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What Caused The Mexican American War

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The annexation of Texas by the United States provoked the Mexican ambassador to dissolve connections between the two nations. Jose Joaquin Herrera, president of Mexico, wanted to negotiate because he knew his country was not capable of waging war. During negotiations, the two presidents disagreed on the boundaries of Texas. Mexico believed Texas ended at the Nueces River while Polk claimed that the Rio Grande was the western border of Texas, which made Texas larger. While discussions continued, Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to approach the Rio Grande. Polk declared that war would commence once Mexicans crossed the border. Finally, on April 25, 1846, several Mexicans crossed into America, engaged in battle with Taylor which lead to the death of 11 American soldiers. …show more content…

The United States went on to be victorious in battles due to superior American technology. Additionally, the U.S. set up blockades around major Mexican ports to block Mexico from receiving supplies. Despite the successes, many American soldiers were unaccustomed to the different environment and died from heat and disease. After capturing Monterey, Polk attempted renegotiations with Herrera, but was met with contempt, and in February 1847, the two armies met at the Battle of Buena Vista. The battle ended with no victor which meant Herrera failed to meet his goal of destroying Taylor’s wounded army. Eventually, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848 and ended the war. It gave the United States the territories of California, Texas, and New Mexico. The Mexican-American War reintroduced the question of the expansion of slavery with the events of the Wilmot Proviso, the debate over California’s statehood, and the Compromise of

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Jefferson’s deficiency of authority amid foreign affairs enhanced the importance of a leader whom would obtain the ability to take control. James K. Polk the eleventh chief executive obtained positive aspects pertaining to foreign affairs. In 1846, president Polk signed a declaration of war on Mexico. The termination of this war occurred with the establishment of the “Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo”(Milestones: 1801–1829). This treaty was signed in 1848, it identified the “Rio Grande as the Texas border and ceded California and New Mexico to the United States, the United states also agreed to pay Mexico fifteen million dollars for the territories”(James K. Polk:Foreign Affairs-Miller Center).

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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

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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.

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Mexico thought that the border was the Nueces River, while on the other hand, US believed it to be the Rio Grande which left a chunk of disputable land in-between. After Polk saw how the Mexicans had killed the Americans that he had sent to build forts [between the Nueces and the Rio Grande], he went to congress and asked congress into declaring war on Mexico (O'Brien). Mexico and the US went to war and since the US had settled the Oregon dispute it was easy for the US to end the war quickly. Both signed the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Mexico also had to surrender control of New Mexico and California. Polk had successfully completed his first two action goals that he had made after his inauguration by getting both Oregon and

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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.

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170 Words | 1 Pages

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.

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Therefor, the U.S. was not justified in going to war with Mexico. U.S. historians refer to this event in particular as “ The Mexican War”; while in Mexico, the refer to it as “ the U.S. Invasion.” (Doc.C, Par.1) Troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Rio Grande across from the city of Matamoros President Polk’s orders in early 1846. Thus, occupying the territory in dispute and increasing the possibilities of battle. In the eyes of the Mexican Government,the mobilization of the U.S. Army was an outright attack on Mexico.

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On April 25th, 1846 Mexican cavalry attacked a group of U.S. soldiers under the command of General Zachary Taylor. The Mexican cavalry killed a dozen U.S. soldiers. Just 18 days later, on May 13th, Congress declared war on Mexico even though there was some opposition from northern lawmakers. As Mexico’s losses added up,, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna convinced James K. Polk that if he was allowed to return to Mexico he would end the war in a way that was most favorable to the United States. When Santa Anna returned he double-crossed Polk, and led the Mexican army to battle.

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The United States fought with vigor, but they were no match for the Mexican soldiers, the shot that killed Davy Crockett was heard around the village. The Mexican-American war was from 1846-1848 but problems started to arouses before that. The Mexicans and the Americans both thought that the land was theirs. The Mexican claimed it but the Americans believed in Manifest destiny which means that the land was a gift from God. Although the United States war against Mexico resulted in the gaining of American’s most valuable land, the war itself was unjust because the Texas was wrong from the beginning, the war was based on false pretenses, and the expanding of slavery was the goal.

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It is September 1846, America is continuing to expand westward, and are at no pace to stop. Manifest destiny has completely dominated the west, and they might even be overstepping their own boundaries. America wants to take states like Texas and California, and Mexico isn’t having it. This is where it all begins. Mexican American war begins, Mexican American war ends, just like that.

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In 1846 The Mexican-American War began lasting till 1848. The United States acquisitive need for more land was their only motive for starting a war with Mexico. The United States started an unjustified war with the newly independent country just more territory. Polk stated that “The Mexican Government not only refused to receive him [the U.S. envoy] or listen to his propositions, but after a long-continued series of menaces have at last invaded our territory and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil.

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On February 1846, Polk made General Zachary Taylor move toward the Rio Grande. On April 24 1846, a Mexican army advanced. April 25 1846 was when Thornton and his army was attacked by the Mexican army for invading the land. War began on that day and Taylor had fought in the battle of Palo Alto and the Resaca de Palma.

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In 1837, American settlers in Texas joined with their Tejano neighbors and won independence from Mexico. They appealed to join the United States as a slave state. This promised to distress the careful stability that the Missouri Compromise had attained, and the seizure of Texas and other Mexican territories did not become a political prime concern until the enthusiastically expansionist cotton planter James K. Polk was voted for the presidency in 1844. As a result of the steering of Polk and his associated, Texas participated in the union as a slave state in February 1846; in June, after negotiations with Great Britain, Oregon joined as a free state. That same month, Polk declared war against Mexico, asserting that the Mexican army had “invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil.”

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144 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout various articles, facts have lead to the belief that the Mexicans were responsible for starting the Mexican War. The dilemmas began to appear when Mexico failed to recognize Texas as an independent state. The president of Mexico at the time, Antonio de Santa Anna, signed an agreement in Texas for their freedom but neglected it as soon he came back to Mexico. Afterward, The United States annexed Texas and Mexico cut off all relations with the U.S. The communication between them was completely dissolved and Mexico refused to negotiate with any American.

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At that time, only about 75,000 Mexican citizens lived north of the Rio Grande. As a result, U.S. forces led by Stephen W. Kearny and Robert F. Stockton were able to conquer those lands. Taylor advancing, and captured Monterrey in September. With the losses adding up, Mexico turned to old standby General Antonio López de Santa Anna, the strongman who had been living in exile in Cuba. Santa Anna convinced Polk that, if allowed to return to Mexico, he would end the war on terms positive to the United States.

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