US Expansion

The government has many different roles throughout history and today. They had a very different role during westward expansion than today. Capitalism is a mostly non controlling government so you would have a lot of freedom and choice.The proper role of government is support the growing country and to spread capitalism.

The causes of the Mexican-American war were the Annexation of Texas, Land Disputes between Mexico and the United States of America and President Polk’s Greed. The country of Mexico was upset and angry with the United States of America because they took the state of Texas away from them. The two continued to dispute over Southern Texas and the land between the rivers Rio Grande and Nueces. President Polk later sent a messenger to offer thirty-million dollars for the SouthWest. Mexico declined the offer and President Polk declared war on Mexico.

More so because of the Texas revolution that happened years earlier. The border of Texas had not been originally confirmed or settled. The U.S then as written, journeyed out to claim the land there selves The Mexican war began at the time and year when James Polk was elected as president. Year 1845, James Polk offered a proposition to the Mexican government.

The Mexican American War started in 1846 because of Mexican resentment caused by the 1836 loss of Texas and the American’s desire for Mexico’s more northern territory. “On September 9, 1847 after two years of fighting, the Mexican American war essentially ended when the American Army captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec”( 6). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. United States leaders then acted morally superior in their negotiations of the treaty 1. During negotiations, United States officials viewed the “forcible incorporations” (1) of almost one half of Mexico’s land as an “event foreordained by providence and Manifest Destiny” (1).

The Mexican-American war altered the United States environmentally, culturally and politically. First, on February 2, 1848, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo two years post the beginning of the war. The treaty not only achieved President Polk’s goal to achieve California from Mexico but also granted the U.S. over 500,000 square miles of new territory. The new land caused approximately 90,000 spanish speaking, mostly Catholic Mexicans under American jurisdiction. Second, Nativism, a rising anti-catholic and anti-immigrant deemed the Mexicans inferior.

One reason the Mexican War was justified was because of Manifest Destiny. This was the “belief held by many Americans in the 19th century that it was the destiny of the United States to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific” (from the Early Statehood of Texas passage). The USA’s goal was

This war happened mainly because the U.S. wanted to expand to the Pacific Ocean to fulfill their Manifest Destiny, trying to take away Mexico’s land. Mexico refused to to give land to the U.S. The big question is whether the U.S. was justified in fighting Mexico in the Mexican-American War. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because Manifest Destiny, too much Mexican interference, and Texas was invaded. One reason the Mexican War was justified was Manifest Destiny. In Document A, John O’Sullivan writes: “Texas is now ours...Let their reception into the “family be frank, kindly, and cheerful….”

INTRODUCTION Throughout the 1840s and 1850s a major war happened called the Mexican American War which drastically changed the U.S. and Mexico and lead to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to be signed and which established the Rio Grande and not the Nueces River as the U.S Border. This also lead to the U.S. annexation of Texas and lead to the Mexico agreeing to sell California and the rest of the territory for 15 million. So you 're probably wondering why the war was fought but you 'll find that out later.

Manifest destiny also affected the relationship with Mexico. Several factors led to the Mexican- American War in 1846. The factors were that the U.S citizens were moving into California and Mexico. Since there were many revolutions happening in Mexico throughout this time period the Mexican government was not able to protect the U.S citizens in this region. Another factor was that Mexico was upset that Texas declared independence from them and then the U. S annexed Texas in 1845.

The Mexican-American War changed the Unites States of America in a monumental way. This war changed The U.S.A.’s relationship with foreign powers and the economic standpoint of the nation. The Mexican- American war, and its strong ties to manifest destiny, shaped the nation in a country bordered by two seas with a chance for common folk and foreigners to have a sustainable life due to the gold rush. The war can also be accounted for the downfall leading to the Civil War over the conflict of slavery due to the land purchased in the wars treaty. Conflict between Mexico and the United States began when Texas, previously part of Mexico, became part of the United States.

The United States war with Mexico continues to be a divisive topic among many people because of its background. The Mexican-American war was a fight between Mexico and America for land. America’s belief at the time was Manifest Destiny, which meant that they believed that America should extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ocean. In the end, America benefited from the war and got the land. The United States expanded its size, achieving their dream of Manifest Destiny.

The big debate across the growing United States was the debate of slavery and which states would come in as free or slavery states. The Mexican-American War was a major turning point in this debate because it settled the debate over which states would become free or slavery states. This war lasted a little over a year and 9 months long on the border of the United States and Mexico (Texas and Mexico City). This war would helped settle many disputes, but the main debate it would settle would be the huge slavery debate. The Mexican-American War helped the United States gain new territory is the south-western part of the United States.

The Mexican- American war was indeed a turning point for the slavery issue going on in the United States of America. America had become very self-conscious and their interests became antagonistic in the future of determining the future for the new land gained from Mexico (Document 2). Before the Mexican-American war the president during the time, Polk wanted to acquire California after signing a treaty for half of Oregon. He tried to get California as part of the United States in a peaceful manner but failed. Soon after failing to get California he turned to war.

One of the major reasons that the New Mexico Territory played a critical role during the American Civil War is because of its strategic position regarding several aspects. For one, the New Mexico Territory served as the gateway to one of the most promising economic opportunities that the Confederate States of America ever had in their grasp. Established nearly forty years before the

“According to the declaration, the Mexican government had invaded Texas to lay waste territory and had a large mercenary army advancing to carry on a war of extermination” (Steen). The US officially did not intervene in this struggle, although thousands of volunteers in the United States were recruited to help the Texans. Armed conflicts between Mexico and the Texas Republic made it possible to end not so much the annexation of the United States (under the agreement of December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state), but the US victory in the American-Mexican war of 1846-1848, which completely suppressed the resistance of Mexico, territorial