Mexican-American War

Definition

The Mexican-American War was a conflict that took place between 1846 and 1848, primarily over the issue of the annexation of Texas. The United States, seeking to expand its territory, provoked the war with Mexico, which resulted in the cession of a large portion of the American Southwest to the U.S. This war was a significant event that shaped the course of 19th-century American history and the Compromise of 1850.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Mexican-American War was sparked by a dispute over the annexation of Texas, which Mexico did not recognize as an independent nation.
2. The U.S. provoked the war by sending troops into a disputed border region between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River, leading to a skirmish with Mexican forces.
3. The war resulted in the cession of a vast swath of the American Southwest, including California, to the United States.
4. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed in 1848, officially ended the war and established the new border between the U.S. and Mexico.
5. The Mexican-American War was a significant event that contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery and its expansion.

Review Questions

• Explain how the Mexican-American War was connected to the issue of the annexation of Texas.
  • The Mexican-American War was sparked by a dispute over the annexation of Texas. The United States had annexed Texas in 1845, but Mexico did not recognize Texas as an independent nation and still claimed it as part of its territory. This led to a border dispute between the U.S. and Mexico, with the U.S. sending troops into the disputed region, provoking a skirmish with Mexican forces and the outbreak of the war.
• Describe the impact of the Mexican-American War on the expansion of slavery in the United States.
  • The Mexican-American War had significant implications for the expansion of slavery in the United States. The war resulted in the cession of a large portion of the American Southwest to the U.S., including California, which would eventually become a free state. This sparked debates over whether the new territories should allow slavery, leading to the introduction of the Wilmot Proviso, which sought to prohibit the extension of slavery into the acquired territories. The Mexican-American War thus contributed to the growing tensions between the North and South over the issue of slavery and its expansion.
• Analyze the role of the concept of Manifest Destiny in the United States' decision to provoke the Mexican-American War.
  • The belief in Manifest Destiny, the idea that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, played a significant role in the U.S. decision to provoke the Mexican-American War. The desire to expand the country's territory and influence westward, fueled by Manifest Destiny, led the U.S. to annex Texas and send troops into the disputed border region, ultimately sparking the conflict with Mexico. The Mexican-American War allowed the U.S. to seize a vast swath of the American Southwest, further realizing the vision of Manifest Destiny and solidifying the country's position as a growing power on the North American continent.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny:

The belief that the United States was destined to expand across the North American continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo:

The peace treaty signed in 1848 that ended the Mexican-American War and ceded a large portion of the American Southwest, including California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, to the United States.

Wilmot Proviso:

A failed proposal introduced in the U.S. Congress during the Mexican-American War that sought to prohibit the extension of slavery into any territory acquired from Mexico.