As you know, we have been talking about Manifest Destiny this week in class. On Thursday we are going to start talking about Texas Independence, and soon after the Mexican American War. Familiarize yourself with this **map and brief summary article so that you have a larger context to understand the war in. Then, spend a few minutes perusing this website. Figure out how the War began. Do you think that the actions that one certain president took were right? Why or why not?
**EDIT: Don't worry about the map. I have copied the summary article into a comment box (comment #3). Since I am just getting to this change, you will have until Tuesday to complete this blog! - Ms. H
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ReplyDeleteI think that at a certain point the war had to be fought. It was how the situation stood. The United States colonists had arrived in Texas on account of the land grants offered by Mexico. After the U.S. heavily populated the state, the crazy "manifest destiny" citizens wanted Texas for themselves. However, the current leader of Mexico, Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna, still wanted Texas to be his. He didn't want the U.S. to grow too powerful. Santa Anna then revealed himself to be a dictator and put bans on the colonists. When they pleaded for help, then we couldn't say no. James K. Polk may have declared war for his own ambitions, but it also cleared up the real issue as well. U.S. citizens were being mistreated and Polk had the responsibility to resolve it. Diplomacy might not have worked in this instance (evil dictator people!) so war seemed like the only option.(153)
ReplyDeleteOnce American citizens realized Manifest Destiny and began moving into the West the government in Mexico City began to feel threatened and alarmed by the power and people of the U.S. After many people started moving into Texas the United States tried to buy the state. Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna was very committed to his country so he still wanted Texas to be a part of his beloved country, and wanted to keep his position in power. He showed himself as a dictator and the citizens needed help because he put bans on them. James Polk, in my opinion, was right to declare war because it did not look like anything else would work. Santa Anna had gone power crazy and had turned into a dictator that was not at all happy with the U.S. citizens, or our country overall. Polk had to do his job as president and protect our country. (153)
ReplyDeletep.s- the first two links led me to a site that needs a password and username as well.
SUMMARY ARTICLE
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican-American War began because of the United States’ desire to acquire California and as a result of a disagreement about the border between Texas and Mexico. The Whig Party did not want war, but the Democrats supported Manifest Destiny (the idea that the United States could expand from the AtlanticOcean to the Pacific Ocean) and wanted war. Mexico fought to keep its land. The war began as General Zachary Taylor led the American army to the Rio Grande. The Americans said the river was the line between Texas and Mexico, butMexico did not agree. Mexico said the border was the Nueces River, which was farther north. Taylor and his men built Fort Brown near the Rio Grande, and Mexico also prepared for war.
The battle began on April 24, 1846. The Mexican cavalry of 2,000 men attacked an American unit of sixty-three soldiers. Eleven United States soldiers were killed in what came to be called the Thornton Affair. The Americans retreated to Fort Brown. On May 3, a Mexican troop attacked the fort. U.S. soldiers fought back in this five-day battle. Taylor needed help and brought in more troops. The Mexican army retreated but began the Battle of Resaca de la Palma the next day. The United States won this battle, and the Mexican troops again retreated.
President James K. Polk received news of the Thornton Affair, and Congress declared war on May 13. Mexico declared war on July 7. General Stephen W. Kearny led the United States invasion of Mexican territory. Kearny’s troops traveled west to Santa Fe, New Mexico, then to California. General Taylor and John E. Wood marched south to Monterrey, Mexico. General Ampudia led the Mexican troops in a brutal, three-day battle. The American troops won and they captured Monterrey. The Mexican government did not surrender; the United States
military would have to capture Mexico City. General Winfield Scott organized the largest naval invasion in American history. On March 9, 1847, General Scott led an army of 12,000 men who stormed the beaches at Veracruz, Mexico. Scott and Mexican President Santa Anna fought many battles as the American military advanced to Mexico City. By September 19, the United States controlled Mexico City. Santa Anna still headed the Mexican army, but his soldiers gave up. The Mexican-American War ended with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, on February 2, 1848. Through this treaty, the United States paid Mexico $15 million for Mexican territory north of the Rio Grande. This territory became the states of Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico,California, and Utah.
I do not think that Polk’s decision was right because he was provoking the Mexicans into war. Polk wanted a short war, and even told his brother not to come because this war is going to be very short. The reason why this was not a good idea was because it would cause war and increase the debt we had. Many Americans were killed and in return we got a big sum of land. This land went with the crazy idea that the Americans had called Manifest Destiny. This was the Americans thinking that god told them to expand into the land that he had given them. In my opinion I would want to try to negotiate with the Mexicans and try not to go into war with them. (129)
ReplyDeleteTo me, the war began because of the greediness of Americans. We had the "manifest destiny" in our heads and we weren't going to back down from anyone. We wanted the border to be the Rio Grande River, but Mexico thought that was too far south. General Taylor built a fort on the Rio Grande to prepare for war.58. I think we were right in declaring war because of the deaths of the 11 soldiers. We then led an invasion in Mexico and we received Texas after a long war. I believe that many decisons were correct, but we handled some things poorly. (104)
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read, the causes for Mexican-American War were that America believed “Manifest Destiny” and wanted to move throughout all of North America towards the west and prosper in all of it. Meanwhile Mexico was still trying to establish a country and a government. A guy named Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was named dictator of Mexico and not a lot of people liked him. Finally in 1846 Mexico and America went to war. That was not what James K. Polk really intended. He wanted to push Mexico into negotiating with America. If needed then he would threaten with war, but he wanted the war to be quick and easily fought. But that was not what happened. The war was long and hard fought on both ends and many died. I did like how Polk had started off not going to war, but I would have tried to prevent war with Mexico as best as possible.
ReplyDeleteAmerica in my perspective was getting kind of greedy for land. Almost where they don't care about the lives it will affect. For example James K. Polk provoked the Mexicans to attack, when he sent the men over the conflicting border he knew they would get attacked. Because of this many lost their lives and were taken prisoner. This action also started the Mexican American war which lost more lives than what the land was worth.76Some may argue that Polk did the right thing; others not. I think there might have been an easier and less violent way to get the land. Others might say it turned out alright in the end, but that doesn't show care for all the people who lost their lives for this next advancement in the "Manifest Destiny" (137)
ReplyDeleteJames K Polk was like most people in America at the time and believed they had the right to the land from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Pacific Ocean. The term they used was “Manifest Destiny,” but to me I think they had no right to the land owned by other people. To me they were all being selfish and greedy.Polk thought that if he couldn’t get his way then he would instigate a war that would be short and easy to win. I have to say that what he did was clever,but he could have tried better to keep the peace. By going to war many people lost their lives, and the war was by no means easy and quick. During this time the Mexican government was also having problems making it harder for them. In the end we did acquire the land we wanted to, but I can’t help to think that there could have been a better way in getting the land.(170)
ReplyDeleteWith all of the conditions from good or bad choices that presidents made, war was hard to avoid. With manifest destiny strong at the time people wanted to movie anywhere west. One place that was west was the Texas/Mexico area. As always, the Untied Stated was happy with the land given to them. They thought the land was theirs because they wanted it. That’s not how it works when there are people there first. Spain had the land claimed for most of the west until the Louisiana Purchase and the Adams-Onis treaty. America still didn’t have the right to the land even though they thought they did. The settlers in the area made the Mexicans already living there angry. They felt like their land was being taken away. And they wouldn’t give it up without a fight. That’s when the war began. At first it looked like America was going to get creamed. Then extra volunteers were sent and they fought back well. America ended up winning the war. That caused Mexican to lose most of its land. The southern boarder of Texas became the Rio Grande River.(188)
ReplyDeleteThe reason the Mexican American war started was because America was expanding and so was Mexico. They both wanted land/Texas and basically started a war. The Mexican troops fired at American troops and America said that they were on our land but really we were on there land which is insane that we could just lie like that and just get away with it. We made a compromise with them and got Texas. The war was over and the Manifest Destiny kept going. Mexico was struggling to pay Spain for the land they bought from them earlier and that was also a reason they did not want us there.(111)
ReplyDeleteI think that James K. Polk had no right to own land that was not his. Even though Polk was like the rest of the people who wanted to land, he had no right. This was called “Manifest Destiny.” I think that he was just being selfish and greedy. This reminds me of the Indian Removal Act. Andrew Jackson had no right to move the Native Americans. Jackson moved the Native Americans to the west because he wanted to own their land (being selfish and greedy), and many people died and suffered. In the first place, it was not Polk’s land to own. If Polk could not get his way, he was going to start a war that was short and hopefully easy to win. Because of this war, many people either died our suffered for their lives. I do think that there could have been an easier way to get land besides a war. But anyway, the Mexican American War ended on February 2, 1848, with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. We ended up getting Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, and Utah for fifteen million dollars. (191)
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican American War started as a land dispute. The Americans thought that it was their destiny to inhabit the West, which is called Manifest Destiny. Our president at the time James K. Polk especially felt inclined to this belief. He basically led soldiers to a fight by putting them in the disputed territory. After they were attacked he urged Congress to declare war on Mexico for attacking the soldiers on “American soil”. His actions did in fact lead to war. I don’t think Polk’s actions were right. It’s like the quote “Doing the wrong thing for the right reasons is still doing the wrong thing”. However, I do think either way a war was inevitable because Mexico wasn’t willing to bargain with us, and it was obvious there was no way we were giving up the land.
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The reason that this war was started was because Mexico lost Texas. Because they were so grumpy from this, when america said that this is the boundary, Mexico had a fit and prepared for war. This is unfair to Americans because they purposely wanted us their to build up their land. While we did have a feeling of Manifest destiny going on right now,this could have stirred up feelings for Americans to want the land, but hey, we just got Texas and the Louisiana Territory, why would we stop there? I do not think it was right for James K. Polk to fight for the land like they did but if they didn't Mexico would have still had a dictator for a presidente. I think that his actions aren't justified by what the results were. He should have tried harder for peaceful terms to the land instead of just fighting over it. (152)
ReplyDeleteWe humans never are completely satisfied; we might have everything we NEED but we always WANT more. This is how the Mexican American War basically started. Instead of gay marriage or abortion, the main controversial issue in the mid 1800s was Manifest Destiny. People had it etched in their minds that God wanted Americans to migrate west. America’s president at the time, James K. Polk, supported this idea and obviously was going to do what he wanted since he was in power. He wanted Texas and California to be part of the U.S. His strategy to get this land was actually a ruse. He wanted Americans to think that the Mexicans attacked our troops for no apparent reason. His plan was successful when Zachary Taylor’s troops were attacked in the disputed area in Texas. Congress passed a Declaration of War. The war was longer than Polk expected, but in the end he got what he wanted. I really don’t think Polk should have tricked the Americans like he did. He should have at least informed Americans what was going on because it was going to be their tax money that eventually paid the expenses of the war. Like others before me have said, war was pretty much unavoidable. {208}
ReplyDelete~Mo~
How did the war between the U.S. and Mexico start? I see only one word that could define what really happened and it was GREED. What we had just wasn’t enough I guess. America just couldn’t be happy of thankful for what they had. NO! It was all about Manifest Destiny. Thanks to Andrew Jackson for putting the idea in Americans heads that we could go and take all the land we wanted because God wanted us to. (By the way, I have nothing against Manifest Destiny; I just think Polk took it too far) Thankfully, Jackson was out of office but now there was James K. Polk who was supposedly a bigger Jacksonian than Jackson was. He was all about WWJD. (What would Jackson Do?) So the man in office supported Manifest Destiny no doubt and was ready to take the land that ‘God wanted us to have’. Thus, the Mexican American war. I understand that the Mexico had the war coming because they refused to bargain with us but the whole beginning and outcome of the war was wrong. I don’t think that is how America, the land of the free, should handle the situation. Yes, we received a good amount of land from the war but I’m not proud about how it happened. It was wrong, and very unjust. What happened to justice? Last time I checked America was never a dictatorship. (235)
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the Mexican American War was about who was going to get the most land: us or Mexico. We were still a young country, so moving out West in the country and expanding (Manifest Destiny) was all we could think about. Like many others have said I agree that it was out of greed that caused this conflict to start. I think that the actions that Polk took were necessary because there was no way out besides war, but I do believe that he could have dealt with the war differently. Polk's War Plan was just forcing people to do what he wanted them to do. He thought they could just push everyone off their land (like the Indian Removal) and that's basically what happened, giving America what they wanted-more land. (134)
ReplyDeleteJames k. Polk was a man on a mission. It was clear that we would not stop until all four of his goals were met. If that meant going to war so be it. I personally think Polks actions were pure genius. He stationed troops in a disputed area to arouse the Mexicans. The Mexicans then took action. They fired on the American troops Polk used this to fuel the fire of war. Once the Americans had the fire of war there was no stopping them. Congress had no choice but to declare war on Mexico. This was pure genius on Polks part. I think polks actions were right.(109)
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican American War all started with President James K. Polk. Polk believed in completing the Manifest Destiny. He thought he was called to lead America to the west and take "what God was calling them to have". Which in his case would be this land. Not only did many feel it was their absolute right to occupy the land, but Texas was a center for trade. This became another reason for wanting the land. Polk's plan to take the land was a genius plan, and it worked. It gained us the land. He succeeded in that. I think it was right of him to do that. I think calling in the extra help (because the US armies were not very strong) was a smart idea and definitely changed the outcome of the war. Without Polk, we wouldn't have the United States we have today. (145)
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican-American war pretty much all started with the president. I think that the actions that President James K. Polk took were a little unnecessary. He basically was a pretty strong believer in Manifest Destiny. He truly believed that the land they claimed in Texas was theirs to have. And he wasn’t too pleased that Mexico was interested in it. He knew that if he sent our troops to the border of which we claimed, the Mexicans would have to fight back. Polk knew that if the Mexicans did attack, he could take the news back to congress, allowing congress to declare war. And war is exactly was James K. Polk wanted. (112)
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican-American war baasically started with James K. Polk. It was not so much greed as coveting. He saw the land and he took it. I would understand if he had a really good reason but he didnt even like it when the Mexicans acted like they wanted their land and for them not to take it. I have to agree with the Mexicans on this one. The way Polk did it was just wrong.I also think that James K. Polk wanted to have a little fun with this almost as if he was provoking the Mexicans. I do not agree at all with this.(107)
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