Informative Essay: The Mexican War

How the United States stretched from sea to shining sea by being fair and unfair sometimes. The Mexican war started on April 25, 1846 when Captain Seth Thornton of the United States Army and his 70 sailors were attacked by greater Mexican force. This happened in the disputed territory north of the Rio grande, reports say that 16 Americans were killed and the number of Mexican soldiers that were killed it unknown. Was the United States justified in going to war with Mexico? The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because of manifest destiny, border distributes, and annexation of Texas.

The Mexican War was viewed as one of the most controversial wars in United States history. Originating from the annexation of Texas, or the lack thereof in Mexico’s eyes, the final spark to cause the war was an incident between soldiers of both countries in disputed land. Both Mexico and the US claimed to have been provoked by the other, and that they were only protecting their country. Many US citizens argued the war, as it appeared President Polk was using it for reasons other than self defense. By going to war with Mexico, the US faced the possibility of gaining much more of Mexico’s land and extending slavery in the country. The United States' decision to go to war with Mexico was based on a desire to extend slavery, to gain land they had

According to James Polk’s War Message,Washington, May 11, 1846, he states “I had ordered an efficient military to take position between the Nueces and the Del Norte.” This quote proves that between the Nueces and the Del Norte was Mexico’s land, that Mexico was just trying to protect. According to Jesus Velasco-Marquez from “A Mexican Viewpoint on the War With the United States”, Jesus states, “In the eyes of the [Mexican] government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico.” This evidence shows that Mexico viewed the mobilization of the U.S army as an attack on them, and that Mexico wasn’t trying to escalate things, they were just trying to protect their

Polk had said that Mexico were planning on an invasion and declared war on Mexico. This didn’t show that we show not be afraid or fear military ambition. It showed how selfish man can be just to gain more territory because they believed that it was their right to expand the country. Mexico only wanted what was theirs after claiming independence from Spain, and not have it taken away. Texas was under Mexico law, and Mexico banned slavery. Many Americans settlers did live in Texas at the time and knew it was against Mexico’s law but still had slaves anyways. The war lasted for three years, but soon Mexico decided to sign a peace treaty that gave territories to America. America paid Mexico 15 billion for lands that are known today as California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and

The disputed land was still Mexico’s. “While in Mexico we use the term ‘The US Invasion’...” (Marquez 327) Most Mexicans saw the war as an invasion: from their point of view, their home was in danger of being taken. “..reaffirmed the instruction to protect the border,...” (Marquez 327) Santa Anna, when instructing the order to protect Mexico’s true border, was merely responding to the needs of his country. When the United States Army came, Mexico saw a need to defend itself. (Marquez 327) An ambush was only needed to defend their territory when American troops trespassed on what Mexico considered its border. Apparently, settlers already settled lands that didn’t belong to them. (O’Sullivan 323) California territory belonged to Mexico. Any settling of the territory by any other people of citizenship besides Mexico’s is basically thievery. All of the evidence shows that there was no good reason for this war, and that the US is still not justified in the declaration of war. The disputed territory was still

The United States of America has been through many wars, wars concerning many things such as land oil, pride and respect. However, when the United States went to war with Mexico, it was planned over greed. The Mexican- American war was a war provoked by the United States, in efforts to expand the coasts of the country. Mexico was a small under privileged country who had previously to the war had already lost part of their country (Texas). Needless to say this war was cut throat and violent, it was however one of the smartest business decisions America has ever made.

Mexico was only protecting themselves only 16 Americans died the amount of mexicans died is still unknown. Yes, Mexico did fire first but they were just defending themselves.The Mexican War was north bank of Rio Grande in 1846 to 1848. Before the Mexican War, there was the Battle of the Alamo in 1836. It was about 10 to 12 years before. Which people could have been mad about still so it probably caused tension in the Mexican War. So, did the U.S. have the rights to go to war with Mexico? The United States was unjustified in going to war with Mexico because America had no respect, took away Mexico’s rights, and James K. Polk was land hungry and selfish.

United Mexican States was weak and was just forming Mexico’s government, and the only people that Mexico could not control was the Americans. The Americans even got special treatment and the Americans still rebelled. “One way to increase the population was to welcome settlers from the United States.” (Background Essay Paragraph 3) With Mexico being weak, anti-slave, and just getting formed the Americans were not happy with how it was being run when they showed up. Congress also stated “...Did not want a large slave territory to be added to the United States.” (Background Essay Paragraph

The perception of history is often crafted by the information given and the information available, however, almost too often the facts accessible are warped by the viewpoints of others before they can be properly assessed. Differing outlooks thus explicate the controversial nature of historical events and why the motives and conclusions behind certain occurrences are called into question. The Mexican American war as many American historians would call it ushers a contrary tone in Mexico as their own historians would claim the “war” as United States invasion; the difference in referral is based on the different perceptions of the conflict. In the American viewpoint, the Mexican American War was driven by economic, social and political pressures to bolster United States territories, through the annexation of Texas. In the converse, it could be argued that Mexico did not declare a formal war against the United States but rather was interested in defending their country’s territorial integrity and resisting United State’s invasion. In a Mexican viewpoint then, the war was not a result of arrogance but a consequence of defending Mexican territory from United States invasion. Nonetheless the aftermath of the war produced immense repercussions, furthering American exceptionalism, slavery, and disregard for international borders prompting the inquiry of not only the unjust methods applied but the unjustified results.

In Document C, it states that Americans called this war the “Mexican American War”, but in Mexico’s eyes, it was called “The American Invasion”. This was because Americans thought that that land belonged to them, and that Mexicans were the ones who were invading. For Mexicans, the Americans were invading their territory. This entire thing was a big misunderstanding, leading to the war. This shows that America was not justified because that incident was a large misunderstanding for both Mexico and

     The factors that started the Mexican War lay heavily on American shoulders. Whether if the factors were created by social, political or economical needs, they have all become the center of attention for the question of being a national interest or disgrace. However, the Americans felt that they existed for “…spreading the blessings of peace.” according to Andrew Jackson. There will always be controversy between the two sides of this matter, the Americans who feel that it had to be done, to the Mexicans who felt that it was an injustice done to their nation.

that President Polk had no right to do what he did. It is said that

President, James Polk, to the Senate and House of Representatives explaining how Mexico “shed American blood upon the American soil.” However, Mexico did have a reason for doing that. The text also states, “... a party … of sixty-three men and officers, were … dispatched from the American camp up the Rio del Norte on its [North] bank, to ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crossed, or were preparing to cross, the river…” This shows that American troops were marching up to the border to see if Mexico had or was going to cross the border, which may have looked very threatening to Mexico, leading to the attack. But neither side had planned on making an act of violence, it was simply just mistrust in both sides, leading to a simple, yet large, misunderstanding.

The Mexican-American war determined the destiny of the United States of America, it determined whether or not it would become a world power and it established the size of the United States of America. Perhaps the war was inevitable due to the idea of Manifest Destiny - Americans thought they had the divine right to extend their territory. The Mexican-American War started mainly because of the annexation of the Republic of Texas (established in 1836 after breaking away from Mexico). The United States and Mexico still had conflicts on what the borders of Texas was, the United States claimed that the Texas border with Mexico was the Rio Grande, but the Mexicans said that it was the Nueces River, so the land in between were disputed and

One reason the Mexican war was Justified was because Mexico could not handle the things that Americans were doing to