Analyzing Mexican History - Essay Example

Introduction With the conflicts that encompassed the ethic Mexican history in the nineteenth century, much of what is known as their story has becomemore of an archetypal war narrative. The narrative has dwelled on their war struggles opposite the Americans, and the aftermath of what was supposed to be a negotiated situation was taken for granted. The consequences were inevitable but the treaty that was meant to resolve the conflicts has not served its purpose well enough for the Mexicans. It is now history, some may say, nevertheless, history is what has made the present that will mold their future. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was the foregone solution to their conflicts. However, with the advent of a new century, the Mexicans were still confronted with issues and conflicts. To understand this situation of what has become of the ethnic Mexicans in the latter half of the nineteenth century and into the advent of another hundred years, it is necessary to consider the circumstances of the times and survey the events that make their late history. The Treaty On the second day of February 1848, in the small village of Guadalupe Hidalgo close to the present day Mexico City, the treaty that ended the war between Mexico and the United States was signed. Mexico was obligated to turn over the regions of California, Rio Grande, and New Mexico, in exchange for $15,000,000 from the United States. The agreement could have been beneficial for both countries, if not for the violations committed by the United States several years after the ratification of the treaty. The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo has not lived up to the peace negotiation that it was signed for. If there was good that was achieved through the treaty it would be that of for the United States’ expansion of territory. The Aftermath As stated in the first article of the treaty, “There shall be firm and universal peace between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic…” However, like any other war, the Mexican-American war was violent. And the aftermath of the war was as much suffering for the part of the Mexicans. The war was about territory; nonetheless, it was a war about racism, wealth, and labor as well. At this point, the war had not ended with the signing of the treaty. The gunfire and the military violence my have ended, but the sociological, economic, and political issues continued to affect the Mexicans. The aftermath was another war that confronted the ethnic Mexicans. The root of the conflicts in the aftermath of the war was attributed not to the essence of the treaty, but rather to the failure of the United States to abide by the terms stated in the treaty. It may not be a straightforward violation of the United States against the Mexican people but in the process of land acquisition and profit maximization of the acquired lands, the American pioneers have committed a mistake that affected the Mexican people more than the military war has damaged their lives. Racial Notions, Economic Standpoint, Political Perspective Issues of social discrimination of race have continued after the war. The conflict here rested on the situation that people have been displaced due to the acquisition of Mexican lands, and either side was not claiming them. Under the provisions of the treaty, the Mexican landholders were to keep hold of their land assets and property as if they were American citizens (Haynes). However, later on, Mexicans were left as if the were neither of the two nations’ citizens. Not one of the United States or Mexico claimed the people residing on the turned over territories as their citizens. It was racial discrimination in its purest form; people were deprived of their identity and citizenship. With the development of nationalism in Europe at this time, somewhere in the Americas this concept of unity was not taken into consideration. With this issue of citizenship, the notion of slavery became evident in the regions as well. With the signing of the treaty, the political discussion on slavery on the acquired regions was then discussed; however, it was to no avail. The treaty has been signed and as years passed by, the consequences to the sociological aspects of Mexico’s history was etched. The failure of the United States to address the issues concerning the social aspects of the aftermath effectively was the root of it all. Mexico lost their territories and it was not worth the payment and the circumstances. The economic growth was disrupted with the transfer to territories; the gold deposits in California could have rescued the Mexican economy. The war had left the Mexicans in a poor condition. They were ravaged by the war, families were destroyed, and children were left orphaned. The devastated structures had interrupted external trades, as well as internal transactions. The compensation for the damages was not worth the financial difficulties experienced by the poor Mexicans. The treaty was no help at this aspect. Political instability was the main issue confronted by the Mexicans during and even after the war. Administering a devastated state was a difficulty for the political leaders as social and economic conflicts were to be confronted with such limited options. The treaty sure left them a smaller territory to handle, but there were little resources and little potential of economic stability as well. That was the hard part, and there was no help offered. The root cause of all these social, economic, and political factors that adhere to the gap between the promises of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the circumstances that the Mexicans had experienced in the aftermath was the failure to respect the terms signed in the treaty. The United States had committed violations; nevertheless, the Mexicans had part of the blame as well, as they never defended their rights as much as they can. As much as the conflicts were concerned, the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo has not been the real solution. Discrimination and Social Issues over Time Discrimination and social segregation was a common issue after the war. Article VIII of the treaty discusses the concerns of the people and their lands on the ceded regions. The terms were clear, that those owning a property or inhabiting land on the territories to be turned over have their options of staying or going to Mexico. The citizenship issue created confusion on what is termed as legal and legitimate. Several years after the war, the Mexicans had suffered alienation under the either their home country or the United States. If the situation is to be seen from the perspective of the treaty, the terms stated on the eighth article should apply. During those times, about 80,000 Mexicans were residing in the southwest region. About the same number of Mexican citizens chose to consider American citizenship. However, with the mere concept of American citizenship comes the query of whether the same benefits and rights would be extended to these Mexican natives. It is simply a question of whether discrimination would still prevail and the answer is yes. Shortly after the Mexican natives were given American citizenship, issues of equality were on the line. The United States had come to consider these Mexicans as not fully American citizens and this left these people as second-class citizens. In the words of Haynes, “Its the violence of broken treaties…” The Mexicans were denied the full citizenship that they deserved under the terms of the treaty and that was it for the discrimination and social segregation of the time. Way into the advent of the twentieth century, a number of Mexican natives continued to move up north. These people were mainly moving labor force and they declared that they were of Mexican birth. As citizenship is not the issue here, labor related problems came out of the segregation problems. In connection with racial discrimination, the labor wages became classified well into it. For the Mexicans working in the agricultural regions of the ceded territory such as the cotton-producing lands, the wages they received were different from other racial distinctions. There was the violence in labor as labor wages were segmented for Blacks, Mexicans, and Whites. There was no equality even after several years after the ratification of the treaty. For time being land ownership issues were still a matter of a social structure. As it was with the citizenship matter, land ownership in the ceded region became a matter of violation in the treaty yet again. For complicated reasons, many lost the rights to their homeland and land titles. Mexicans in the regions of New Mexico and California lost their properties and as the situations prevailed, they have become foreigners in their own land. Fast-forward into the contemporary times and still, many of these land ownership issues are a matter of discussion. The structure of social discrimination has not changed over time, the same ideology works and issues have not been resolved. Consequences in the Aftermath Any war has its effects inevitable. Some take on in the aftermath, others take time to be felt, yet some get on the track even as the war is still being fought. As for the Mexican-American war, its effects were felt shortly after the American troops have left the city. Nevertheless, the foregone effects of the failure of the United States to hold fast to the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had greater bearing on the Mexicans. The war had left the Mexicans in a poor state. Devastation of the republic was the immediate effect of the war, and the Mexicans had a hard time reconstructing the public structures as problems of political and economic instability needed attention as well. A fracture in the political structure was a short-term effect. A decline in the economy was a foreseeable effect as the damage in the public structures halted business trades. This was as well a short-term consequence. Most of the physical damages of the war were short-term effects. However, in the long term, the cultural damages of the war on the Mexican people are far greater. The Mexican natives have almost lost their identity. The scar of the war was etched in their history, and it has changed them as a country. They suffered at their loss of territory, much more on their loss of family and compatriots to war. Nevertheless, the lessons learned from a war could powerful. The Mexicans soon gained the strength to cope with suffering, and what is important is that they have made something out of the lessons of the war. And that lesson inspired them to develop their nationhood and unity, to stand against repression. Perhaps the long-term effect of the war would be due to the lost economic source and potential of mineral business in Mexican territory. They lost the prospective of their agricultural lands and water resources of the region, and more than anything else, they have lost the “rich potential” of the California gold mines (Weber). The gold rush could have been in Mexico if not for the treaty. As for the United States, the war had been a stepping-stone to conquering their way to the pacific. They have gained power over the continent, expanding the territory and establishing the American ideal. The treaty had served well to their account, the fact that it did not served its purpose well for the Mexicans was a deliberate win for the United States. The American army that fought in the war was far experienced from the young Mexican army and their loss of men in battle was not as disastrous as for the Mexicans. The effects were for the long run for America as the ceded regions were productive and these have contributed to the wellness of the nation. The war was worth all the effort for the United States. Conclusion A look at this period in the Mexican history reveals an era of suffering and confusion. The United States’ blatant failure to go by the terms of the treaty had contributed to this era of Mexican distress. The definition and terms of what American citizenship was not extended to the native Mexicans and this situation has gone through a long run. The aftermath of the war had been a difficult period in the region. The war had its consequences and other circumstances had affected the existing conflicts between the two nations. The advantage was on the side of the United States. Mexicans have learned the lessons. Like any other war, the Mexican-American war was a war of principles and ideals. It was a battle for power over land with the people caught between the confusion and chaos of the times. Nevertheless, the circumstances of this war were etched in history, not only of these nations’s history, but as well as world history. And these lessons of war will continue to educate us well until tomorrow. References: Haynes, Jon Michael. “The Forgotten Promises of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.” 03 May 2008. Weber, David J. “Many Truths Constitute the Past: The Legacy of the U.S.-Mexican War.” The Aftermath of the War. 03 May 2008. Read More