Mexican-American War - Research Paper Example

? MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR (First American Intervention) By: 2 Table of Contents Introduction/Thesis Page 3 History Page 3+4 Social Impacts Page 4+5 Political Impacts Page 5-7 Economic Impacts Page 7-9 Conclusion Page 9 Reference Page Page 10 First American Intervention In a world of moral diversity, change, and self-awareness, we confront hostility due to the past. History has shaped much of what people believe to be true today. The resentment stems from past hurt and pain, and even war. This dreaded word permeates the essence of all who live among it, all who circulate its beliefs, and all who create a worldview based on both the pros, and the cons of war itself. The Mexican-American War, also known as the First American Intervention came with social, political and economic factors which impacted civilians in both the US, and Mexico. This particular war was an armed conflict between the US and Mexico, which began in 1846 and lasted until 1848. The war was caused because the US had just annexed Texas and added it to its states in 1845. Regardless of the Texas revolution, Mexico considered Texas to be part of its territory. Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state of the United States. Because of its admittance, the US inherited the Mexican boarder dispute by default. This became a problem therefore creating the current war at hand. Not only did the US connect only Texas, but they continued to capture more territory which extended the nation’s boarders all the way to the Pacific Ocean. This acquisition of more territory was known as the Mexican Cessesion which occurred back in1848. This Cession is currently known as the southwestern region of the United States. This region can be divided into pacific time and mountain time. This Cession was ceded by Mexico during the Treaty of Guadelupe back in 1848. It was a peaceful treaty dictated by the United States and it eventually ended the Mexican-American war which lasted a daunting two years. Because of its depleting army and lack of resources, Mexico surrendered to the United States and began negotiating ideas on how to end the war. They wanted to end the war in a peaceful manner as not to cause a stir. Before going to war, Mexico threatened the US if it chose to join Texas as its 28th acquired state. It was torn apart by angry internal political mini battles that could have created a civil war. It had a lot of debt and so it started relinquishing its rights to different states to help pay off the massive debt acquired during other wars. Mexico decided that Texas had little value compared to California and its richness and so relinquishing its rights would not be so difficult. There were several negotiators which greatly affected the results of the war. Because the negotiations were done in a peaceful manner, they were referred to as “peace talks”. Nicholas Trist, the chief Clerk of the state department, accompanied General Winfield Scott as a diplomat and President Polk’s representative. They found no previous success in coming to an agreement so they reluctantly decided that they would have to view Mexico and their chief leaders as conquered enemies in order to get the job done. The special commission representatives were Don Bernardo Couto, Don Miguel Artristan, and Don Luis Gonzaga Cuevas of Mexico. The war itself created social factors which lead to unity and unrest. Social factors impact people all over the world. During the Mexican-American war, a huge wave of immigrants permeated the United States. Several factors contributed to the wave of Mexican immigrants. The first was the Reclamation act of 1902 which expanded acres of farmland through new immigration projects. This pushed the need for agricultural workers. The Mexican revolution and the political and violent instability pushed people out of their country and into the United States. Possibly the most important social factor was the growth of the U.S. economy which attracted several thousand immigrants to its territory. Once moved to the US, most Mexican migrants received low wages but they did not complain because if they were to compare their earnings with what they were earning back in Mexico, they would realize that they were essentially earning more living in the U.S. The number of jobs being provided by the United States seemed plentiful, especially during World War I and the start of the 1920s. It was not easy for the migrant workers once they arrived to the United States. They had to learn a new language, learn its culture, and adapt to the lifestyle that was put before them. Many of them returned home after working for several months due to mal adjustment. Not being able to adjust to the food, music, entertainment, and livelihood of the American people made living in the U.S. a social factor which impacted the people there. Moving to a country that appeared to have more to offer was a definite pull factor for Mexican Immigrants but this did not mean that the Mexican-American War did not have a political affect on its civilians. Politics affect people all over the world. It is not possible to run a country without having some kind of political agenda. The Mexican-American war was immersed in political feats which lead up to strains and differences. It was the first war to be fought on foreign soil and be hailed by the press. Because the war was fought within miles of both countries, it increased the nation’s size by a million square miles. The Manifest Destiny was also part of the political agenda. The Manifest Destiny stated that the US would continue to increase its territory, colonize the surrounding areas, and bring American values and institutions to the people it encounters. There are plenty of other theories stating that the war was a result of wanting to extend and create more slave states. The people were unsure what would happen to the “left over” territory and therefore, creating slave states and admitting them to either the union or the confederacy proved to be an issue. War can also be a result of power and control. Politics by definition is power and control. You can not be powerful, without either wanting or receiving control over something or someone. The Manifest Destiny is the best example of power when talking about the Mexican-American War. We also recognize that part of politics stems from immigration. After the war, many Mexican immigrants were admitted into the country. The legal views regarding Mexican immigrants is not fifty-fifty. However, there were exceptions made post war. Without these immigrants, how could the U.S. grow its markets and industries? Who would be the leading work force? It has to be known that many people immigrate due to push and pull factors. What Americans had to offer creates pull factors for all involved. If you play your cards right, you can get in. It’s all about politics. It’s the foot in the door. It’s the people you know. There is also the fear of immigration. The US is considered to be a very paranoid country, restricting trade by creating embargos on certain goods from certain countries. There are fears from people all over the US stating that immigration can lead to terrorism, drugs, government corruption and debt. They believe that the poorer immigrants consume a large amount of what the government has to offer, such as healthcare, education and even welfare. Immigrants are willing to work for lower wages, leaving the people’s choice limited even if this means the quality of work will not be as good. The fear that the language of the American people is disappearing due to immigrants is a concern for some. But if the nation is gaining from having immigrants, especially after the war, it’s an issue of politics. What the people in government choose to do with the gains is not up to the common people. The fact that the law allowed Mexicans who were in the newly owned country citizenship is a matter of politics which increased the population, creating more demand. On February 7th, 1849, the Supreme Court rules that congress alone can regulate immigration. The Know-Nothing party forms and decides that they want to impose major restrictions on immigrants. Some of these restrictions were:no voting until naturalized, required to be a resident for 21 years before acquiring citizenship, filling public offices with Americans by birth, education and training, opposed aggressive policy regarding the catholic church. Immigration is hardly the main reason for the war itself. We can’t have a war only boardering around social and political matters. Economy, as we know it, is intertwined in every aspect of our lives, including war. There was economic impact that resulted before and after the Mexican-American War. President Polk clearly wanted to expand the United States by taking control of California. This is a clear example of the Manifest Destiny. Because of expansion, there was money to be earned, people to be paid and jobs to be created. Without more territory, the United States would have less to offer its immigrants, slaves, and common civilians. The economic impact is said to be the five new states that were gained when taking over the west coast. The states are California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. By moving to a pre-owned territory, the people moving to these states wanted to get in on the high prices. They wanted to be ahead of the game. They wanted to be able to sell and purchase land when it became available. There were also many trading opportunities. The forward thinking of the settlers allowed them to think about the Manifest Destiny in more detail, therefore creating for themselves a reason to move out west. They knew that as soon as the land became part of the US, they would be able to sell it for higher prices to farm owners and also plantation owners. The deposits of gold and silver found in California and Nevada was a huge economic treat for the people. They did not expect this surprise. Even though there were positive economic impacts, there were also strains which put the war at hand in perspective. The idea that money does not buy happiness is an issue having to do with both morals and ethics. Is expanding territory and issue of moral beliefs and ethics? Can gaining an extra acre really make a huge impact when it comes to the economy? What needs to be looked at is where the American people were both at the beginning and end of the war itself. At the beginning of the war, the US was focused on expanding its territory. By the end of the war, it had conquered the territory it had sought out. Now, with this new territory, the settlers could expand their markets and industry, provide more jobs for the labor force, and extend their knowledge and ideas across the US. So is economics a factor? With more laborers, more things can be made at a faster rate which in turn brings in more money. With more money comes more possessions which can also lead to greed. But the American people were not necessarily concerned with the idea of greed. They just wanted to continue to take over and they did not really care who they stepped on to get there. They belief that they had a God-given mandate, the Manifest destiny, really played a role in their every day decision making process. Without this hunger for more, the US would be unable to provide what it has provided for people of all races, genders, colors, religions, and political view. Its ability to be what it is today is due in part by the people and country that created a peace agreement with them. The United States continues to be the most powerful country in the world. It is a leading nation. Countries depend on each other in order to boost the economy. Agreements are put in place to facilitate the gains. The factors include what strengthens the economy of a particular country possess. It is important to look at the strengths and weakness. Working on how to strengthen the weaker portions of a country’s economy can create all around gain for both parties involved. Creating treaties or agreements that With the tides of war, it is clear that there is loss and gain. It is clear that both must coexist in order to push a country forward, or hold a country back. The leave forward allows for introspective awareness and the holding back allows for future planning. The Mexican-American War impacted people around them socially, politically and economically but let’s not forget that the word impact is not always a negative thing. It is actually a positive thing because with every new idea that fails or succeeds, we learn a new lesson that we can take with us above and beyond. The impact creates growth which in turn benefits all involved. Reference Page Clay, H. (2012, 2 1). Causes of the Mexican War. Retrieved from United States History: http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h322.html Decebal. (2012, 2 1). All Empires. Retrieved from The Mexican American War: http://www.allempires.com/article/index.php?q=war_mexican Heys, J. (1995). Enough Blame to Go Around: Causes of the Mexican-American War. Retrieved from Mexica: http://www.mexica.net/war/Mexican-American-War.html Lee, R. A. (1998-2012, 1 14). The US-Mexican War-(1846-1848). Retrieved from History Guy: http://www.historyguy.com/Mexican-American_War.html#.TymYe3LpfeQ Marin, A. E. (2012, February 1). Mexican Americans. Retrieved from Countries and Their Cultures: http://www.everyculture.com/multi/Le-Pa/Mexican-Americans.html Messerli, J. (2012, 1 7). Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of Legal Immigration? . Retrieved 2 1, 2012, from Balanced Politics: http://www.balancedpolitics.org/immigration.htm Miller, R. R. (2006, 3 14). The Aftermath of War. Retrieved from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/aftermath/war.html Read More