THE MEXICAN WAR
SUMMARY OF THE MEXICAN WAR
The Mexican-American War took place during 1846-1848 and it marked the first U.S. armed conflict mainly battled/fought on foreign soil. It was a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the open-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk, who believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When it ended, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
The Mexican-American War took place during 1846-1848 and it marked the first U.S. armed conflict mainly battled/fought on foreign soil. It was a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the open-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk, who believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When it ended, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico.
KEY POINTS
- Though Mexican-American War was occurred between 1846 and 1848, the majority of the fighting took place between April 1846 and September 1847
- The causes of the Mexican-American War can be traced back to Texas winning its independence from Mexico in 1836
- After the end of the war, Mexico refused to acknowledge the new Republic of Texas, but was prevented from taking military action due to the United States, Great Britain, and France conferring diplomatic recognition
- For the next nine years, many in Texas favored joining the United States, however Washington did not take action due to fears of increasing sectional conflict and angering the Mexicans
- One thing united American and Mexican soldiers during the war: misery
- Conditions were terrible
- Both sides suffered greatly from disease, which killed seven times more soldiers than combat during the war