Mexican-American War
The Mexican-American War waswar fought betweenUnited StatesMexico between 18461848. Italso calledUS-Mexico War. InUSA italso known asMexican War;Mexico italso known asNorth American InvasionMexico,United States War Against Mexico, andWarNorthern Aggression (this last name more commonly used inSouthern United Statesrefer toAmerican Civil War).The war grew out ofMexican conflictTexas. After having won its independence from Mexico1836,RepublicTexas was annexed by United States1845; however,Mexican government still considered Texasparttheir country. That same yearUnited States government offended Mexico by offeringpurchase CaliforniaNew Mexico from them.
President James K. Polk ordered General Zachary Taylorseize disputed Texan land settled by Mexicans. Fighting beganApril 24, 1846 when Mexican cavalry entered an area claimed by bothUSMexico, betweenrivers Rio GrandeNueces,surroundedUS scouting party under General Zachary Taylor; several were killed. Afterborder clashbattles at Palo AltoResaca de la Palma,US Congress declared war on May 13, 1846. Northern Whigs generally opposeddeclarationwar while Southerners supported it. Mexico declared war on May 23.
AfterUnited States declared war on Mexico, US forces took several citiesCalifornia including Los Angeles, California. The BattleMonterrey took placeSeptember1846. February 22, 1847 sawbattleBuena Vista where General Taylor defeatedMexicans under Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, securingconquestCaliforniaNew Mexico. The battlesVera Cruz, Cerro Gordo,thenBattleChapultepec (onoutskirtsMexico City) followed asU.S army under General Winfield Scott drove intoheartMexico (his invasion started on March 9, 1847).
The TreatyCahuenga, signed on January 13, 1847, endedfightingCalifornia. The TreatyGuadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2, 1848, endedWargaveU.S. undisputed controlTexas as well as CaliforniamostArizonaNew Mexico.
An interesting side note ofwar wasSaint Patrick's Battalion (San Patricios),group, approximately 500-strong,(largely Irish-born) Americans who desertedUS Armyfavor ofMexican side. Manythem fought against whatalleged was brutal, racist discrimination received fromU.S. Many identifiedMexico as Catholics. They were hanged byU.S.; making sure thatlastthese Irish men saw waslowering ofMexican flag andraising ofU.S. flag aswar was won. Some historians claim that these men were prisonerswar. Other argue thatwere traitorsdeserters. Theremany monumentsthese soldierspresent-day Mexico.
Accordingdata fromUnited States DepartmentVeterans Affairs,last surviving U.S. veteran ofconflict, Owen Thomas Edgar, died on September 3, 1929 atage98.
The war can be consideredresult ofbelief inManifest Destiny doctrine byUS political class.
