What Is The Us Mexican War

The U.S.-Mexican War The U.S.-Mexican War represented a military conflict between the Republic of Mexico and the United States. One obvious reason for the war outbreak was the annexation of Texas by the United States. The issue was that Mexico had considered Texas to of its entitled territory, despite of the revolution in Texas. The war ended with the victory of the United States, as the American troops were well organized and rapid in capturing Mexico’s cities, and villages. Nevertheless, modern historians find the origin of the United States-Mexican war to be very controversial issue, as the American President of that time, James Polk, represents a historical character full of an undying interest. His policy on Mexico seemed to contain too
much hatred as he looked for any reason to declare a war on Mexico. Nevertheless, his plans faced strong conflict.
There are numerous reasons why Polk stated the United States Government had to declare a war on Mexico with an immediate result.
The first, which can be singled out from his war letter, is the humiliating attitude of the Mexican Government towards the people of the United States. Polk claimed that he eagerly tried to establish new diplomatic relations with Mexico, but the Mexican party, refused to cooperate, and instead of setting a new cooperation between the countries, invaded the American territory, and filled it with the blood of the Americans (Polk’s war message, 153). Furthermore, in his war message, Polk stated that even after the refusal from the Mexican party, he kindly requested the minister of foreign affairs of Mexico to address the Mexican Government with an official proposal from the President of the United States to receive an envoy entrusted, which have made the Mexican party a complete master in the two-countries dispute over the border line. Polk made it visible that he wanted to proclaim the policy of peace till the
end. The inquiry received an affirmative answer, “still it put forth one prerequisite that the American naval forces had to be withdrawn from the Vela Cruz base”, (Polk’s war message, 154). Polk has made an emphasis on his thought that the American citizens, who live in the border line areas, in which many had been experiencing not life, but existence for more than two decades, should be regarded separately from the issue of the boundary settlement. The war message is written in a manner, in which makes it crystal clear that the United States, and especially President Polk, have made everything possible to retain the situation as peaceful. Nevertheless, President Polk stated that the Mexican Government had been overthrown by General Herrera and the Mexican revolutionary party, who had come up with the Texas question, saying that Texas is Mexican territory.
Polk wanted to declare war on Mexico, as he thought that the supreme authority within Mexico was transferred into the hands of a military leader Herrera, who was established for bringing Texas back under the Mexican affiliation. As a result of this turnover in the Mexican authority, Mr. Slidell, who was the U.S. minister to Mexico, resigned the presidency with an instant effect. This gave Polk the additional opportunity to pretend to appear as a peaceful president, as he stated that he did not want to leave a single effort untried to set a friendly adjustment on the border issues with Mexico. Thus, he directed Mr. Slidell to represent his credentials to the New Mexican Government (Polk’s war message, 154). The answer that followed was interpreted by Polk as humiliating, offensive, and abusive to the people, and Government of the United States of America, as the Mr. Slidell’s application was denied completely (Polk’s war message, 154).
Therefore, Polk found one more reason to start the acts of hostility, as he eagerly claimed that the Mexican Government, despite of being solemnly promised by the official acts to receive, and accredit an American envoy, has severely violated the “sacred faith”, and refused the offer of peace. Hence, the first main reason, why Polk called in necessary to declare a war on Mexico, is that Polk thought that it had become of the highest importance to show a solid resistance to the threatened invasion of the Mexican troops in Texas. Furthermore, Polk has passed an official statement that Texas, in accordance with the last action of the American Congress, had become one of the integral parts of the Union. The second main reason for starting a war was blaming the Mexican party for beginning a course of actions on conflicts. The movement of the American troops towards the Del Norte was justified by Polk, as he claimed that such a decision was made not by him but by the commanding general, who was totally positive of the declarations to refrain from any aggression towards Mexico, and to consider the relations between the two countries as peaceful unless, the Mexican party should commit any act of hostility, which would automatically indicate the state of war. President Polk explained that on the 11th of March, the American Army left Corpus Christi, and as of the 28th of the same month, had arrived to the left bank of the Del Norte, where it encamped, opposing the Matamoras, where the Mexican forces were located at that time. President Polk stated that on the 12th day of April, General Ampudia, notified General-in-Command of the forces at Del Norte, Zachary Taylor, to leave the Mexican territory within twenty-four hours, beyond the Nueces River, and clearly announced that arms, and arms alone, could have decided the dispute (Polk’s war message, 156).
Polk commented that the Mexican Government was not reliable, as it fails to perform even the simplest duties. The American president blamed the Mexican Government for the prosecution of the Mexican merchants, who conducted even trade with the American party, as these trade relations were formerly highly beneficial to both nations. Polk tried to convince the Congress, saying that American restraint had been exhausted, as the American party acted with vigor, when repelling the injuries inflicted by the Mexican Government at the very beginning. He urges that the United States should undoubtedly escape the difficulties they experience now.
The Polk’s war message states that Texas is an independent nation, thought with big intentions and potential to unite its destiny with the United States. The Mexican Government has notoriously affected the people of Texas, the Americans, who have severed their rightful territory, and this government has passed official proclamation that had repeatedly threatened the United States with hostilities, pretending to save the people of Texas of being conquered by the United States. Finally, Polk claimed that at the moment his war message was written, this war had already existed, even despite all the efforts not to see it, and to avoid it. He emphasized that it existed due to the acts of Mexico, but not to those of the United States.
Despite of the fact that he managed to declare a war on Mexico, Polk’s efforts to start the hostilities with a direct response faced severe hostility. The United States at that time were divided by the sectional rivalry, which was present at almost every level of the American society. The Mexican War was opposed by most “Whigs” of the North and the democrats from the South supported it, as they valued a hope that the positive outcome of the war would add more southern slave-owning territories. Furthermore, the southern democrats were afraid of being outnumbered by the rapidly growing northern part of the country.
Nevertheless, one of President Polk’s private conversations revealed the truth.
He announced his real purpose to declare a war on Mexico soon after he had taken the solemn oath of the Presidential office. In this conversation, Polk outlined four great measures of his administration: one, a reduction of the tariff, another, the independent treasury, a third, the Oregon boundary issue settlement, and finally, the official acquisition of California (Private conversation between Polk and Bancroft, recalled by Bancroft to historian James Schouler, p. 141). This point of the war entailed California, even though Texas was a good reason to start a war. Polk new that his forces were prevailing over the enemy, and everything he needed was an unauthorized consent from the Mexico itself to declare a war on it. For example, in May, 1845, the fleet of four, or five vessels, arrived at Galveston with Hon. C.A. Wickliffe. This gentleman and his entourage had numerous interviews with Major Gen. Sherman, the chief officer of the Texas militia of Texas (Jones memoirs, p. 141). The result of these interviews was active preparations at Galveston for organizing volunteer forces, the supposed objective of which was an invasion of
Mexico.
Polk had also encountered severe conflict, because the Whigs from the North knew that Mexico would without doubt favor English protection for California. English citizens were claiming payment for loans and indemnity for losses. The American relations with England, and war was Mexico, was a perfect occasion for the English fleet to take over the Bay of San Francisco (Fremont Memoirs, p. 143). That was a negative sign, as the United States considered the Bay to be a strategically important geographical point for the trade with Asia. The problem was also provoked by the fact that the Government and people of Texas appreciated the expectation that the American Government could, and would protect them from any Mexican Aggression, from the very moment the Congress of Texas accepts the resolutions passed by the Congress of the United States. This has caused apathy among the people on the subject of the defense necessity, which ought to be alarming (Origins of the War with Mexico: The Polk-Stockton Intrigue, p. 129, 144). Polk withstood his position by saying that the Mexicans are ready to inflict a blow on the Territory of Texas. Nevertheless, he faced the fact the United States troops could not be there to resist them. The Texans must be provoked to a proper sense of their own danger.
As President Polk saw no perspectives to set a war with Mexico, he continued to play the role of the peacemaker, as he has openly admitted that there was no one single motive for Annexation of Texas, unless it is a security, and protection measure. He also added that he did not want to take all the responsibility for the decisions made, and added that the United States Government in the body, which was to be responsible for all the expense and all the labor of hostile movements upon Mexico (Origins of the War with Mexico: The Polk-Stockton Intrigue, p. 144). Polk went on proclaiming his mottos that the United States would never become the aggressor upon Mexico (The Diplomacy of Annexation, p. 146). However, a Cabinet meeting had changed everything, as Dr. Parrott read the dispatches from the confidential agent of the United States in Mexico. They told about another threatened revolution, and about General Paredes’ refusal to send his army to Texas (Polk diary, p. 147). Thus, the government of General Paredes, which was a military government, has overthrown that of President Herrera, and hereafter enabled to the late revolution.
In conclusion, President Polk wanted to acquire California and Texas, but the west lands of the country were considerably set for joining Mexico rather than New England. Though, Polk’s grasping eye was firmly set on Mexican territories. He entered the White House, having big plans, but without doubt poor people skills. He understood that the acquisition of California, specifically the acquisition of the San Francisco Bay, will open the routes for economical relations with Asia. It became clear for him that these are not only vast territories, but an incredible improvement of the country’s economy. Polk was a real leader of incitement, as he was the one, who set the smokescreen, and as a result, made the whole situation look like it was Mexico, who declared the war on the United States, and not vice versa. Nevertheless, having asserted the Texas's southern border at the Rio Grande, but not at the Nueces River. Furthermore, by passing an order to General Zachary Taylor to send the troops to the Rio Grande, which was considered the Mexican territory, President Polk, even pretending to be a peacemaker, more or less guaranteed himself the declaration of a war on Mexico.