When Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, they were not admitted into the United States. Northerners didn’t want to add another slave state, so they managed to avoid letting Texas into the Union. Mexico was very upset with Texas trying to leave and join the United States. They were enraged by the fact they had revolted, but were furious that it was done by American citizens. They saw this revolution as a ploy for America to take their land, and didn’t recognize Texas as independent from Mexico.
Around 1845, President James Polk annexed Texas, and set his sight on obtaining California. When Polk asked to buy California from Mexico, he was immediately rejected, as Mexico was upset that they had stolen Texas from them earlier. Polk was upset by this, so he tried to provoke the Mexican government so he could take California. Polk sent U.S. troops to disputed territory, where they would occupy the land.
On April 26, 1846, Mexican soldiers attacked the American troops believing that this was an invasion. Around a dozen U.S. soldiers died, which gave Polk the opportunity to blame the Mexican government for starting a war. Polk went to Congress and said that “American blood had been spilled on American soil”. While American blood was spilled, it is hard to know if the soldiers were fighting on Mexican territory or on American territory. In May of 1846, America declared war on Mexico.
Once the battle began, the U.S. was dominating the Mexican army. One general, General López de Santa Anna, tried to negotiate a peace treaty with the U.S., saying he would end it on favorable terms for America. When he arrived to sign a treaty, he double crossed the Americans as his army tried to ambush them. This battle was unsuccessful despite being an ambush.
In 1848, the war was practically over and the U.S. was waiting to sign a treaty with the Mexican government. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was drafted, saying that the Rio Grande would now serve as the official border between Mexico and America. The treaty also said that Texas was a part of America, and that Mexico would sell California, New Mexico, and many other states to the government for 15 million dollars.
This war was fought effectively, but many politicians who were worried about the inclusion of more slave states were against the war. Abraham Lincoln was one of them, as he didn’t like having to renegotiate which states would be free or not. The inclusion of so many new states led to the creation of the compromise of 1850, allowing California to be a free state. This war created more tension between free and slave states, building up to the Civil War.
Source:https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/mexican-american-war
From the consequences of the war it look to be an example of American Imperialism, and this idea of Manifest Destiny. How a conflict like this can happen and the United States will try to annex as much land as possible for their cause.
ReplyDeleteThis was helpful for me because I forgot about the American imperialistic causes of the Mexican-American war.
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