History

The most dramatic event in the history of relations between Mexico and the United States took place a century and a half ago. U.S. historians refer to this event as “The Mexican War,” while in Mexico they prefer to use the term “The U.S. Invasion.”

In a paper, discuss the annexation of Texas, the Texas Rebellion against Mexico, and the Mexican-American War from the American perspective. What were the underlying issues in the conflict, from the American perspective? Why did the United States believe it was justified in its actions? Conclude your discussion by explaining the outcome of the war.

ANSWER

The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American War

Background of the Tensions between the US and Mexico

In the 1840s, tensions between Mexico and the United States quickly deteriorated as Americans eagerly eyed Mexican land to the west for expansion. The land coveted by American expansionists included the northern Mexican province of California (Merry, 2010). The desire for expansion became uncontainable, with the Americans voting in James Polk in 1844 for promising that he would deliver more lands to the Americans. President Polk fulfilled his promise by acquiring Oregon and starting a war with Mexico that would ultimately fulfill the desires of American expansionists (Merry, 2010). By the year 1848, the US had encompassed a majority of North America, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic. Mexico became independent in 1821. Its northern provinces included New Mexico, California, and Texas. Texas at the time was sparsely populated, which resulted in Texans recruiting settlers from the US to assist in growing the region’s population. The land was sold to American settlers by people such as Stephen Austin, after whom Austin, Texas is named.

The Texas Rebellion against Mexico

By 1830, more than 6,000 American settlers were living in Mexican Texas. Tensions grew between the Mexican government and the settlers from the US as the country sought to halt further settler immigration (Griswold del Castillo, 1998). The settlers opposed Mexican laws such as being forced to become Mexican, being required to file legal documents in Spanish, being forced to stop the practice of slavery, and being required to convert to Roman Catholicism. In 1835, the US settlers who lived in Mexican Texas formed a government as a form of rebellion. In 1836, this provisional government declared independence, calling the new country the Republic of Texas. The Mexican government would deploy troops into the region to try and regain political control, but the settlers from the US held their ground. Eventually, the Mexican government recognized Texan independence, and Sam Houston, who was previously a Tennessee senator and a military man, became the first president of the Republic of Texas.

The Annexation of Texas

The citizens of the newly-formed Republic of Texas were in favor of Texas becoming a state in the US. Their motivation was largely influenced by the concern that the Mexican government might try to reclaim the region and reestablish its oppressive rule over it. Following the Republic’s successful war of independence against Mexico, the US extended diplomatic recognition to Texas, refraining from annexing it after the Mexicans threatened war. In 1844, President John Tyler restarted negotiations with Texas, efforts that resulted in the 1844 Treaty of Annexation (U.S Department of State, n.d.). This event caused Mexico to cut diplomatic relations with the US. However, President Tyler lacked enough senate votes to ratify the treaty. After he left office, with the support of President-elect Polk, he was able to get the treaty ratification through. In December 1845, Texas was admitted into the US (Griswold del Castillo, 1998). The Mexican government did not follow through with its war threat if the US annexed Texas, the relations between the two countries became tense.

The Mexican-American War

The US’ annexation of Texas resulted in tensions between Mexico and the US. These tensions climaxed in 1846 when the Mexican-American War broke off over a border dispute between the countries. The US claimed that the Texas southern border was at the Rio Grande River but Mexico insisted that the border was further north at the Nueces River. The US military was able to take control of Northern Mexico, including New Mexico, seize California, and capture Mexico City. Mexican civilians and soldiers fought to save their land from the US invaders. In September 1847, Mexico City was taken over by the US military. The US expansionists wanted to take control of the whole of Mexico, but the Mexican and US governments negotiated for peace in 1848 when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in February (U.S Department of State, n.d.). Even though President Polk would have wanted a larger annexation of Mexican territory, he realized that prolonging the war would have negative political consequences and decided to submit the treaty for ratification.

The Outcome of the War

The Mexican-American War (1846-48) was won by the United States, through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), confirming the southern border of Texas at the Rio Grande. Mexico ceded almost half of its previous land to the United States. The United States also acquired Arizona, California, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming (Griswold del Castillo, 1998). Mexico recognized the Rio Grande as its border with the United States. All Mexican citizens that lived in the territory that was ceded by the government were promised US citizenship when the regions that they were living in became US states. The United States also agreed to assume approximately $3 million worth of Mexican debt owed to United States citizens, promised to protect the residents of the Mexican Cession from any Indian raids, and paid Mexico $15 million for the loss of its land (Griswold del Castillo, 1998). The Mexican-American War, as well as the acquisitions that followed it, ensured that the United States’ North American territory expansion desire was fulfilled.

References

Griswold del Castillo, R. (1998). Manifest Destiny: The Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Sw. JL & Trade Am., 5, 31.

Merry, R. W. (2010). A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent. Simon and Schuster.

U.S Department of State (n.d.). The Annexation of Texas, the Mexican-American War, and the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, 1845-1848. https://2001-2009.state.gov/r/pa/ho/time/dwe/16336.htm.