Mexicans, but eventually progressed to a full-blown war as time went on. When President Polk was elected, he announced his intentions to annex Texas and purchase the California and New Mexico territories from Mexico. Mexico feared this because they thought that this would open doors for the United States to get even more territory than the places listed above. The Mexican Army eventually attacked a small outpost North of the Rio Grande River and took it over; this was considered a part of American territory and was still disputed between the two nations. The United States claimed that the land North of the Rio Grande was a part of Texas, and …show more content…
If the Americans could secure the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and California, it would add so much revenue to the American government, one that was deep in debt. The fact that Mexico was not even willing to negotiate with the US about those territories was alarming to the Polk administration. Desperate, President Polk played his last card to maintain peace between the two countries; he contacted General Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, who was still living in exile in Cuba. General Santa Anna was the Mexican dictator in the 1830’s where he fought against the Texans in the Texan revolution, but was eventually captured by the Texans and exiled by his own government.Santa Anna “was wanting to return to Mexico, so he began scheming” (Dufour 103). Santa Anna, still living in Cuba, told the Mexican people he would accept money from the United States in exchange for the variety of territories in Mexico’s possession, in order to stabilize the government. President Polk, impressed by this, allowed Santa Anna to return to Mexico, where it was thought would once again become president and steer the two nations out of the path of war. But, Santa Anna had actually tricked the Americans and went on to secure control of the country and once again be its dictator. He then took control of the Mexican Army, and prepared for war against the United …show more content…
The Americans fought hard, and eventually gained the territories of New Mexico and California by the January of 1847. The Americans were also finding great success on the southern front of the battled driving the Mexicans back to Mexico City. The embattled Mexican soldiers, fearing for their lives, retreated further South from Mexico City, leaving their capital undefended. On September 15 of 1847, the Americans captured Mexico City, forcing the Mexican government to surrender to the United States government. President Polk and the American government forced Mexico to sign the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which gave the territories of California and New Mexico to the Americans, in exchange for fifteen million dollars in compensation for the physical damage of the war.. The border between Texas and Mexico was also moved more South, “commencing in the Gulf of Mexico, three leagues from land, and opposite the mouth of the Rio Grande” and this remains the US-Mexico border today. This was a huge economic and territorial gain for the Polk administration, as it showed an effective response to Mexican aggression and a possible Santa Anna regime, which had been ruthless and terrorizing in the
In 1848, the United States acquired huge squads of Mexican territory at the end of the Mexican American war.
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.
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
In President James Polk’s War Message to Congress, he states that the Congress of Texas had declared the Rio Grande to be the official boundary between Mexico and Texas. James Polk said, “Sixty-three men and officers, were. dispatched from the American camp up the Rio del Norte, on its [North] bank, to ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crossed, or were preparing to cross, the river. [They] became engaged with a large body of these [Mexican] troops, and, after a short affair, in which some sixteen [Americans] were killed and wounded, appear to have been surrounded and compelled to surrender.” The invasion was almost like a ticket to declare war against Mexico for James Polk.
These two countries had reached a deal of new boundaries between themselves. Although, Mexico believed the Nueces River was the newly formed border, while America thought the Rio Grande serves as the new border. President James Polk sent a total of sixty three troops to station along the northern banks of the Rio Grande. Now, the Rio Grande was south of the Nueces River. Because the Mexicans believed the Nueces, which was farther north, was the new border, it led them to believe the Americans had “invaded” Mexico, causing confusion, and bloodshed, eventually leading to a declaration of war from the U.S. government. The Mexicans had crossed what America thought was the border, the Rio Grande. James Polk issued a declaration of war with Mexico after hearing his troops were being killed, due to a “Mexican invasion” (Doc G). While James Polk believed Mexico had invaded Texas, now a part of the Union, the Mexican Republic believed American troops were at fault for invading Mexico. Rumors spread throughout both countries of the other invading. The Mexicans had formerly offered peace, yet none was reached, continuing on to the war. Confusion of new borderlines and “invasions” of troops spread causing more conflict between America and Mexico, which was one of the major causes of the Mexican 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.
the land and yet it had such a weak economy and could use the money
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...
...negotiate. In 1846 alone, the position new hands four times, the war office six times and the finance office sixteen times. But, Mexican public opinion and all political groups agreed that selling the territories to the United States would ruin the national honor. Mexicans who similar direct conflict with the United States, including President José Joaquín de Herrera, were viewed as traitors. Military opponents of de Herrera supported by populist newspapers, considered Slidell's presence in Mexico City an insult. When de Herrera considered receiving Slidell to settle the problem of Texas annexation peacefully, he was accused of treason and removed. After a more nationalistic government under General Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga came to power, it publicly reaffirmed Mexico's claim to Texas; Slidell, convinced that Mexico should be "chastised", returned to the U.S.
The years 1840 to 1890 were a period of great growth for the United States. It was during this time period that the United states came to the conclusion that it had a manifest destiny, that is, it was commanded by god to someday occupy the entire North American continent. One of the most ardent followers of this belief was President James K. Polk. He felt that the United States had the right to whatever amount of territory it chose to, and in doing this the United States was actually doing a favor for the land it seized, by introducing it to the highly advanced culture and way of life of Americans. Shortly after his election he annexed Texas. This added a great amount of land to the United States, but more was to follow. The Oregon Territory became a part of the United States is 1846, followed by the Mexican Cession in 1848 and the Gadsden Purchase in 1853. At this point the United States had accomplished its manifest destiny, it reached from east to west, from sea to shining sea. Now that the lands it so desired were finally there, the United States faced a new problem- how to get its people to settle these lands so they would actually be worth having. Realistically, it is great to have a lot of land, but if the land is unpopulated and undeveloped, it really isn't worth much. And the government of the United States knew this. One of the reasons that many did not choose to settle there immediately was that the lands were quite simply in the middle of nowhere. They were surrounded by mountains, inhabited by hostile Indians, and poor for farming. Because of these geographical conditions, the government was forced to intervene to coax its citizens into settling the new lands. Basically the lands were not settled because they were available, they were settled because of various schemes the government concocted to make them seem desirable.
Hi I'm doing my report on the Spanish American War. In the following pages I will be giving information on how and why the war started, major battles, and the results of the war. I will also include stories from people on the battleship Maine.
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.
Before the Gold rush, the United States was at war with Mexico over territory. If it had not been for the Treaty of Guadalupe in 1848 the United States might have turned out differently than it currently is today. The Treaty of Guadalupe was signed on February 2, 1848 and ended the Mexican-American war. Mexico transferred nearly half of their land to the U.S. (Rohrbough 12). Some Americans felt it was part of Manifest Destiny, especially by believer President James Polk (Smith, Orsi, and Rawls 26). The Treaty of Guadalupe guaranteed that any Mexican citizen in California who did not want to continue their allegiance to Mexico would within a year be granted the automatic “title and rights of citizens...
THESIS : “ The United States didn’t want to get involved in the Spanish-American War, but was dragged into it due to yellow journalism, they wanted to control the seas, and wanted complete control over Cuba.”
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. Hostilities started on April 24th, 1846, 2000 Mexican cavalry crossed the Rio Grande and attacked an American troop of 63 men.