Preview

Mexican War Expansion

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
436 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Mexican War Expansion
No nation ever existed without some sense of national destiny or purpose. The people of the United States believed it was their mission to expand across North America. Expansion was inevitable because it would progress liberty and economic opportunity, expansion could have been stopped if Polk made different decisions, and the United States would be without certain states if the Mexican War hadn't occurred.
If the Mexican War had not occurred, many things would be different. For example, 525,000 square miles of new territory may not have been acquired. The United States would then be without California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. Relations between the United States and Mexico would also not be tense. Most importantly, however,

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Post the Mexican – American War in 1846, there would be a plethora of political change that would be inevitable for the Mexicans, and the Americans. These changes would bring about a divide between the two countries that would keep them in a rivalry spanning over numerous decades. However, before this rivalry could occur, something would be needed to induce it. The Mexicans and the Americans would fight against each other for over a year until a victor would succeed. Ultimately, all the fighting would have an outcome of epic proportions due to the political losses and gains each country would encounter. Though the end of the war brought Mexico further independence, it also contributed to political changes that resulted to territory loss, slavery disputes and many other aspects both the U.S. and Mexico would encounter.…

    • 2039 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mexican-American War

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The physical beginning of the Mexican-American war between the United States and Mexico began with a Mexican attack on American troops who were stationed on the southern border of Texas on April 25, 1846. The swift conclusion to the war took place as General Winfield Scott occupied the Mexican capitol city, Mexico City on September 14, 1847. Within a few months, the Treaty of Guadalupe was signed with Mexico recognizing the US annexation of Texas as well as Mexico succeeding from California and New Mexico.1 The causes of the Mexican-American war varies from historian to historian. Some blame a dictatorial Centralist government of Mexico beginning the war by continuing to claim Texas even after its establishment of an independent republic. Others argue the United States provoked war with Mexico by annexing Texas as well as stationing troops at the Mexican border. A final thought is that the greed of United States President James Polk who “forced Mexico to war in order to seize California and the Southwest”.2 The most likely cause of the Mexican-American War is a combination of the three.…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Manifest Destiny

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The expansion of the United States from its thirteen original colonies to the nation it is today was a very extensive process, involving numerous wars and treaties. The greatest one of these expansion periods occurred from the 1830s to the 1860s, largely due to the idea of Manifest Destiny, the belief that American settlers were destined to expand across the continent to the Pacific coast. This development played a major role in dividing the North and the South by contributing to contrasting ideologies of the two regions towards social and economic foundations of the new territory, and would eventually lead up to the Civil War, literally dividing the nation into two. Territorial expansion fashioned racial and social divisions in the American society due to slavery, created new enemies for the States as a result of the annexation of Texas against the will of Mexico, and endangered the harmony between the North and the South by cause of the Dred vs. Scott decision.…

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican American War DBQ

    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages

    One can argue that the Mexican-American was an unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression and territorial aggrandizement. It could also be argued that the war was not unprovoked nor was it territorial aggrandizement. Realistically the war provoked, justifiable, and not territorial aggrandizement. This notion is exemplified through the document provided.…

    • 528 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Imperialism

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The United States wanted to expand down west and also focus their attention on the Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny is the idea of having the United States stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The United States stopped all involvement with all fights and focused on their plan for the Manifest Destiny.…

    • 389 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    It was our Manifest Destiny to expand our empire. In the United States, settlers across the board believed they were destined to expand across North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Thomas Jefferson, our third president, predicted that the nation’s future depended on its westward expansion. According to the online OpenStax textbook, section 11.1, subsection: Lewis and Clark, it states, “Many Americans also dreamed of finding a Northwest Passage and opening the Pacific to American commerce and influence, including President Thomas Jefferson. In April 1803, Jefferson achieved his goal of purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France, effectively doubling the size of the United States. The purchase was made possible due to events…

    • 1375 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mexican War Dbq Essay

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 1846 the United States went to war with Mexico. It was a brutal time. This country has gone to war with Mexico and no one was prepared for what was going to happen next. America was not justified in going to war with Mexico for these three reasons: provoking the war, territory was not decided, and Polk ordered troops to go to Mexico. Before the war, Texas declared its independence from Mexico. After James K. Polk was elected President, he sent an envoy to Mexico City to try and buy California, and then he sent troops to Texas. The Manifest Destiny is a belief that America would eventually become all 50 states like they are today.…

    • 678 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Mexican-American War

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “America’s wars have often been controversial” (Roden 317). The Mexican- American War was not an exception to this rule. Many Mexicans felt that they were cheated their land. On the other hand, the US felt it was their destiny to conquer the whole North American continent and Mexico was in the way of their greatness (Roden 317). The belief in Manifest Destiny, that the USA started the conflict, and that the US had no right to Texas are all reasons that the US was not justified in taking about half of Mexico.…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the 19th century, Manifest Destiny, which is the idea that the United States’ expansion was inevitable and justified throughout the continent, became prevalent and was used a way to validate the nation’s acquirement of new territories. The idea brought forth a sense of nationalism and led to the nation working towards expanding and laying a foundation for an empire. However, as the US made an effort in developing a dominating country, the nation became divided as conflicts regarding the spread of slavery and the beginning of the Mexican war lead to disagreements and a lack of unity.…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Territorial Expansion

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the period between 1800 and 1850 America experienced a marked change in national unity. Territorial expansion had a large effect on national unity in this period. Territorial Expansion was among the great subject of debates during the period 1800-1855. These debates discuss arguments in favor or non-favor of U.S. Expansion. The arguments express concerns, fears and advantages the nation will experience by the consequences of expansion.…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dbq Territorial Expansion

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages

    We have been told that the reason for the debate over the territorial expansion was because people didn’t want to expand to the west. This is not true do to the fact that in the 1800’s America was full of people who believed in manifest destiny. Most Americans believed that we should extend our nation’s borders from Sea to shining Sea and maybe even farther. We can see in our accurate history documents that the real reason for the debate of the expansion was because of slavery. This is what made America become a divided nation.…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Isolationism

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The United States wanted to focus on other things which would include expanding their country. The reason to wanting to expand the country was the belief of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the concept that God wanted the U.S. to reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This was the goal at this time and all that they revolved around.…

    • 415 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The territorial expansion from 1800 to 1850 did not unite the nation, but rather tore it apart. The concept of Manifest Destiny had most citizens believe that the territory of the United States should extend all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Through the expansion of territory the issue of slavery between the North and the South did not unite the nation but rather split it apart.…

    • 308 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The question for this essay is “explain the impact of the Mexican War on American expansionism.” The Mexican War didn’t want to fight at first, but after awhile there were some Mexican troops that crossed and attacked the American soldiers. The impact of this is that the congress put out votes for the Senate and the House. With the War getting votes the Mexican War lasted, at least, one and a half years. With the Mexican War, there were different people that would be placed. There is some information were they think that Polk had settled for less than he should have because he was with Mexico, but nothing was really said about it so the war continued. With Polk being on Mexicos side victory was taken longer than he expected. However, Taylor…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays