Causes of the Mexican-American War - Essay Example

 The war between the North American neighboring countries, namely, the United States and Mexico was said to have begun in 1846 and ended in 1848. Compared to the other wars that took place in different parts of the world, it might have appeared short-lived; two years and the battle abruptly came to an end. But the historians who conducted ardent studies of the subject were convinced that the conflict between these two nations began long before the war itself even broke out. It was believed that the Mexican-American War was, in a way, triggered by the idea known as the Manifest Destiny. The said idea depicted the belief of the Americans on the superiority of the United States over all the other North American countries when it came to political and economic aspects. This idea also promoted the belief that the United States was ordained by God to govern the entire North America; and since it was so, it was only fitting that the destiny of the country be fulfilled. The Manifest Destiny was initially used by journalist John Louis O'Sullivan in an article concerning the Texas annexation which he wrote some time in July, 1845. In the said article he stressed: Why, were other reasoning wanting, in favor of now elevating this question of the reception of Texas into the Union, out of the lower region of our past party dissensions, up to its proper level of a high and broad nationality, it surely is to be found, found abundantly, in the manner in which other nations have undertaken to intrude themselves into it, between us and the proper parties to the case, in a spirit of hostile interference against us, for the avowed object of thwarting our policy and hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions [O’Sullivan 2].1 The present Texas – a land that was said to be similar to Germany in terms of size – was formerly a part of the Mexican Republic, until its residents, then known as Texicans or Texans, revolted against the Mexican government. Settlers from different parts of the United States were said to have populated Texas during the 1820’s up to the 1830’s, when the Mexican government encouraged them to reside in the northern part of Mexico which was then unpopulated. And in 1821, the first Anglo-American colony led by Stephen Fuller Austin was established in Texas. However, the settlers were not contented with the way the city government of Mexico was running the province. The Texans were furious with the plan of Mexico to bring the country under the control of a single authority. It further aggravated their anger when a government proclamation concerning the abolition of slavery was implemented. In 1836, the Texans revolted against the Mexican government and proclaimed their independence after the Mexican leader Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was defeated by Sam Houston – one of the Texas leaders – in the Battle of San Jacinto in April 21, 1836. 1. O’Sullivan, John Louis. “Annexation.” United States Magazine and Democratic Review. July 1845: 2. In their writing regarding the annexation of Texas, Allan Nevis and Henry Steele Commager commented: For a time the United States refused to consider any proposal for annexing the country. But for a number of reasons, many Americans gradually changed their minds. For one, they thought it a duty to expand over the unpeopled and undeveloped West. For another, they felt that the Texans were a kindred people whose natural place was under the American flag. For a third reason, they feared that Great Britain might intervene in Texas and try to establish a protectorate. And finally, pocket motives were at work. Northerners wished to sell farm products and manufactured goods in Texas; shipping owners saw that their vessels could make profitable voyages to Galveston; Yankee mill owners wished to have cheap Texas cotton spin. Many Southerners wanted to migrate and yet were unwilling to leave the American flag [Nevis and Commager, 189].2 Although Santa Anna, upon his defeat, acknowledged the independence of Texas, the Mexican congress refused the agreement, and for this reason, many Mexicans were convinced that their country would be able to recover Texas from the United States. And when it was approved by the U.S. Congress through a joint resolution, Mexico considered it as an unprovoked attack against them, which made its diplomat in Washington D.C. break the negotiations. In 1845, the short-lived republic known as the independent Republic of Texas was annexed by the United States. The annexation of Texas was one of the reasons that initiated the war. 2. Nevis, Allan, and Henry Steele Commager. “The Annexation of Texas.” A Pocket History of the United States. New York: Washington Square Press, 1971: 189. The breaking of the diplomatic relations between the two countries by Mexico urged U.S. President James K. Polk to send a representative in the person of John Slidell to Mexico to settle the dispute concerning the boundary between Texas and Mexico. In his speech, President Polk stated his reasons for pursuing another diplomatic relation with Mexico: The strong desire to establish peace with Mexico on liberal and honorable terms, and the readiness of this Government to regulate and adjust our boundary and other causes of difference with that power on such fair and equitable principles as would lead to permanent relations of the most friendly nature, induced me in September last to seek the reopening of diplomatic relations between the two countries [Butler, 67]. 3 Polk also mentioned his decision of sending a representative to Mexico in order to achieve the government’s desire to regain peace with the country’s neighbor: On the 10th of November, 1845, Mr. John Slidell, of Louisiana, was commissioned by me as envoy […] of the United States to Mexico, […] The redress of wrongs of our citizens […] blended itself with the question of boundary [67]. 4 However, when the citizens found out through the Mexican newspapers that Slidell was secretly instructed to negotiate for the purchase of California and New Mexico, they threatened to revolt, should the government of then President Jose Joaquin de Herrera agree to sell the said Mexican territory. 3. Butler, Steve R. “Speech by President James K. Polk.” A Documentary History of the Mexican War. Ed. Steven R. Butler. Richardson, Texas: Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, 1995: 67-71. 4. Ibid. Unfortunately, the US government’s plan of amicable settlement between the two countries had a negative result. The outcome, thus, forced the United States to resort to another option wherein the shedding of blood was inevitable. . In his speech, President Polk mentioned that he had “ordered an efficient military force to take a position ‘between the Nueces and Del Norte [69].’" 5 And justified his decision by commenting: The invasion was threatened solely because Texas had determined, in accordance with a solemn resolution of the Congress of the United States, to annex herself to our Union, and under these circumstances it was plainly our duty to extend our protection over her citizens and soil [69].6 A war was declared and a war started, killing thousands of soldiers, both Americans and Mexicans. In June 1846, the U.S. army headed by General Stephen W. Kearny advanced to Santa Fe which they were able to take control of since the Mexicans had already left long before the U.S. troops reached the area. However, the troops were soon attacked by Mexicans and Pueblos – Native American tribes who lived in then southwestern United States and northern part of Mexico. The attacks caused Kearny to deploy his army in order to simultaneously attack and control diversified locations. The first group was left to calm Santa Fe, while the second and third groups were sent to Chihuahua in north central Mexico and to the west in California, respectively to aid the troops that were already in battle. 5. Ibid. 6. Ibid. Some time in 1846, the citizens residing in northern California rebelled against the Mexican government, long before the news on the war declaration had even reached them, for fear that all non-Mexican settlers in the area would be driven out. Led by Colonel John C. Fremont, a number of Americans attacked and captured Sonoma, a place located in the northeastern California. Upon conquest, the invading settlers raised a flag depicting a bear and a star and declared a republic. The same flag was also raised at Monterey to officially claim California as a part of the United States. For several months, Mexico refused to negotiate peace treaty with the United States, but later on, a treaty known as the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, ending the war. In Article I of the said treaty, it was stated: There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic, and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people, without exception of places or persons [Treaty, Art.1].7 In the end though many lives were lost and a lot of blood was shed in order to end the conflict between these two neighboring countries, they were still able to settle their differences in a peaceful way. Thus, what President Polk had been striving to achieve finally had come to fulfillment. 7. “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848.” Historical Text Archive. Art. 1. 28 March 2006 http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=141. Works Cited 1. Butler, Steve R. “Speech by President James K. Polk.” A Documentary History of the Mexican War. Ed. Steven R. Butler. Richardson, Texas: Descendants of Mexican War Veterans, 1995: 67-71. 2. Lee, R. “The Mexican-American War.” The History Guy. 2005. 28 March 2006 . 3. Muzzey, David Saville. “The Mexican War.” An American History. Boston: Ginn Company, 1911. 28 March 2006 http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist6/muzzey.html. 4. Nevis, Allan, and Henry Steele Commager. “The Annexation of Texas.” A Pocket History of the United States. New York: Washington Square Press, 1971: 189. 5. O’Sullivan, John Louis. “Annexation.” United States Magazine and Democratic Review. July 1845: 2. 6. Shafer, Robert J., and Donald J. Mabry. “Texas and Mexican Wars.” Neighbors – Mexico and the United States: Wetback and Oil. Chicago: Nelson – Hall, 1981: 28-31. 7. “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848.” Historical Text Archive. Art. 1. 28 March 2006 http://historicaltextarchive.com/sections.php?op=viewarticle&artid=141. Read More