Background information
The current president was a Whig that favored southern ideas of manifest destiny. The president, James K. Polk, had a four point plan in order to create a country with more land. This particular plan was to obtain land from Mexico, more particularly California. Polk moved on to Mexico instead of fighting the British for Oregon because Mexico was weaker and would give more land. His idea was to expand the U.S coast to coast.
Initially
Polk tried to buy land from Mexico peacefully. John Slidell was sent to offer $25 million for California, yet Mexico was still angry that the U.S had Texas. Mexico refused to give up their land and in response, the Polk does the only thing he can do to obtain more land for the South.
Start of the War
Polk send 4,000 troops to Rio Grande border. This was because Mexico and the U.S had border disputes. Mexico believed the border was Nueces River and the U.S believed the border was Rio Grande. President Polk wanted action. He ordered 4,000 troops to the Rio Grande border. Mexico disputed the move saying the Texas-Mexico border was the Nueces River, not the Rio Grande. Mexico's response was to send troops to attack the U.S troops. Polk immediately proposed that Congress should declare war on Mexico. These quick actions to war created Abraham Lincoln's spot resolutions which stated the Polk wanted war because he was willing to send troops and get them killed to find out where Mexico stands on the border issue. In addition speculation rose that Polk pressured Congress into declaring war because he sent troops to be killed and no congressmen could vote against war because troops were killed on "American soil" and it would look the congress would be against the nation if they voted against war.
Events in the War
Santa Anna was exiled by Mexico in Cuba. Santa Anna claimed that he would go against his native country and try to help the U.S. This led Polk to release Santa Anna from his exile and let him back into Mexico. This of course, was a blatant lie. Santa Anna once again tried to fight the U.S into submission. The war itself was divided into 3 main phases. It started with Polk's idea of obtaining California. General Stephen W. Kearny led 1,700 troops from Fort Leavenworth south to the Mexican border, and then west to San Diego. He created the present day border between the U.S and Mexico. Captain John C. Fremont joined Kearny in California. Together they took it over and proclaimed it the "Bear Flag Revolt." They were reinforced by Commodore Sloat of the U.S navy as well. The next phase was General Zachary Taylor fighting in Texas at Buena Vista where Santa Anna was once again defeated. Taylor' was a war hero and this proved to be the underlying factor for presidency when he was soon elected in 1848. The final phase was the attack of Mexico City where General Winfield Scott retraced Hernando Cortez's path to win the capitol and win the war.
After the war
Polk sent Nicholas Trist and Winfield's army to negotiate a peace treaty. Trist refused to return to America, but resolved a deal called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This officially ended the Mexican war. America received land from the Mexican cession which included California, yet payment was still in order. The U.S paid Mexico $18.5 million for debts and for the land from Mexico.
Effect
In comparison to Mexican lose America lost few troops for the land that it gained in winning the war. Tensions rose between the U.S and Latin America that would hurt the U.S in the future. Mexico lost a large chunk of their land, and were angered by the outcome of the war. The Mexican war also trained soldiers for the inevitable Civil War (Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant). The biggest impact of all was the issue of slavery which was brought up by David Wilmot in the Wilmot Proviso. This stated that Mexican Cession lands must be closed to slavery. It brought out the northern and southern differences in Congress especially because the House of representatives passed it twice, but the South was completely against it. The senate was perfectly balanced that that was where the Wilmost Proviso failed to pass, the majority vote could not be kept. This issue of slavery brought about the biggest issue that would divide the country. The Wilmot Proviso opened up bigger doors of what to do with this newly gained land. The north and south had clashing ideas and this war gave America the land which would divide the nation with the issue of whether to allow slavery to expand or not.
The current president was a Whig that favored southern ideas of manifest destiny. The president, James K. Polk, had a four point plan in order to create a country with more land. This particular plan was to obtain land from Mexico, more particularly California. Polk moved on to Mexico instead of fighting the British for Oregon because Mexico was weaker and would give more land. His idea was to expand the U.S coast to coast.
Initially
Polk tried to buy land from Mexico peacefully. John Slidell was sent to offer $25 million for California, yet Mexico was still angry that the U.S had Texas. Mexico refused to give up their land and in response, the Polk does the only thing he can do to obtain more land for the South.
Start of the War
Polk send 4,000 troops to Rio Grande border. This was because Mexico and the U.S had border disputes. Mexico believed the border was Nueces River and the U.S believed the border was Rio Grande. President Polk wanted action. He ordered 4,000 troops to the Rio Grande border. Mexico disputed the move saying the Texas-Mexico border was the Nueces River, not the Rio Grande. Mexico's response was to send troops to attack the U.S troops. Polk immediately proposed that Congress should declare war on Mexico. These quick actions to war created Abraham Lincoln's spot resolutions which stated the Polk wanted war because he was willing to send troops and get them killed to find out where Mexico stands on the border issue. In addition speculation rose that Polk pressured Congress into declaring war because he sent troops to be killed and no congressmen could vote against war because troops were killed on "American soil" and it would look the congress would be against the nation if they voted against war.
Events in the War
Santa Anna was exiled by Mexico in Cuba. Santa Anna claimed that he would go against his native country and try to help the U.S. This led Polk to release Santa Anna from his exile and let him back into Mexico. This of course, was a blatant lie. Santa Anna once again tried to fight the U.S into submission. The war itself was divided into 3 main phases. It started with Polk's idea of obtaining California. General Stephen W. Kearny led 1,700 troops from Fort Leavenworth south to the Mexican border, and then west to San Diego. He created the present day border between the U.S and Mexico. Captain John C. Fremont joined Kearny in California. Together they took it over and proclaimed it the "Bear Flag Revolt." They were reinforced by Commodore Sloat of the U.S navy as well. The next phase was General Zachary Taylor fighting in Texas at Buena Vista where Santa Anna was once again defeated. Taylor' was a war hero and this proved to be the underlying factor for presidency when he was soon elected in 1848. The final phase was the attack of Mexico City where General Winfield Scott retraced Hernando Cortez's path to win the capitol and win the war.
After the war
Polk sent Nicholas Trist and Winfield's army to negotiate a peace treaty. Trist refused to return to America, but resolved a deal called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This officially ended the Mexican war. America received land from the Mexican cession which included California, yet payment was still in order. The U.S paid Mexico $18.5 million for debts and for the land from Mexico.
Effect
In comparison to Mexican lose America lost few troops for the land that it gained in winning the war. Tensions rose between the U.S and Latin America that would hurt the U.S in the future. Mexico lost a large chunk of their land, and were angered by the outcome of the war. The Mexican war also trained soldiers for the inevitable Civil War (Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant). The biggest impact of all was the issue of slavery which was brought up by David Wilmot in the Wilmot Proviso. This stated that Mexican Cession lands must be closed to slavery. It brought out the northern and southern differences in Congress especially because the House of representatives passed it twice, but the South was completely against it. The senate was perfectly balanced that that was where the Wilmost Proviso failed to pass, the majority vote could not be kept. This issue of slavery brought about the biggest issue that would divide the country. The Wilmot Proviso opened up bigger doors of what to do with this newly gained land. The north and south had clashing ideas and this war gave America the land which would divide the nation with the issue of whether to allow slavery to expand or not.