Essay On The Mexican American War
Is it sensible to build a wall to separate two countries? As of 2010, the fence between the border of the United States and Mexico is approximately 640 miles. Built because of a rising amount of illegal immigrants from Mexico and Central America into the United States, there has been much controversy and argument from both the Mexican and the American government regarding this situation. However, this isn’t the first time that the two countries have had problems regarding borders. In 1844, the United States and the country of Mexico had fought for land between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. While the United States claimed that the border between the two countries was the Nueces River, Mexico had argued that the border had always been
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the Rio Grande. Despite the area being disputed territory, the U.S. sent their military into the land, angering Mexico. This dispute lead to a war widely known as the Mexican-American war. It had always been obvious, that the U.S. government had planned this war as to fuel their desire for more land and wealth. The United State had used this war as a strategy to gain more land, namely California. According to United States Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock in 1846, he had said to his fellow military leaders: “It looks as if the [U.S.] government sent a small force on purpose to bring on a war, so as to have a pretext for taking California and as much of this country as possible; for, whatever becomes of this army, there is no doubt of a war between the United States and Mexico.” Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock was a career military man who led American troops deep into Mexico during the Mexican-American war, and assisted in maintaining an occupation of Mexico City for a short period of time. He flat out says that the U.S. is sending forces on purpose to start a war, using the war as a reason to hide their true motive of taking in California. The United States had already annexed Texas, a former state under Mexican rule, and was moving forward to take more land from the latter. Even as a citizen supporting the American side of this war, Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock admitted to America engaging in this war due to their desperate greed for land and wealth. He also had admitted this in conversation with other military leaders, men who he had to be honest with and discuss strategies, implying that this was from an authentic point of view. America’s thirst for land was unquenchable. In a speech from 1844 at the New Jersey State Democratic Convention, Major Auguste Davezac had said: “Make way, I say for the young American Buffalo—he has not yet got land enough; he wants more land as his cool shelter in the summer—he wants more land for his beautiful pasture grounds.” Major Auguste Davezac was an American Diplomat who travelled to and worked in the Netherlands from 1831-1839 and 1845-1850. He had implied that the United States at the time had not acquired enough land to be pleased. He further goes on to say “I tell you, we will give him Oregon for his summer shade and the region of Texas as his winter pasture. … Well, he shall have the use of two oceans—the mighty Pacific and turbulent Atlantic shall be his … He shall not stop his career until he slakes his thirst in the frozen ocean (Cheers).” The United States was constantly thirsting for land, and it is heavily implied that the thirst would not be quenched until they had obtained all the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, for “... he shall not stop his career until he [satisfies] his thirst in the frozen ocean.” This makes it very evident that the “young American Buffalo” has yet to acquire enough, and that the desire to gain more land and wealth was overwhelming. This was very believable, for what other reason was there to take another country’s land if not to satisfy your own need? Many say that the primary motivation of President Polk and the U.S. Government declaring war on Mexico was due to the need to defend against a dangerous enemy and the desire to expand slavery because Mexico had fired the first shot and United States had wanted to strengthen the ‘Slave Power’. It was even said that the motivation was purely Manifest Destiny. According to an article in the New York Herald, 1847, it states “The universal Yankee nation can regenerate and disenthrall the people of Mexico in a few years; and we believe it is a part of our destiny to civilize that beautiful country and enable its inhabitants to appreciate some of the many advantages and blessings they enjoy.” However, there is not enough evidence to prove these claims as true. First of all, Mexico firing the first shot that lead the supposed “need to defend against such dangerous enemies” had been due to the aggravation that the United States had caused purposely. The American military had decided to trespass onto the disputed territory, and posed at the Rio Grande as a sort of threat tactic, whereas the only way for Mexico to retaliate after various unheeded attempts and warnings was to fire. In a sense, the ones defending themselves from a dangerous enemy was Mexico, trying to prevent an attack from the United States. U.S. Colonel Ethan Allen had also called the United States the true aggressors of the war, further telling us that even those supporting the American side acknowledged that the United States were the true cause of the war. The true motivation of President Polk and the U.S.
government declaring war on Mexico was simply due to the desire for more land and wealth. It’s important to understand that the true intentions of the war on the American side was not those of defense against a dangerous enemy, nor was it to spread Manifest Destiny. It was due to greed, and the longing for something that someone else had. The Mexican-American war had been a huge historical event, and still affects us today. The conflict has corrupted the relationship between the two countries, and the withering relationship is only getting weaker. The U.S. had believed that there was not land enough, and that they had needed to take over more land, aggravating other countries until there was no choice for Mexico but to fire. The United States used this to their advantage, President Polk saying that “...Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are now at war.” He was able to convince the U.S. government to declare war on Mexico. It is important for us to understand that the strain in our relationship was not unstemmed, in fact there is many components that lead to this strain. This connects to the current “illegal immigrants” issue, whereas America has responded by saying that we must build a wall to separate the two countries. We have to learn to learn from our mistakes and try to mend the relationship, instead of blaming one
another.
the Rio Grande. Despite the area being disputed territory, the U.S. sent their military into the land, angering Mexico. This dispute lead to a war widely known as the Mexican-American war. It had always been obvious, that the U.S. government had planned this war as to fuel their desire for more land and wealth. The United State had used this war as a strategy to gain more land, namely California. According to United States Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock in 1846, he had said to his fellow military leaders: “It looks as if the [U.S.] government sent a small force on purpose to bring on a war, so as to have a pretext for taking California and as much of this country as possible; for, whatever becomes of this army, there is no doubt of a war between the United States and Mexico.” Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock was a career military man who led American troops deep into Mexico during the Mexican-American war, and assisted in maintaining an occupation of Mexico City for a short period of time. He flat out says that the U.S. is sending forces on purpose to start a war, using the war as a reason to hide their true motive of taking in California. The United States had already annexed Texas, a former state under Mexican rule, and was moving forward to take more land from the latter. Even as a citizen supporting the American side of this war, Lieutenant Colonel Ethan Allen Hitchcock admitted to America engaging in this war due to their desperate greed for land and wealth. He also had admitted this in conversation with other military leaders, men who he had to be honest with and discuss strategies, implying that this was from an authentic point of view. America’s thirst for land was unquenchable. In a speech from 1844 at the New Jersey State Democratic Convention, Major Auguste Davezac had said: “Make way, I say for the young American Buffalo—he has not yet got land enough; he wants more land as his cool shelter in the summer—he wants more land for his beautiful pasture grounds.” Major Auguste Davezac was an American Diplomat who travelled to and worked in the Netherlands from 1831-1839 and 1845-1850. He had implied that the United States at the time had not acquired enough land to be pleased. He further goes on to say “I tell you, we will give him Oregon for his summer shade and the region of Texas as his winter pasture. … Well, he shall have the use of two oceans—the mighty Pacific and turbulent Atlantic shall be his … He shall not stop his career until he slakes his thirst in the frozen ocean (Cheers).” The United States was constantly thirsting for land, and it is heavily implied that the thirst would not be quenched until they had obtained all the land between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean, for “... he shall not stop his career until he [satisfies] his thirst in the frozen ocean.” This makes it very evident that the “young American Buffalo” has yet to acquire enough, and that the desire to gain more land and wealth was overwhelming. This was very believable, for what other reason was there to take another country’s land if not to satisfy your own need? Many say that the primary motivation of President Polk and the U.S. Government declaring war on Mexico was due to the need to defend against a dangerous enemy and the desire to expand slavery because Mexico had fired the first shot and United States had wanted to strengthen the ‘Slave Power’. It was even said that the motivation was purely Manifest Destiny. According to an article in the New York Herald, 1847, it states “The universal Yankee nation can regenerate and disenthrall the people of Mexico in a few years; and we believe it is a part of our destiny to civilize that beautiful country and enable its inhabitants to appreciate some of the many advantages and blessings they enjoy.” However, there is not enough evidence to prove these claims as true. First of all, Mexico firing the first shot that lead the supposed “need to defend against such dangerous enemies” had been due to the aggravation that the United States had caused purposely. The American military had decided to trespass onto the disputed territory, and posed at the Rio Grande as a sort of threat tactic, whereas the only way for Mexico to retaliate after various unheeded attempts and warnings was to fire. In a sense, the ones defending themselves from a dangerous enemy was Mexico, trying to prevent an attack from the United States. U.S. Colonel Ethan Allen had also called the United States the true aggressors of the war, further telling us that even those supporting the American side acknowledged that the United States were the true cause of the war. The true motivation of President Polk and the U.S.
government declaring war on Mexico was simply due to the desire for more land and wealth. It’s important to understand that the true intentions of the war on the American side was not those of defense against a dangerous enemy, nor was it to spread Manifest Destiny. It was due to greed, and the longing for something that someone else had. The Mexican-American war had been a huge historical event, and still affects us today. The conflict has corrupted the relationship between the two countries, and the withering relationship is only getting weaker. The U.S. had believed that there was not land enough, and that they had needed to take over more land, aggravating other countries until there was no choice for Mexico but to fire. The United States used this to their advantage, President Polk saying that “...Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are now at war.” He was able to convince the U.S. government to declare war on Mexico. It is important for us to understand that the strain in our relationship was not unstemmed, in fact there is many components that lead to this strain. This connects to the current “illegal immigrants” issue, whereas America has responded by saying that we must build a wall to separate the two countries. We have to learn to learn from our mistakes and try to mend the relationship, instead of blaming one
another.