Pros And Cons Of The Mexican American War

The Mexican-American War - Debate 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
James W. Fannin took over the garrison at Goliad manning it with 350 untrained volunteers with guns, who would be considered pirates to Mexico. When he heard that they were closer than thought he sent Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett with 187 men in all to man the Alamo, The Mexicans sent a man with a white flag to get them to surrender but they fired a cannon ball at him, the Mexicans were so offended about them firing on a white flag that they vowed to fight to death. The battle of the Alamo lasted thirteen days and on the last day in less than thirty minutes all 187 men were dead. To add insult to injury they killed them, stripped them of their clothes and set their bodies on fire (Nardo, 2011). The final assault on the Alamo was brutal. The Mexicans numbered several thousand while there were only one hundred and eighty-two Texans. This historic event allowed spreading of independence, formation of a revolutionary government and the drafting of a constitution. If Santa Anna had struck the Texan settlements immediately, he might have disrupted the proceedings and driven all insurgents across the Sabine River (Survivor
140). Finally the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed but not before "General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna who did not always do what was best for his country, directed his peace negotiators to make demands that the that the U.S. felts was unreasonable accusing the other of stalling, the armistice was called off " (Howes, p. 233). The American army a week later invaded Mexico City and forced the Mexicans to surrender. Santa Anna then fled leaving his country shattered" (Howes, p. 233). In 1848 the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and borders were designated between Texas and Mexico, border between California and Mexico was established and the territories of California and New Mexico was bought for 15 million along with any cancellation of debts owed to the United States. Those Mexicans that lived in these territories could become U.S. citizens or return to