What Are The Causes Of The Mexican American War

The Mexican American War was driven by the idea of “Manifest Destiny”, which is the belief that America had the God-given right to expand from the east coast to the west coast. The Market Revolution was the start of illegal immigration of the United States in the 19th century into Mexican territory. Many slaveholders from the South came to Texas in search for more land for cotton cultivation. In 1826, the attempt of the United States to purchase Texas for one million dollars which Mexico refused, worried Mexico about possible U.S. expansion. The Mexican government send Lieutenant Jose Maria Sanchez to look into the entry of large numbers of Americans into Texas. Sanchez wrote in his diary, “The Americans from the north have taken possession of practically all the eastern part of Texas, in most cases without the permission of the authorities.

pg.156) In 1830, Mexico abolished slavery and any further American immigration into Texas. Americans were enraged about the new restrictions and were determined to resist the Mexican laws -as many of they were slave owners and many others continued to immigrate. By 1835, Americans outnumbered Mexicans in Texas. In 1836, in the Alamo Mission in San Antonio, (about) 175 Texas rebels initiated a rebellion, that would be known for the Lone Star Republic and the start of the Texas Revolution. General Santa Anna and his Mexican army, attacked the Alamo, killing the rebels as well as American prisoners. The Texas rebels would “remember the Alamo” and plan a counterattack to defeat Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto, killing hundreds of them and forcing them to surrender. Texas then declares their independence from