The Mexican-American war happened at the Rio Grande river over the claim of the border in 1846 between the United States and Mexico. The United States was not justified in going to war with Mexico because America sent troops into disputed territory to intentionally start a war. The main goal of the United States invasion was to gain control of Texas and expand on slavery. The United States took a position between the Nueces and Del Norte rivers because of the threatened invasion of Texas by Mexican forces. This is because Texas was determined to annex itself to the United States (Doc B). They were determined because land is a big priority especially when the United States thinks that “Mexico never can exert any real governmental authority over such a country” so they feel entitled to take the land (Doc A). The people wanted to take over Texas because they wanted more land for slavery and the newspaper over-hyped the idea of taking it so there was more land for slavery (Doc D). …show more content…
They are in disagreement saying that the border is at two different rivers. Polk says “The congress of Texas, by its act of December 19, 1836, has declared the Rio Del Norte to be the boundary of that republic” (Doc B). On the other hand, historian says that from Mexico's viewpoint, the annexation of Texas to the United States was inadmissible for both legal and security reason. Thus, when the Mexican government learned of the treaty signed between Texas and the United States in April 1844 . . . would consider such an act "a declaration of
The fact from document c that proves this is “ Troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Rio Grande across from the city of Matamoros thus occupying the territory in dispute… in the eyes, the Mexican government the mobilization of the United States Army was an outright attack on Mexico as a consequence the Mexican government reaffirms the instruction to protect the border”. This fact from document c proves that in 1846, President James K. Polk ordered American troops to move into the disputed territory between the Rio Grande and Nueces Rivers. The Mexican government saw this as a violation of its sovereignty and responded by attacking American troops. The United States then declared war on Mexico. The United States had no reason to move troops into the disputed territory, and its actions were seen as aggressive by
A Mexican citizen living at the time period of the Mexican American war said “they have at last invaded our territory, and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil”. Polk declared in his speech that the Mexicans had attacked first, killing US citizens on US territory. Polk wasn’t lying, but since the land the first battle started on was the disputed area, Polk had no right to say the Mexicans wanted war by attacking them on their soil. This makes the Congress under Polk’s influence unjustified of declaring war on
So this started the Mexican-American War, the two sides confused about who owned Texas. Texas being their
Slavery was a big part of the US as they were built on the back of slaves, but while that may be true, some people started to recognize the inhumane methods and how the slaves were being treated which caused a great divide in the country between the Northern States and Southern States. The Southerners wanted to spread slavery and so Texas was seen as an opportunity as they had been forbidden to go above the 36’30 degrees Latitude mark, the only possible way was to go west and down. Particular evidence can be seen from Charles Summer, who was a State legislator in Massachusetts who served 24 years and was quite popular. He stated that, “Our newspaper excited the lust of territorial robbery in the public mind… Certainly (Mexico) … might justly charge our citizens with disgraceful robbery, while, in seeking extension of slavery, (our own citizens denied) the great truths of American freedom”(Doc D) Together, this evidence implies that people were brainwashed into believing that taking Mexicans' land was a righteous decision and that it was justified. It also says a lot that people were aware they were expanding for slavery but chose not say something on it.
settlers occupied the Republic of Texas, parts of Oklahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Texas in 1836 won their independence from Mexico, but Mexico refused to acknowledge their borders. The government of U.S. put the border of Texas at the Rio Grande as the southern boundary and the Mexican government said border was along the Nueces. In response to the attack by Mexico on April 25, 1846, the U.S. declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846. (Billington, 2001)
After a revolution against the unjust and cruel Mexican government, Texas was finally free. It came at a large cost, but it was worth it. Texas, at least in its perspective and also that of the United States, was an independent country. On the other hand, Mexico did not agree. According to some, many “Mexican officials still considered Texas as theirs” (Roden).
Because the US took Mexico's territory to advance slavery, the Mexican-American War was not justified. The Americans believed that the best course of action for obtaining the territory was to go to war with Mexico due to the belief in Manifest Destiny. Although there were many negative effects, Manifest Destiny claimed that it was God's intention for people to take and settle on new territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The reality that the war ended up causing the slavery debate and the Civil War was the main result that had the biggest effect. The Mexican-American War's historical context is provided here.
When Texas was annexed from Mexico in 1845, President Polk sent ambassadors to buy California and New Mexico, but Mexico’s new president ignored all meetings and rejected all treaty offers. Consequently, this increased tensions between the two nations because the leader of Mexico refused all our attempts to make peace between our countries. Not only did Mexico deny any treaty making, but she also would not accept the fact that Texas was now a part of the United States and therefore could not agree on a fair and logical border. Mexico’s actions throughout the United States’s quest to seek peaceful treaties between our two nations, proves the war was
Although the Mexican Government did not declare war on the U.S, on May 13, 1846 the U.S declares war on the Mexican Government with expensive aftermath. The Mexican War became the first war to to be fought outside of its borders. It added half a million square miles of territory to the U.S, it all started because of northern political interests of a new slave state, Texas. Texas gained its independence from Mexico in 1836, though the Mexican Government encouraged border raids and any type of takeover meant war. 1844, President Polk was not only for re-annexing Texas, but had set his eye on New Mexico, Oregon, and California.
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.
This war happened mainly because the U.S. wanted to expand to the Pacific Ocean to fulfill their Manifest Destiny, trying to take away Mexico’s land. Mexico refused to to give land to the U.S. The big question is whether the U.S. was justified in fighting Mexico in the Mexican-American War. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because Manifest Destiny, too much Mexican interference, and Texas was invaded. One reason the Mexican War was justified was Manifest Destiny. In Document A, John O’Sullivan writes: “Texas is now ours...Let their reception into the “family be frank, kindly, and cheerful….”
Was the United States Justified in Going to War With Mexico? Who started the Mexican-American War? Firstly, The United States went to Mexico in 1846. Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. Certainly, Americans were being extremely greedy and wanted more and more land.
The Mexican-American War changed the Unites States of America in a monumental way. This war changed The U.S.A.’s relationship with foreign powers and the economic standpoint of the nation. The Mexican- American war, and its strong ties to manifest destiny, shaped the nation in a country bordered by two seas with a chance for common folk and foreigners to have a sustainable life due to the gold rush. The war can also be accounted for the downfall leading to the Civil War over the conflict of slavery due to the land purchased in the wars treaty. Conflict between Mexico and the United States began when Texas, previously part of Mexico, became part of the United States.
Although the United States war against Mexico resulted in the gaining of America’s most valuable land, the war itself wasn’t legitimate because of the revolution in Texas, motivation for superiority, and the U.S. government’s actions. To begin, the Texans began an unreasonable war because they didn’t follow Mexico’s laws and conditions. When Mexico started selling cheap land, they set conditions for the people moving in. The people had to convert to Catholicism, learn Spanish, become a Mexican citizen, and have no slaves. Many Americans didn’t like being told what to do, and disobeyed the rules and laws.
Texas was not always a state, in fact, in 1837 it was its own country after it won its independence from Mexico. Once there were 60,000 inhabitants in Texas they created a request letter that was delivered to Washington D.C. to determine whether they could become a state. For many years Texas was denied because of Andrew Jackson 's greediness towards winning the vote of the northern states for his reelection. It wasn 't until 1845 that Texas became admitted as the 28th state of the United States. My life would be distinctly different when compared to the life I would live if Mexico never took Texas.