Mexican War Research Paper

The Mexican War marked a major turning point for the fledgling American nation and its military – not only did it redefine the Southern border with Mexico, but it demonstrated the capabilities of the U.S. Army during an offensive engagement following a prolonged period of peace. The Mexican War is not a commonly cited conflict in U.S. history, but the lessons learned from it are relevant even today, as it combined conventional warfare with the struggle of being a small, occupying force in both rural and urban terrain. The U.S. won a number of early decisive battles, notably at Palo Alto, the site of the first major conflict. American success during the Battle of Palo Alto was owed largely to competent leadership, standardized training, and the superiority of American field artillery. Though the war officially began with the Battle of Palo Alto in May of 1846, tensions between the U.S. and Mexico had been building for years over a territorial dispute: Mexico claimed the Nueces River as its northern boundary, but the U.S. contended it was the Rio Grande. Under pressure from Congress to protect
Though the war is often relegated to a footnote in many history books, it marked a turning point for the American Army and the United States. It illustrated the need to retain a trained, modernized military during times of peace. Both Union and Confederate forces later used the lessons learned from the Mexican War during the Civil War just over a decade later. The victory also spurred a rise in patriotism and encouraged further Westward expansion while simultaneously intensifying the issue of slavery. The Mexican War subtly but very significantly altered the American territory, and almost certainly would not have been won without the strength of U.S.