The Purpose Of The Mexican-American War

The Mexican-American war was a border dispute due to Texas. Texas had declared independence from Mexico since 1836. Mexico thought the boundary line was “...the Sabine River, which separated Louisiana and Texas (Pg.6 Johannsen).” The U.S claimed the line was “...the Rio Grande, the "traditional" line claimed in the 1803 treaty with France, which suggested that Texas was a part of the Louisiana Purchase, and confirmed by John Quincy Adams in his 1819 negotiations with Spain (Pg.6 Johannsen).” The purpose of the war was to decide how the annexation of Texas was going to happen by deciding where the boundary line should be. Mexico and America fought for the part between the Rio Grande and the Sabine River making it the first American
America was going to do whatever to annex Texas. Mexican authorities told the U.S any attempt to annex Texas was going to be seen as a declaration of war with Mexico. When Congress passed a Joint resolution to annex Texas, Mexico did not want any diplomatic issues to do with the United States. The Mexican minister felt the annexation was an attack against Mexico and stated that this was the most unfair act which has ever been recorded in history. Mexico began to take more action in the war
Nicholas P. Trist was sent as a commissioner to Mexico to make up a treaty. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the agreement President Polk had from the beginning, came to be approved with Mexico establishing the Rio Grande River as the boundary line. It also annexed California and New Mexico as part of the United States (Bourne 323).. “Trist was authorized to pay in addition to the claims not more than twenty millions for the cession of New Mexico and Upper California; not more than five millions additional for Lower California;(Reeves 315).” This is important because it establishes to us how much America was going to offer to settle peace with Mexico. The United States was also willing to get the land of Texas no matter what because it would allow them in many great ways to expand. “ Haste in acting upon the treaty was of the utmost importance for two reasons: first, that the treaty might be returned to Mexico for ratification before the Mexican government should be overthrown; and second, that the growing sentiment for " all of Mexico ", both in the cabinet and out of it, a sentiment to which the President was opposed, might be effectually stifle (Bourne 323).” Mexico did not want to sign the treaty, due to America taking over the Capital and other places in Mexico. Mexico Wanted ratification of the treaty after that. “His secret agents then intimated to Trist that while nothing could be