The Annexation of Mexico

The Mexican American War was a very controversial event. The Americans believed in their “Manifest Destiny” which prompted them to annex the territory of Texas which, in turn, initiated the war on April 25, 1846. Texas was annexed to the Union as a slave state on December 29, 1845. This upset all of the Free states along with the Mexicans but the Southerners were in favor of the war because it gave them more strength when fighting for slavery. While there were many different beliefs about the Mexican-American War throughout the United States, these beliefs generally were the same within a region.

Mestizaje is known as a process of racial and cultural blending or mixing. This was common pattern found amongst most indigenous and Spaniards after the Spanish invasion. The Spanish invasion was primarily a conquest driven on the need for more power and wealth, in order for the Spaniards to achieve what they wanted they knew they were going to need to negotiate with the indigenous people. Aside from this it was also evident that the indigenous people needed to figure out how to survive under the rule of the Spanish even if it meant they had to give in to the Spanish’s way of life. The colonization of Mexico resulted in cultural blending of indigenous and Spanish culture, language, and religion as an act of survival.

The Spanish Conquest of Mexico and the Aztec people started when Hernán Cortés led the Spanish conquistadors to Tenochtitlán and conquered the Aztec Empire in 1519. The Spaniards had gunpowder, dogs, horses, and armor that would help fight against the Azteca. The Native Americans wanted to only wound their enemies with their woodened clubs tipped and sharp obsidian that was powerful enough to smash the Spaniard’s helmets. The use of the double-bladed swords helped the Spaniards fight close combat with the Indians. As soon as their chief died the Azteca would back down. Not only did the weapons cause a huge impact on the Aztec but also the spread of diseases such as smallpox that were carried by the Europeans affected the population. After conquering the Indians, the intensions of the Spanish in Mexico was to spread their beliefs about Christianity, find gold and use them as slaves. In drastic ways the Spaniards changed the native communities, for instance plagues spread throughout the whole country side after the defeat of Tenochtitlán. Smallpox, measles, and influenza were the outbreaks that hit urban cities the hardest. In 1520-1521 an outbreak of smallpox caused thousands to die because Azteca medicine was not affective against these diseases. The second outbreak occurred in 1531 and it was smallpox again but combined with measles and the third wave of the disease lasted from 1576 to 1581 killing 300,000 to 400,000 of the Aztec population. The Native Americans did not

The Abolitionist Movement began in 1833, when the American Anti-Slavery Society in Philadelphia was formed by William Lloyd Garrison, Arthur and Lewis Tappan (and others). The goal of the

During the start of the battle in 1846, when James K. Polk declared war against the Mexican’s, the nation was divided. One part of the war and the other half against. While slave owners saw it as “ a place to extend slavery,” others such as Frederick Douglas saw it as “robbing Mexico of her territory.” The Mexican American War rose out of the desire of expansion and resulted in new discoveries.

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which came into effect on 2 February 1848, ended the Mexican-American war and formally resolved territorial disputes resulting from that conflict. The treaty required the U.S. government to pay the Mexican government $15 million dollars, this in return for an expanse of territory that later became the states of Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. I intend to argue that the treaty benefitted the people who inhabited, and later came to inhabit, that territory. I also propose that, as a result of the transfer of territory from a dictatorial regime to one that was based on democratic principles, both Mexico and the United States ultimately benefitted in several ways.

The Mexican Cession refers to America’s expansion due West to the Pacific River that would lead to the Mexican-American War, and Mexico would ultimately cede land to the growing United States. Reasons for the expansion can be related to America’s mentality of manifest destiny. People believed that even God himself had blessed the country for expansion and this only added fuel to what soon would lead to advancing uncharted territory. Conditions throughout were strong, but America had an expedition and a mission to uphold that would make the United States a world power for decades to come.

Mexico did have the power to govern more territory and had fair laws and a treaty with America. “The annexation of Texas was inadmissible for for both legal and security reasons”(Doc C, Par1).“They already had the Anglo Saxon foot on the borders of California which Mexico had been to before.” With California America’s possession, they did not need more of Mexico’s land(Doc A, Par3). With that in place, Ignoring the governmental power of Mexico was wrong considering they had seize of California. Mexico had been disrespected at both rightful land masses. America's actions to seize

“The American government acted like a bandit who came upon a traveler” once wrote in an article in El Tiempo. The United States is seemingly a controversial country when it comes to many things, for example warfare. One war was the United States against Mexico, which shared its mixed opinions. Earlier on in 1821 Mexico declared itself free and decided to be a catholic and a anti-slavery nation. Their views would later cause many problems to arise because once they urged Americans to settle in Mexican cities, the government and the settlers would have opposing ideologies.

Foreign powers should therefore look on the annexation of Texas to the United States not as the conquest of a nation seeking to extend her dominions by arms and violence, but as acquisition of a Territory once her

Dr. Henderson’s purpose for writing A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and its War with the United States is to explain the causes of Mexico going to war with the United States in 1846, and the reasons Mexico suffered severely from it. Dr. Henderson’s focus throughout the book is not solely on the military tactics, but rather on the political and diplomatic maneuvering. This approach to the book is to provide to the reader the conflict’s real significance, as to the how and why the United States and Mexico went to war. This book does not point blame at either side, but tells the war from the Mexican point of view. Furthermore, Dr. Henderson explores Mexico’s weaknesses at the time and how those weaknesses led to the war with the United States.

If Oregon, like I suspect it will, becomes a free state, then the balance will be even once again. Not only that, but we will be even closer to achieving our manifest destiny. My opponent would also say that the war with Mexico is simply a war of conquest. I disagree, the war with Mexico would be a war of revenge and an assertion of political and military force unto our enemies. Walt Whitman for the Brooklyn Eagle, clearly agrees with me, ¨Yes: Mexico must be thoroughly chastised!...Let our arms now be carried with a spirit which shall teach the world that, while we are not forward for a quarrel, America knows how to crush, as well as how to expand!¨ Annexing Texas and going to war against Mexico would once again prove to the rest of the world that America is a strong military and political opponent. Not only that, but if we won a war against Mexico now, we would avoid the war that will undoubtedly take place in the future. If we put off the war England will most likely will try to take Texas and move against us. If we act now then we will avoid a future war and gain land. If we wait we might not take any benefits from the

A sanguinary and exhausting ordeal, the Mexican-American War greatly influenced New Mexico because of its many lasting effects. Fought between 1846 and 1848, the relatively short Mexican-American War’s effects still resonate in modern times. For New Mexico, the War determined the region’s destiny as well as its future. Some of the most profound effects that the Mexican-American War had on New Mexico includes the introduction of its citizens to a new American way of life, New Mexico’s acceptance into the United States as a territory and eventually a state, and New Mexico’s uncertain slavery status.

Many nations across time and the world have experienced a revolution. From the American revolution to the French revolution, history has proven conflict can engage a nation at any moment. Tanter explains that two possible scenarios, changes in the economic development and the level of education are likely to cause revolutions (Tanter 264). A revolution can be composed of a group of individuals who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in exchange for change in the existing

More than 440 million people are comprised by the economy of North America, divided into 23 states. Related to this, the border between rich and poor is close together. On the one hand Canada and the US are one of the richest countries and on the other hand there is Mexico as one of the poorest nations. (NORD)