Tensions Rise between U.S and Mexico

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Recommended: Us policy of expansion in late 19th early 20th century

Between the years of 1820 and 1840 there was a vast amount of conflict between America and Mexico. Mexico had just declared its independence from Spain in 1821, in result opening up trading with America. Although the trading flourished over the next two decades between U.S and Mexico, the relations along the Texas borderland worsened. Mexico and the U.S eventually went to war because America was eager to colonize westward and dispute over where the borderline lies in Texas. 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. But when tension grew the Mexican government prohibited slavery, raised taxes, and stopped American immigration. Because Americans thought it was the United States’ manifest destiny to expand west they decided to venture across Texas anyway, resulting in a fight at the Alamo which led to a lot of Texans dying. When Sam Huston and his newly trained army defeated Santa Anna’s army in 18 minutes and captured Santa Anna, they forced him to sign over Texas in exchange for his life. Only to have the compromise disregarded by the Mexican government. In 1844 the new president Polk got elected he had a vision to expand the U.S westward, provoking the war with Mexico. When Polk first got elected he concentrated on the land northwestward which was possessed b... ... middle of paper ... ...rmy moved westward they were walking the path that the Navajos, Kiowas, Comanches, and Apaches had already traveled in the last decade, making it easier for the U.S to defeat Mexico in 1847. In conclusion the U.S-Mexican war happened as a result of a nation looking to expand westward and the Texas border dispute. I believe that even if Mexico would have not disputed the boundary line of Texas America would have looked for another reason to provoke a war to seize all control of the west. The U.S won because of all the disadvantages the Mexicans faced such as a weak central government, a lack in military technology, and were already at war with the Indians. The U.S not only wanted to migrate westward because they felt like it was the United States’ manifest destiny to move westward, but also they wanted to expand agriculture and become more powerful and richer.

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