| Mexican American War
The war between the United States and Mexico in 1846 to 1848 was basically
a struggle for land.
The United States wanted the "frontier". The U.S. felt that it was its
right to become a transcontinental country and expand to the west coast.
More land was wanted to accommodate a growing population, and this desired
land was also rich in natural resources.
Mexico was on the defensive during the war. Its government claimed that
the area that is now California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming,
and Utah had long belonged to Mexico and that American settlers had no
right to make their homes there.
When the war ended and the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo had been signed,
the United States had gotten its wishes and was substantially larger geographically.
The result of the war was that for the first time, the United States encompassed
the entire continent from sea to sea.
Sample some of the following activities to learn more about the Mexican
American War.
Places To Go | People To See | Things To Do | Bibliography
Places To Go
The following are places to go (some real and some virtual) to find out
about the Mexican American War.
Mexico City National
Cemetery
Virtually visit this cemetery in Mexico City where 750 U.S. soldiers who
died during the battles for Mexico City or during its occupation from1847-1848
are buried in a mass grave.
History
of the Marine's Hymn
Travel to the halls of Montezuma. The official song of the United States
Marine Corps has a verse that goes "From the Halls of Montezuma, To the
Shores of Tripoli; We fight our country's battles,On the land as on the
sea; First to fight for right and freedom, And to keep our honor clean;
We are proud to claim the title, of United States Marine." The "Halls
of Montezuma" refers to Mexico City. During the Mexican-American War,
a battalion of Marines, joined the forces of General Winfield Scott to
capture the capital of Mexico.
Palo Alto Battlefield
Virtually travel to the site of the first battle of the Mexican American
War. The location is close to Brownsville, Texas, and the battle took
place on May 8, 1846. General Zachary Taylor defeated a Mexican force
led by General Mariano Arista, who then retreated to Resaca de la Palma.
People To See
Zachary
Taylor
Meet Zachary Taylor. He was a general in the Mexican-American War and
had the nickname "Old Rough and Ready". His fame as a war hero helped
him win the presidency in 1848.
Santa
Anna
Make the acquaintance of Antonio
Lopez de Santa Anna, the Mexican president and general during the
Mexican American War. He is also well-known for his role in the battle
at the Alamo for Texas independence.
Ralph
Waldo Emerson
Henry
David Thoreau
Get to know Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. Because of their
views about slavery, both of them opposed the Mexican-American War. They
felt that if new territory or states were added to the Union as a result
of land gains from Mexico, that these new states might become slave states.
Kit
Carson
Get to know more about Kit Carson and find out what role he played in
the Mexican American War.
Winfield
Scott: A North Georgia Notable
Meet General Winfield Scott. Like Zachary Taylor, he was a general in
the Mexican-American War. Scott’s nickname was “Old Fuss and
Feathers” because of his impeccable military dress and manner.
Things To Do
The
History Guy : Mexican-American War
Learn about the consequences and casualties of this war.
The U.S.
Mexican War
Find maps of the battles of the war, a gallery of images relating to the
war, full text of speeches, proclamations, treaties, battle reports, etc.,
a chronology of the war, and more.
Treaty
with Mexico
Read full text of the Treaty
of Guadalupe Hidalgo which ended the Mexican-American War.
Expansionism
& Manifest Destiny
Learn about manifest
destiny. It was a philosophy or attitude held by many Americans in 1800s. The basis of the belief was
that the United States was destined and had a divine right to expand across
the continent. It was felt that this expansion was so inevitable that
force could be used in the expansion and the rights of the native peoples
were important.
Mexican
War
Find out what the issue of slavery had to do with the Mexican American
War.
US Mexican
War
Find a timeline of the Mexican American War form this excellent site.
About.Com
- Mexican War
From About.Com, find an excellent overview of this war.
Texas
War of Independence
Learn how the Texas War of Independence and the trouble at the Alamo helped
to set the stage for sentiments that led to the Mexican American War.
US
Mexican War Monuments and Memorials
Find out if there are any monument to the Mexican American War that are
located in Salt Lake City.
Bibliography
- Carter, Alden R. The Mexican War : Manifest Destiny. New York : F.
Watts, c1992.
- Collier, Christopher. Hispanic America, Texas, and the Mexican War,
1835-1850. Tarrytown, NY : Benchmark Books, c1999.
- Gold, Susan Dudley. Land Pacts. New York : Twenty-first Century Books,
c1997.
- Mills, Bronwyn. The Mexican War. New York : Facts On File, c1992.
- Nardo, Don. The Mexican American War. San Diego, CA : Lucent Books,
c1999.
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