Was The Mexican War Justified
AISCT
A.R.
Grade 11
“Was the Mexican War a justified act of self defence or an unjustified act of imperialism, and are there comparisons to the recently ‘ended’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Americans had one objective and that was to expand due to the belief in American superiority also known as Manifest Destiny, which was the creed that it was their destiny or predestination to expand. This became an obstacle to neighbouring empires due to Americas oppressive intentions. Mexico had won its independence from Spain, and they were now an empire. America approached the new country about selling off Texas, but Mexico refused, to prevent invasion they invited Americans to settle Texas as Mexican citizens. The Americans became tired …show more content…
of the Mexican government, which was an autocracy. But the main causes of this war was the texan annexation and the boundary dispute. This then leads us to conclude that this war was an unjustified act of imperialism due to the fact that President James Polk strongly believed in the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and the fact that America took advantage of the Mexican struggle because of the mentality of ‘the ends justify the means’. As a result, we can see a sense of juxtaposition when comparing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Mexican War. To begin, the manifest destiny doctrine was the first connection to unjustified imperialism. The whole idea of manifest destiny was that America had the right to expand and gain as much land as possible, thus believing in “from sea to shining sea”. The American government argued that it was their duty to expand through the rest of North America and that it was unavoidable. James Polk saw Texas and California as profitable land because of agricultural aspects and the transcontinental gateway, and that is when gaining the Mexican territory became the main aim. James Polk believed that Mexico did not deserve to have the land because it was such an advantage and Mexico struggled with obstacles within the empire. That was when Polk decided he was going to devote all his time into negotiations over California. America sought power and wealth for their increasing growth. Americans began moving into Texas to the point where there were more Americans than Mexicans. The Mexican government had feared a rebellion so they began to arrest immigrants reinstitute the property tax, increase tariffs on shipped goods, and prohibit slavery. And that was when the Texans declared themselves independent. In 1836 the Texan government asked congress to annex Texas to the union. They were an independent nation because they won the war with Mexico and signed to Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. There was a disagreement over the border and how far it actually went when looking at the Nueces River and the Rio Grande River. This is when the idea of imperialism came into play. James Polk sent troops to Texas to protect the border near Rio Grande, which opposed the Mexican governments ideas of the border being at Nueces River. Then on July 7th 1848 The United States declared war on Mexico. As we can see, America used the aspects of imperialism in the sense of extending their power through diplomacy and military force. In the end, The United States did everything in their power to gain the territory regardless of the outcome. Moreover, the American government took advantage of how weak Mexico actually was, which is another act of imperialism. Mexico had internal conflict considering it had just gained independence from Spain. Mexico has a minuscule population when compared to America. Also at this time, Mexico was still try to systemise itself now that it became its own empire. Mexico struggled with a population that consisted mostly of immigrants, civil predicaments pertaining to social obstacles, agricultural issues, and a deficient economy. Mexico did not stand a chance against America, and James Polk took that as an advantage and used the negative aspects against Mexico. The Mexican government had no control over the empire, which left it open to various dilemmas. Mexico was dealing with internal problems such as social issues and the economy lacked affluence. Mexico City was captured by America even though they were outnumbered greatly by the Mexicans. That proves how detrimental Mexico was. But that did not stop America and that is where imperialism comes into play. Even though the Mexican War wasn’t a fair fight because America had formidable advantages, America still put all their power and every into winning the war. Despite the issues Mexico faced, America had no mercy and still treated this war as if Mexico was a threat. Thus, proving that America has used unjustified imperialism because Mexico wasn’t a consequential threat but they still used multitudinous military power to get the land they aspired for. Furthermore, American imperialism can be seen through the Mexican War and the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American government wanted to expand power due to the War on Terror conflicts, by expanding their power in Iraq and Afghanistan it would be less likely for them to attack. The Americans did this by setting up multiple military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan which can equate with the Americans moving into Mexican territory before the Mexican War. This was done to establish a military presence to represent the advancement if imperialism. Military spending had increased by 15% at this time due to the inkling that American imperialism demanded for military, economic and diplomatic influence on alternative countries. There was contradictions on the US governments machination, specifically the point in which they are sending in military forces into an area of speculation. The threat was skeptical, there was doubt that Iraq and Afghanistan had been a hazard, but the US took this as an opportunity to stop them in their tracks even though they were going off of speculations. Instability on the War on Terror topic only intensified the powerful oppositions in both countries making both Iraq and Afghanistan the center of imperialism. The American government wanted to gain control over Iraq and Afghanistan to assert dominance in the economic and political aspects, as well as to gain the resources in the middle east. The major resource in Iraq and Afghanistan was oil, the US owned 70% of the worlds known and declining oil reserves and they sought to have ascendency over more. As we can see, this proved another point of imperialism. The American government created an excuse to move into Iraq and Afghanistan with force, so they could create dominance in the middle east, which greatly connects to the Mexican War, in which America had subliminal motive which was to gain land and its resources as well as create a sense of
preeminence. In conclusion, the Mexican War was an unjustified act of imperialism because of the drastic measure the American government took to get what they wanted. At the time American superiority was the main ambition. Gaining wealth and territory implied power and dominance. That was everything America wanted, and that is why they used the acts if imperialism to achieve that aspiration. The doctrine of manifest destiny and Mexico's weakness at the time allowed imperialism to mandate the US governments actions despite the obstacles. In the end, the ends justify the means, that was Americas mind set but that never truly applies to this situation. The imperialism was unjustified due to the fact that excess military force was used on an empire that was struggling to maintain a proper economy and political aspects. America took advantage of the infirmity with an overabundance of military compulsion which proves, the Mexican was an unjustified act of imperialism.
"Mexican-American War." History.com. January 1, 2009. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war.
"The History Guy: The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848)." The History Guy: The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848). Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.historyguy.com/Mexican-American_War.html.
"What Was the Mexican-American War About?" About.com. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Mexican-AmericanWar/a/The-Mexican-American-War.htm.
"The US Mexican War." PBS. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/index_flash.html.
"James K. Polk: Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations." James K. Polk: Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=67907.
"We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God." We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinntak8.html.
"World Socialist Web Site." The Iraq War Ten Years On: A Turning Point for US Imperialism -. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/19/pers-m19.html.
"US Imperialism and the War on Iraq." US Imperialism and the War on Iraq. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.socialistappeal.org/antiwar/us_imperialism_and_the_war_on_ir.html.
A.R.
Grade 11
“Was the Mexican War a justified act of self defence or an unjustified act of imperialism, and are there comparisons to the recently ‘ended’ wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?” Americans had one objective and that was to expand due to the belief in American superiority also known as Manifest Destiny, which was the creed that it was their destiny or predestination to expand. This became an obstacle to neighbouring empires due to Americas oppressive intentions. Mexico had won its independence from Spain, and they were now an empire. America approached the new country about selling off Texas, but Mexico refused, to prevent invasion they invited Americans to settle Texas as Mexican citizens. The Americans became tired …show more content…
of the Mexican government, which was an autocracy. But the main causes of this war was the texan annexation and the boundary dispute. This then leads us to conclude that this war was an unjustified act of imperialism due to the fact that President James Polk strongly believed in the doctrine of Manifest Destiny and the fact that America took advantage of the Mexican struggle because of the mentality of ‘the ends justify the means’. As a result, we can see a sense of juxtaposition when comparing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan to the Mexican War. To begin, the manifest destiny doctrine was the first connection to unjustified imperialism. The whole idea of manifest destiny was that America had the right to expand and gain as much land as possible, thus believing in “from sea to shining sea”. The American government argued that it was their duty to expand through the rest of North America and that it was unavoidable. James Polk saw Texas and California as profitable land because of agricultural aspects and the transcontinental gateway, and that is when gaining the Mexican territory became the main aim. James Polk believed that Mexico did not deserve to have the land because it was such an advantage and Mexico struggled with obstacles within the empire. That was when Polk decided he was going to devote all his time into negotiations over California. America sought power and wealth for their increasing growth. Americans began moving into Texas to the point where there were more Americans than Mexicans. The Mexican government had feared a rebellion so they began to arrest immigrants reinstitute the property tax, increase tariffs on shipped goods, and prohibit slavery. And that was when the Texans declared themselves independent. In 1836 the Texan government asked congress to annex Texas to the union. They were an independent nation because they won the war with Mexico and signed to Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. There was a disagreement over the border and how far it actually went when looking at the Nueces River and the Rio Grande River. This is when the idea of imperialism came into play. James Polk sent troops to Texas to protect the border near Rio Grande, which opposed the Mexican governments ideas of the border being at Nueces River. Then on July 7th 1848 The United States declared war on Mexico. As we can see, America used the aspects of imperialism in the sense of extending their power through diplomacy and military force. In the end, The United States did everything in their power to gain the territory regardless of the outcome. Moreover, the American government took advantage of how weak Mexico actually was, which is another act of imperialism. Mexico had internal conflict considering it had just gained independence from Spain. Mexico has a minuscule population when compared to America. Also at this time, Mexico was still try to systemise itself now that it became its own empire. Mexico struggled with a population that consisted mostly of immigrants, civil predicaments pertaining to social obstacles, agricultural issues, and a deficient economy. Mexico did not stand a chance against America, and James Polk took that as an advantage and used the negative aspects against Mexico. The Mexican government had no control over the empire, which left it open to various dilemmas. Mexico was dealing with internal problems such as social issues and the economy lacked affluence. Mexico City was captured by America even though they were outnumbered greatly by the Mexicans. That proves how detrimental Mexico was. But that did not stop America and that is where imperialism comes into play. Even though the Mexican War wasn’t a fair fight because America had formidable advantages, America still put all their power and every into winning the war. Despite the issues Mexico faced, America had no mercy and still treated this war as if Mexico was a threat. Thus, proving that America has used unjustified imperialism because Mexico wasn’t a consequential threat but they still used multitudinous military power to get the land they aspired for. Furthermore, American imperialism can be seen through the Mexican War and the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The American government wanted to expand power due to the War on Terror conflicts, by expanding their power in Iraq and Afghanistan it would be less likely for them to attack. The Americans did this by setting up multiple military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan which can equate with the Americans moving into Mexican territory before the Mexican War. This was done to establish a military presence to represent the advancement if imperialism. Military spending had increased by 15% at this time due to the inkling that American imperialism demanded for military, economic and diplomatic influence on alternative countries. There was contradictions on the US governments machination, specifically the point in which they are sending in military forces into an area of speculation. The threat was skeptical, there was doubt that Iraq and Afghanistan had been a hazard, but the US took this as an opportunity to stop them in their tracks even though they were going off of speculations. Instability on the War on Terror topic only intensified the powerful oppositions in both countries making both Iraq and Afghanistan the center of imperialism. The American government wanted to gain control over Iraq and Afghanistan to assert dominance in the economic and political aspects, as well as to gain the resources in the middle east. The major resource in Iraq and Afghanistan was oil, the US owned 70% of the worlds known and declining oil reserves and they sought to have ascendency over more. As we can see, this proved another point of imperialism. The American government created an excuse to move into Iraq and Afghanistan with force, so they could create dominance in the middle east, which greatly connects to the Mexican War, in which America had subliminal motive which was to gain land and its resources as well as create a sense of
preeminence. In conclusion, the Mexican War was an unjustified act of imperialism because of the drastic measure the American government took to get what they wanted. At the time American superiority was the main ambition. Gaining wealth and territory implied power and dominance. That was everything America wanted, and that is why they used the acts if imperialism to achieve that aspiration. The doctrine of manifest destiny and Mexico's weakness at the time allowed imperialism to mandate the US governments actions despite the obstacles. In the end, the ends justify the means, that was Americas mind set but that never truly applies to this situation. The imperialism was unjustified due to the fact that excess military force was used on an empire that was struggling to maintain a proper economy and political aspects. America took advantage of the infirmity with an overabundance of military compulsion which proves, the Mexican was an unjustified act of imperialism.
"Mexican-American War." History.com. January 1, 2009. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war.
"The History Guy: The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848)." The History Guy: The U.S.-Mexican War (1846-1848). Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.historyguy.com/Mexican-American_War.html.
"What Was the Mexican-American War About?" About.com. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/Mexican-AmericanWar/a/The-Mexican-American-War.htm.
"The US Mexican War." PBS. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/index_flash.html.
"James K. Polk: Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations." James K. Polk: Special Message to Congress on Mexican Relations. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=67907.
"We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God." We Take Nothing by Conquest, Thank God. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.historyisaweapon.com/defcon1/zinntak8.html.
"World Socialist Web Site." The Iraq War Ten Years On: A Turning Point for US Imperialism -. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2013/03/19/pers-m19.html.
"US Imperialism and the War on Iraq." US Imperialism and the War on Iraq. Accessed November 5, 2014. http://www.socialistappeal.org/antiwar/us_imperialism_and_the_war_on_ir.html.