Many believe the Mexican-America war had been driven from the idea of “Manifest Destiny”,( a belief that was said for America to have a God- given right to expand, From ‘sea to shining sea’). Little did anyone know that this believe would be cause of a great amount of suffering for Native Americans, Hispanics, and even the United States own citizens. Shortly after the Texas war of independence from Mexico, tension began to rise between the two of the largest independent nations, on the North American continent after texas became apart of the Unites States. Arguments over the border lines began to need military help, and due to president polk who always sought war in order to seize land from Mexico, really helped.
There had been 2 very basic
The Mexican-American War was started because the president Polk strongly believed that “Texas… was just a first step towards the realization of a far greater, God-given goal: that of a United States stretching from shore to shore, taking its place in the world as Europe’s equal.” This goal of a United States that has taken over a large portion of the North American continent is the idea of Manifest Destiny. It was a very common Democratic idea during that time, with many people agreeing with it and wanting to act upon it. So when Polk became president, he took the opportunity and it was a driving force behind the start of this war. But it was also a driving force behind the ending of this war.
After Texas won its independence from Mexico, the people who inhabited that area believed they were entitled to the entire land of, what was then, Texas. Manifest Destiny, or the belief of a God-given entitlement, was instilled in the hearts of many Americans; they believed God wanted them to expand outward. Yet the Mexicans weren’t prepared to give up all that land, and only allowed the Texans the area of land in which they inhabited. After the annexation of Texas in 1845, both the US and Mexico placed troops in the previously uninhabited land that the white Texans had believed they won. Thus began the Mexican-American war, and America, with its skilled military and greater population, easily defeated the Mexicans.
Long Essay Question Primarily speaking, the Mexican-American war marked the first U.S. fortified conflict that was predominantly fought on foreign soil. In reality, this war is one of the exemplifying moments in the history of the American west. It contrived a political divide between the militarily unskilled Mexico and the expansionist-minded supervision of U.S. President James K. Polk, who asserted that the United States had ‘a right to expand its territory over the whole of North America and to extend and enhance its political, social, and economic influences,” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, otherwise known as manifest destiny. A border combat along the Rio Grande began the fighting and was tailed by a series of U.S.
The United States war with Mexico was over 160 years ago and still continues to be a divisive and widely debated topic, was it justifiable or not? The first war to be fought mostly on foreign land, was the Mexican-American War that started in 1846. America, lead by President Polk, who believed the U.S had a “manifest destiny”, fought against Mexico who had a weak military and was politically divided. After the war ended in 1848, Mexico lost one-third of its territory which included present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Although the United States war against Mexico resulted in the gaining of America’s most valuable land, the war itself was unjust because their goal was to expand slavery, Texas was wrong from the beginning, and the war was based on false pretenses.
“Mexico attacks U.S territory, sixteen Americans were either wounded or killed” read the headlines on U.S weekly. After winning their independence from Mexico, Texas wanted to become a part of the U.S.A and not be an independent country anymore. Mexico did not like this, thinking it was their territory because of the agreement they made with the Texans in 1821. This agreement said that American settlers could move into Texas for a cheap price but they had to convert to Christianity and had to follow the rules of the Mexican government. The Texans did this for a little bit but then wanted their independence to become a new, free country.
The Mexican-American War took place a little while after Texas gained its independence in 1836. Firstly, The US did not want Texas apart of the Union because they wanted less slave states not more. The Mexican government started stating that they would do border raids and that if any invasion, and or takeover were to try to happen this would cause a war. Still in the 1844 election of United States President James K. Polk did not care he truly believed in “ manifest destiny ” which was another of say he believed that it was the “US destiny to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. ”Believing in this President Polk tried to purchase what is now the U.S southwest.
After the Mexican-American war, America claimed an expanse of land in the west. The question of whether this new land would be slave-states or free soil, was a hot topic and highly controversial and was in fact, the main cause of the Civil War. Even some of the other issues that may have led to the war can relate back to slavery. For instance: The south wanted to succeed from the union and have less control from the federal government, because they were trying to outlaw slavery not only in the southern states, but also keep the newly acquired land slave-free. Lincoln, in the beginning of his presidential campaign attempted to tone down slavery position and said the war was to “preserve the union” which was part of the cause of the war, however,
After the Mexican-American War came to a close, the United States still continued to run into many different types of conflicts. The new Western territory (California, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona) granted by the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo caused many disagreements among the North and the South. Many people suspected that the new territory would become slave states which would mean the US would have more slave states than free states. Citizens of the North argued that if the Western territory were to become slave states, it would create an unbalance between slave states and free states. Government officials were debating about whether or not slavery should be extended into those states.
Since its establishment and even in the present, the United States’, specifically (and it is not secret), white population has been a fraction of society drenched with a feeling of superiority over its foreign or unfamiliar counterparts. Situations such as the first British citizens that sailed to the colonies insisting that the Native Americans’ way of life was “wrong” and “savage-like” or the literal proclamation that Africans were inferior to the white man served as justification for the allowance of the U.S. to be able to did what it had done and been doing for years. The Mexican-American war was no different as once again Americans (whom at this time only referred to white men essentially) demonstrated their entitlement to take what they felt was not being put to good use.
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.
The Mexican-American war ending in 1848, started a conflict that would last over a decade. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo concluded the war, granting the United States Texas, California, New Mexico and Utah territories. With these new additions to the union, the debate over slavery arose for the first time since the Missouri Compromise of 1820. Should slavery spread westward? A question many Americans asked throughout the 1850’s, a question that would divide the country in half.
Manifest destiny also affected the relationship with Mexico. Several factors led to the Mexican- American War in 1846. The factors were that the U.S citizens were moving into California and Mexico. Since there were many revolutions happening in Mexico throughout this time period the Mexican government was not able to protect the U.S citizens in this region. Another factor was that Mexico was upset that Texas declared independence from them and then the U. S annexed Texas in 1845.
When Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, a string of ruthless dictators and weak presidents made Mexico an easy target for its powerful neighbor, the United States. The US swooped in to expand its territory and its popular institution of slavery. By doing so, the US started a war with Mexico that was justified for illegitimate reasons. The Mexican-American War was not justified because the US took Mexico’s land for the expansion of slavery, and justified their taking advantage of Mexico when it was politically weak by hiding behind Manifest Destiny.
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.
The United States war with Mexico continues to be a divisive topic among many people because of its background. The Mexican-American war was a fight between Mexico and America for land. America’s belief at the time was Manifest Destiny, which meant that they believed that America should extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ocean. In the end, America benefited from the war and got the land. The United States expanded its size, achieving their dream of Manifest Destiny.