The Mexican American War began on April 25, 1846. The war lasted two years losing many men on both sides. The Mexican war was the third major fought by the United States. In 1810, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla triggers the beginning of Mexico’s fight for independence from Spain. Mexico gained its independence in 1821 after a long and bloody revolution against Spain. For Mexico, the war between them and the United States was a fight to keep their institutions and national integrity intact, to protect themselves from present and future aggressions by the Americans, but more than anything else, the war was a struggle for land. In the early days of the republic, most Americans made their living by farming, so in 1803 President Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Purchase Territory because he wanted to provide “room enough for out descendants to the thousandth and ten thousandth generation.” In 1803 the United States purchased land from Napoleon west of the Mississippi, also known as the Louisiana Purchase. The Unites States nearly doubled in size, extending its borders two thirds of the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. In 1804-1806 the Lewis and Clark expedition explores western North America. Mexico had a population of only about 2,500 living in Texas, they offered cheap land to attract Americans and build up the territory. Mexico only allowed one religion which was Catholicism and for everyone to follow the teachings of the church. The U.S government marked the route of the Santa Fe Trail so settlers in New Mexico can get goods from the U.S that they have not been able to get from Mexico. By the early 1800s many of the inhabitants of Mexico didn’t like the Spanish Rule and wanted to establish a democratic government. In 1810 there were several executions. The gachupines (those born in Spain) executed Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla who had led a large group of mestizos (the offspring of mixed marriages) who were rebels in…
