Mexican American War Research Paper

The claim that it was the Americans who were wronged in the border battle was deeply seeded within the propaganda published by the American newspapers. Statements such as the one stated in Document B, “Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory, and shed American blood,” exhibit the dramatic retellings of the fight to reflect upon Mexican savageness while neatly avoiding American flaws. It was also rooted into American morale that it was correct to annex Texas from the “imbecile and distracted, Mexico [who] can never exert any real government authority,” according to Document A. Ultimately, the question of which country was justified in the Mexican-American War is debatable. However, to side with the Americans would mean disregarding the blatant disrespect displayed by the settlers, the betrayal of the American government for the annexation of what was still viewed as Mexican land, and the ambiguity of the border dispute for both.

The Mexican American War started in 1846 because of Mexican resentment caused by the 1836 loss of Texas and the American’s desire for Mexico’s more northern territory. “On September 9, 1847 after two years of fighting, the Mexican American war essentially ended when the American Army captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec”( 6). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. United States leaders then acted morally superior in their negotiations of the treaty 1. During negotiations, United States officials viewed the “forcible incorporations” (1) of almost one half of Mexico’s land as an “event foreordained by providence and Manifest Destiny” (1).

There have been many events that shaped the history on Mexico. The majority of the times it always comes at the expense of a human life. The Mexican American War in 1846 not only changed Mexico geographically but also let to many casualties. The drug cartels that are in search of power and land also take the lives of many in order for them to obtain their power. These are a couple of events that have shaped the history if Mexico, but in my opinion on of the most important one is the Cristeros War.

The causes of the Mexican-American war were the Annexation of Texas, Land Disputes between Mexico and the United States of America and President Polk’s Greed. The country of Mexico was upset and angry with the United States of America because they took the state of Texas away from them. The two continued to dispute over Southern Texas and the land between the rivers Rio Grande and Nueces. President Polk later sent a messenger to offer thirty-million dollars for the SouthWest. Mexico declined the offer and President Polk declared war on Mexico.

The big debate across the growing United States was the debate of slavery and which states would come in as free or slavery states. The Mexican-American War was a major turning point in this debate because it settled the debate over which states would become free or slavery states. This war lasted a little over a year and 9 months long on the border of the United States and Mexico (Texas and Mexico City). This war would helped settle many disputes, but the main debate it would settle would be the huge slavery debate. The Mexican-American War helped the United States gain new territory is the south-western part of the United States.

The Mexican-American war altered the United States environmentally, culturally and politically. First, on February 2, 1848, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo two years post the beginning of the war. The treaty not only achieved President Polk’s goal to achieve California from Mexico but also granted the U.S. over 500,000 square miles of new territory. The new land caused approximately 90,000 spanish speaking, mostly Catholic Mexicans under American jurisdiction. Second, Nativism, a rising anti-catholic and anti-immigrant deemed the Mexicans inferior.

INTRODUCTION Throughout the 1840s and 1850s a major war happened called the Mexican American War which drastically changed the U.S. and Mexico and lead to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to be signed and which established the Rio Grande and not the Nueces River as the U.S Border. This also lead to the U.S. annexation of Texas and lead to the Mexico agreeing to sell California and the rest of the territory for 15 million. So you 're probably wondering why the war was fought but you 'll find that out later.

It was April 25, 1846. The Mexican military invaded Texas, a disputed territory. When the U.S. military came to attack, the Mexicans killed 16 Americans. This is one of the many events leading to the Mexican American War. The Mexican-American War was a major war over Mexico’s land.

Thirdly, a second reason the Mexican War was not justified because US soldiers were in a disputed area. According to Jesus Velasco Marquez from “A Mexican Viewpoint on the War With the United States,” he states that “From Mexico’s point of view, the annexation of Texas to the United States was inadmissible for both legal and security reasons.” As well as, “The American government acted like a bandit who came upon a

The war was one-sided due to the fact that the United States won most of the battles. The problem with this was that México refused to negotiate after every loss, so the war had to go on for longer than it had to be. Since Mexico refused to negotiate

The United states was longing to annex,or take land into a country, California. One reason the Mexican War was justified

The US did not not have solid reasons to do so besides their own greed, so the US hid behind the idea of Manifest Destiny and tried to justify their actions. John O’Sullivan was the New York City journalist who coined the term Manifest Destiny. He said, “Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real government authority over such a country…’’ (O’Sullivan, 8). O’Sullivan and the US suggested that Mexico “needed” the US to come and take over, because otherwise Mexico was going to fall apart. Although this was somewhat true, the US did not try to help Mexico through this difficult time; instead, the US took advantage of Mexico’s weakness and tried to take over completely.

The Mexican government believed they still owned Texas, so they treated Texas ' citizens like Mexicans, so America came in to protect the rights of the Anglos. " Texas is now ours...." (Doc. A) "Texas had determined... to annex herself to Our Union; and under these circumstances, it was plainly our duty to extend our protection over her citizens and soil." (Doc. B) Texas belonged to the US, therefore it was only right that the United States defend them.

The United States of America has been through many wars, wars concerning many things such as land oil, pride and respect. However, when the United States went to war with Mexico, it was planned over greed. The Mexican- American war was a war provoked by the United States, in efforts to expand the coasts of the country. Mexico was a small underprivileged country who had previously to the war had already lost part of their country (Texas). Needless to say this war was cut throat and violent, it was however one of the smartest business decisions America has ever made.

A main piece of evidence supporting that claim is the 16 Americans that the Mexicans killed on supposed “American Soil”. However, those 16 Americans were killed in disputed the land. The land was not Mexico’s, nor was it America’s, it was basically unclaimed. Both Mexico’s and America’s viewpoints on their borders were different, so that is most likely the reason behind the disputed land. Additionally, President Polk knew about the border issues, and expected Mexicans to be there.