Summary
The Mexican-American War and its outcomes significantly impacted the history of the United States and Mexico. According to Jaffary (2018), “the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) had tremendously important repercussions on Mexico’s subsequent economic, political, and cultural life” (p. 223). This paper aims to discuss Texas annexation, the Texas Rebellion against Mexico, and the Mexican-American War, as well as consider the Mexican perspective on the underlying issues of the conflict.
The Texas Rebellion against Mexico and the Annexation of Texas
The rebellion of Texas against Mexico led to the establishment of the Republic of Texas. It happened in 1835 following the San Jacinto victory and ending the hostilities (Jaffary, 2018). As can be seen, the Republic of Texas declared its independence from Mexico a decade prior to announcing its desire to join the U.S. in 1845 (“The opposing viewpoints,” n.d.). Overall, while the annexation of Texas was approved by both the U.S. and Texas congresses, it was regarded as Mexico’s starting point of the war. It was unacceptable from the Mexican perspective since it would compromise its sovereignty over the area and violate the border treaty of 1828 (“The opposing viewpoints,” n.d.). The Mexican government tried to avoid the armed conflict and sought negotiation. However, the U.S. declined the request and showed its aggressive desire to expand its territory further, threatening the safety of Mexican borders. As a result, such a position of the U.S. has eventually led to its first armed conflict on a foreign territory.
The Mexican-American War from the Mexican Perspective
To understand the context and causes of the war, it is essential to consider the Mexican perspective on the conflict. As per the NCC Staff (2021), the U.S. viewed “the acquisition of Texas, California, Oregon, and other territories as part of the nation’s Manifest Destiny to spread democracy over the continent” (para. 4). At the same time, Mexicans perceived such ambition as invasive and threatening to its security. The country had initially intended to negotiate with the United States in order to preserve respectful relationships (Morgan, 2018). Therefore, Mexico did not declare war to expand its territories. Instead, its government acknowledged the need to defend the country from the U.S. invasion.
The Underlying Issues and Mexico’s Reasoning for its Actions
The underlying issues in the Mexican-American conflict included the problem with the Republic of Texas and a debate on the border and territory integrity. Furthermore, as stated, “the U.S. also tried to buy Texas and what was called “Mexican California” from Mexico, which was seen as an insult by Mexico” (para. 5). In other words, Mexico did not consider arrogance or greed to be the main causes of the war. In turn, it believed in its need to defend its borders and international reputation. To give in to the U.S. demands would have signaled to the world that Mexico had a submissive reaction to the invasion and could lose its territories if threatened (“The opposing viewpoints,” n.d.). From the Mexican perspective, its actions were not only justified but also mandatory as a response to American aggression.
To conclude, the Mexican-American War had significant outcomes for both parties. In particular, Mexico lost a considerable amount of its territories as a result of the peace treaty, and its economic, cultural, and political aspects were affected. At first sight, it seemed like the United States benefited from the acquisition of new territory. However, a large expansion along with the unresolved slavery problem eventually contributed to the Civil War in the future.
References
Jaffary, N. E. (2018). Mexican history: A primary source reader. Routledge.
Morgan, E. (2018). The Mexican-American War. In S. M. Kraaz, (Ed.), Music and war in the United States (pp. 41-53). Routledge.
NCC Staff. (2021). The Mexican-American War in a nutshell. National Constitution Center. Web.
The opposing viewpoints. (n.d.). Web.