Mexican-American War: Two Views
The Mexican-American War is by far one of the most controversial wars America faced. There are many opinions on who exactly is to blame for not only the commencement of the war but what exact reasons were behind the war. In the time before the war United States President, James K. Polk, deliberately tried to intimidate the Mexican government in attempts in making a negotiation between them easier. President Polk’s ultimate goal was not only to acquire Texas but California and New Mexico as well. Mexico did not view the Americans as a treat when they began to move into their northern territories that is until Texas seceded from Mexico. When the idea or concept of Manifest Destiny became extremely popular Americans once again lusted after the opportunity of expanding its nation and gaining power. With Polk’s intentions clear Americans entering Mexican territory was now a threat to their nation. President Polk did not necessarily want to go to war with Mexico but was not entirely opposed to it, if it gave him what he believed should belong to the United States. Something Polk did not expect was that Mexico would not surrender its land easily, they would not go down without a fight. When Polk sent troops with General Zachary Taylor to the Rio Grande, a Mexican army was sent to keep the Americans from crossing further into Mexican soil and this was taken by Taylor as a sign of the beginning of war. President Polk had given John Slidell the task to not try and negotiate but demand that the Nueces River but the Rio Grande become the Texas border. To make matters worse Polk also wanted New Mexico and California to secede from Mexico and later be annexed into the United States like Texas had. Mexico felt th...
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...mselves from Spain and recently lost Texas. If they were to have California and New Mexico taken from them it would damage their integrity and signal the beginning of the collapse of Mexico as a nation. The Mexican-American war or, as Mexico like to call it, ‘The U.S War against Mexico’ was one of the sneakiest war America had fought to that date. First of all President Polk had initially believed the war would be quick and without much casualties but by the end it had lasted a year and nine months and about thirteen thousand man lost their lives. America had ventured into foreign territory which they had never done before and with men who were not quite in shape to fight a war and came out victorious. The United States had gained an immense amount of territory, making the nation bigger and therefore more powerful in the eyes of the other great and powerful nations.
In addition, during Polk’s term he expanded the United States’ border to the west coast. His desire to enlarge the country stemmed from his belief in “manifest destiny” which was the idea that the United States was destined to stretch to the Pacific Ocean. His presidency; his decisions for the country were influenced by manifest destiny. In the article titled “Mexican-American War,” James K. Polk wanted to acquire California and the southwestern land of the United States. Polk’s movement of troops into the conflicted zone between the Rio Grande and Nueces River initiated a conflict with Mexico. The conflict developed into a war, with hefty Mexican losses, but finally ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo with the U.S. as the victor. In the treaty, Mexico decided to sell all the land north of the Rio G...
Although many Americans did not take the war seriously, the Mexican-American War of 1846 was responsible for the thousands of both Mexican and American deaths, and permanently left a scar on the the U.S’ relationship with Mexico. In 1846, the U.S declared war on Mexico after shots were fired at American soldiers on the “Texas side” of the Rio Grande, which the Americans believed was the border between Mexico and the U.S. The war was very controversial, and many Americans vigorously opposed President Polk’s decision to declare war. However after winning the war, the U.S gained most of Mexico’s territory in the West, completing the Manifest Destiny (BGE). Was the U.S. right to go to war with Mexico? The United States were unjustified in going
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.
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 crosse, 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. He began to say that America had given its best efforts to mend the relationship between the countries, but even before the small battle, peace was not an option. “Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil.” This evidence shows that the United States was justified in declaring war against Mexico because they were trying to protect their own country. In trying to protect their own country and its borders, they were engaged in an attack from Mexico. Mexico threatened America first, this gives a reason for America to declare war against
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.
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
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.”
During the last years of the nineteenth century, the United States would find itself involved in what John Jay, the American secretary of state, later referred to as a "splendid little war; begun with highest motives, carried on with magnificent intelligence and spirit, favored by that fortune which loves the brave." From an American standpoint, because there were few negative results, and so many significantly positive consequences, John Jay was correct in calling the Spanish-American War a "splendid little war." The defeat of the Spanish forces marked the end of their rule in the Americas and also marked the rise of the United States as a global military power. The Spanish-American War affected the United States in a number of other ways. It helped speed the construction of the Panama Canal and also resulted in the U.S.'s acquisition of foreign territories. There were also many other minor positive outcomes to the war as opposed to the few negative consequences that resulted.
However, President Polk sent troops to disputed area, Mexico thought it was Mexican land, but the US saw it as American soil. Yes, 16 American soldiers were killed but they had full military clothing and were completely armed, on what Mexico saw as their land. Mexico saw this as a threat and decided to attack the troops, in order to defend their country. This was a result of confusion and lack of communication, but Polk can and should be blamed. He knew it would incite a fight and used it as justification to go to war.
In 1844 James K. Polk was elected president. As an avid expansionist and believer in manifest destiny, there was no one more driven to push America’s border further west and no one more prepared to defend these new acquisitions. This is exactly what Polk did during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848), caused by a dispute over the border of the newly acquired state of Texas. Mexico believed the border to be marked by the Nueces River, the United States believed it to be further southwest along the Rio Grande. This dispute was settled in 1848 by the Treaty of Guadalupe which allowed the annexation of Texas to be recognized by Mexico and gave the Mexican Cession to the United States in exchange for 15 million dollars paid to Mexico. With the
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.
Beginning in 1845 and ending in 1850 a series of events took place that would come to be known as the Mexican war and the Texas Revolution. This paper will give an overview on not only the events that occurred (battles, treaties, negotiations, ect.) But also the politics and reasoning behind it all. This was a war that involved America and Mexico fighting over Texas. That was the base for the entire ordeal. This series of events contained some of the most dramatic war strategy that has ever been implemented.
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.
The Franco-Mexican War The Franco-Mexican War was a war fought by two very different countries than they are today. The war was fought over reasons that seem very unlikely to arise ever again. between these two countries. The war was fought over gaining territory, group thinking, and pure human. Nature.
The US was justified in going to war with Mexico because the mexicans attempted to forcefully removed General Zachary Taylor’s men, Mexico killed Americans first and the US would be able to obtain California. Mexico had no reason to send forces into the disputed territory without communicating with the Americans. Mexico attacked and killed 16 Americans at the Rio del Norte, giving America no other choice than to defend their people. It was America’s Manifest Destiny to spread to the Pacific, so when America could distract Mexico with the war over Texas, they took their chance. America had many justifiable reasons for going to war with Mexico, but Mexico might tell another story, so take what I have told you and what others will tell you and choose whether or not the US was justified in going to war with