What Was The Cause Of The Mexican American War
Jacob Mehlman
11-23-14
U.S. History
The Cause of the Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war was a very controversial war in U.S. history. Many people say that the U.S. provoked Mexico by stationing troops on the Rio Grande River while the two countries were negotiating boundary issues. Others conclude that the coveted land at stake was the true cause for war. This conclusion is clearly supported by the main outcome of the war, which was the seizure of almost half of Mexico’s land. This captured land now makes up the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California. Also, the expansionist values of the James Polk administration also could easily help justify this conclusion. Therefore, the U.S. started the Mexican-American War because …show more content…
In my message at the commencement of the present session I informed you that upon the earnest appeal both of the Congress and convention of Texas I had ordered an efficient military force to take a position "between the Nueces and the Del Norte." This had become necessary to meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the Mexican forces, for which extensive military preparations had been made. (Polk …show more content…
Though the causes of this conflict were many, the most important was the spirit of expansionism called manifest destiny. Thousands of Anglo-Americans believed that it was God's will that they should move west across the entire North American continent, occupying lands of Mexicans and Indians and casting their inhabitants aside in the process. For many, manifest destiny had an economic dimension, justifying a more efficient use of natural resources by the industrious Anglo-Americans. Mixed in with this economic motive was an attitude of racial superiority. As one American writer wrote, ‘The Mexicans are Aboriginal Indians, and they must share the destiny of their race’ (Griswold del Castillo
11-23-14
U.S. History
The Cause of the Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American war was a very controversial war in U.S. history. Many people say that the U.S. provoked Mexico by stationing troops on the Rio Grande River while the two countries were negotiating boundary issues. Others conclude that the coveted land at stake was the true cause for war. This conclusion is clearly supported by the main outcome of the war, which was the seizure of almost half of Mexico’s land. This captured land now makes up the states of New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California. Also, the expansionist values of the James Polk administration also could easily help justify this conclusion. Therefore, the U.S. started the Mexican-American War because …show more content…
In my message at the commencement of the present session I informed you that upon the earnest appeal both of the Congress and convention of Texas I had ordered an efficient military force to take a position "between the Nueces and the Del Norte." This had become necessary to meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the Mexican forces, for which extensive military preparations had been made. (Polk …show more content…
Though the causes of this conflict were many, the most important was the spirit of expansionism called manifest destiny. Thousands of Anglo-Americans believed that it was God's will that they should move west across the entire North American continent, occupying lands of Mexicans and Indians and casting their inhabitants aside in the process. For many, manifest destiny had an economic dimension, justifying a more efficient use of natural resources by the industrious Anglo-Americans. Mixed in with this economic motive was an attitude of racial superiority. As one American writer wrote, ‘The Mexicans are Aboriginal Indians, and they must share the destiny of their race’ (Griswold del Castillo