Introduction

The Mexican American War was a turning point in American history and ideologically, technologically, and geographically changed America for the better. At the time it was a controversial war that fueled tensions between the North and the South even though most Americans advocated expansion. The South would support the war if the new territories would allow slavery and the North would only support the war if the territories became free states. This war would test the military strength of the United States against another organized military. In the end, America was proved victorious and its economy and territories grew with the addition of Texas, New Mexico, and the California region. The slave controversy would be temporarily put to rest when California entered as a free state. Without this war, America would have trouble becoming a global power and expanding from coast to coast.

The Mexican American War occurred from 1846 to 1848 during the U.S. presidency of President Polk and was the one of the first wars geared by the idea called “manifest destiny.” Manifest Destiny was the idea that it was America’s God-given right to bring all of North America under a civilized, Protestant, English-speaking rule. Westward migration and settling encouraged this among most Americans. America began buying land from Spain in order to achieve this goal peacefully but when Mexico, under the rule of dictator Santa Anna, refused to sell some of its territory to the United States, tensions rose between the two countries. During the Texas War of Independence, both countries claimed the region. The brutal fighting at the border made many Americans sympathize for the Texans. Texas became a U.S. state on July 4, 1845, which made the Mexicans furious. Both countries sent troops to stake their claims; Mexico saw this as an invasion of their country and the Americans viewed it as hostility towards the newly independent Texas. After a long standoff, the troops attacked each other on April 25, 1846. The Americans sought to end the war quickly by taking control of Mexican territory in California and in Northern Mexico. At first, both sides engaged in traditional European style battles using a wide range of weapons but the Mexicans soon resorted to guerilla tactics, which still proved ineffective against the superior American cannons, officers from the recently opened West Point Military Academy, and soldiers equipped with state-of-the-art rifles. The Mexicans refused to give up even after several major cities fell and only a major victory would bring peace. The Americans launched one of the largest amphibious assaults of the time period on Mexico City and successfully captured it, forcing Santa Anna to sign a treaty. Mexican president Santa Anna resigned and gave the U.S. Mexico’s northern territories and the U.S. gave them $15 million dollars in return on February 2, 1848.

Both sides had differing views on the series of events that lead to the war and each side had their heroes and famous participants in the war. The U.S. had fresh West Point graduates and soon to be Civil War heroes Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. Zachary Taylor was also a general for the U.S. Army. The Mexican Forces were lead by Mexican President and dictator, Santa Anna who also fought against the Texans during the Texas War for Independence. The Mexican had guerilla fighters along with conventional soldiers. One of Mexico’s most powerful assets was a group of dissenting American-Catholic soldiers who joined the Mexican Army because of they did not want to fight against other Catholics. Though Mexico had a few victories and many heroic losses, America eventually won with a decisive attack on Mexico city where they decided how America Would be shaped to this day.

Weaknesses

-The school contains only a few books on the subject.
-Most articles on the internet are biased and condem the war as the worst thing in American history.

Essay Outline

Thesis: The Mexican American War is a turning point in American history and ideologically, technologically, and geographically changed America for the better.

I. Events leading up to the War.

a. Mexican Revolution.

b. Texas Revolution.

c. The Alamo

d. Manifest Destiny.

e. Westward Expansion.

II. The Factions: America.

a. James Polk.

b. Zachary Taylor.

c. Ulysses Grant.

d. Military History.

III The Factions: Mexico.

a. Santa Anna.

b. St. Patrick's Battalion.

c. Military History.

IV The War.

a. Weapons.

b. Battles.

c. The Outcome.

V Conclusion.

a. Restate Thesis.

b. Overview.

c. Support Thesis.

Thesis

The Mexican American War is a turning point in American history and ideologically, technologically, and geographically defined the decade.

One P.O.V. on the War

The Mexican War has generally been condemned by American historians as a war forced upon Mexico by the South, greedy for a new slave state. Mexico had imprisoned U.S. citizens in and around Texas, lied to about our diplomatic attempts, could not control bandits and plunderers at its borders, and hostile tensions between the two countries were ever growing. President Jackson was quoted saying that Mexico's offenses "would justify in the eyes of all nations immediate war." Just because the U.S. is stronger than Mexico does not protect Mexico from its expansion. The moral controversy on conquest should not be an issue because Mexico was a result of conquest and gained those territories through conquest and the Texan War of Independence might have reminded them of their own War for Independence from Spain. Texas had already had independence for nine years and Mexico was about to accept that as long as it did not join the U.S. We tried a diplomatic resolution but it was rejected twice. We held off from taking Texas into the Union until Great Britain had persuaded Mexico to recognize the independence of Texas if it refused to join the United States. The moral question is not the war itself, but the annexation of Texas as a slave state. If the war with moral issue is not about harassing Mexico then is within the United States and the decision to accept Texas into the Union as a slave state. The original plan was for Texas to be an independent nation and even annexing Texas was just but the U.S. was in turmoil about slavery and that is where the United States made a terribly unjust and immoral decision.

Mexican War of Independence

The Mexican War of Independence began in the year 1810 and continued till 1821. Spanish explorers came to Mexico in search of land and gold, in the early 1500s and the land became New Spain. The Spanish colonizers enslaved the locals. The New Spain had a class society. At the top of the hierarchy were the Spaniards. They were followed by the Creoles, people born to Spaniards in Mexico. Then were the Mestizos, children born from a Spaniard and a Native. At the end of the hierarchy were the native Indians. This caused unrest among the Creoles who could not hold office, and triggered the need for independence. The Mexican War of Independence began on September 16, 1810, initiated by a Roman Catholic priest, Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla, who is also known as the founder of the Mexican War of Independence Movement. Hidalgo was very upset with the oppressive Spanish colonial government for its treatment of the lower class. He and his followers captured large portions of Mexico but could not take Mexico City. Hidalgo was executed. The leadership of the struggle for independence was taken up by Jose Maria Morelos, another Roman Catholic priest. Morelos, who declared the official document of independence, which provided equal rights to the native-born Mexicans. In the year 1820, the Viceroy of New Spain ordered Agustin de Iturbide, a loyalist Creole, to defeat the revolutionaries, at the same time, King Ferdinand VII, was forced to sign a liberal Spanish constitution with its republic values and practices. Iturbide felt that it might affect the status of the Creoles in Mexico and also realized that if Mexico achieves independence from Spain, the Creoles might get a chance to rule the country. This made him join forces with the revolutionaries and he came up with the 'Plan of Iguala'. The Plan of Iguala read that Mexico would get its independence from Spain; Roman Catholicism would be its official religion; and all the Spanish-born people in Mexico would gain equal status With Agustin’s support, the revolutionaries won in 1821. It was only in 1836 that Spain declared Mexico as an independent country. Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16, the day when Hidalgo summoned his followers to fight.

U.S. Military Overview up until the Mexican-American War

Before America gained independence, it's soldiers fought for England in the French and Indian War and many of the same people also fought in the Revolutionary War.The Continental Congress in 1775 created the Continental Army and named General George Washington its commander. The new Constitution in 1788 made the president the commander in chief. The military consisted of a regular army, state and town militias, and a modest navy. John Adams was president after Washington and built up the small, but efficient navy. The power of the U.S. Navy was shown under Jefferson when he used it to end the Barbary wars. One of he largest military action in America during the period was the War of 1812. The War of 1812 was the first time the U.S. declared war on another country even though the militaries previous goal was to remain completely neural to the European powers. The regular army and the militia did an outstanding job at the battle of New Orleans, killing over 2000 British and only losing 71. The U.S. Navy also performed well against the British Navy, which was considered one of the most powerful navies. After the war of 1812, the U.S. military focused on expanding the borders of America to the edge of the continent, this was a part of manifest destiny. The United States Army which was well equipped with the newest cannons, muskets, carbines, and the some of the best trained soldiers and generals of the time, fresh from the new military academy: WestPoint.