The Mexican-American War began in 1846 over the territory of Texas, with the United States ultimately gaining control of most major battles and becoming richer in land. The war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which recognized the Rio Grande as the northern border of Mexico and gave the US huge tracts of land in exchange for $18.25 million.
The history of the Mexican-US War is steeped in the desire of the United States to expand and Mexico’s desire to keep what had traditionally been considered its territories. While there are many commentaries on the Mexican-American War, the outcome is something that has never been disputed. The United States was able to control almost all major battles and became richer in land as a result.
The Mexican-American War took place between 1846 and 1848. The original source of the conflict was on the territory of Texas. At one point, the Mexican government offered Americans cheap land in the territory to stimulate growth. However, when slavery was outlawed, many of those living in Texas thought it was time to break ties with Mexico. Texas gained its independence during the Texas Revolution in 1836 and eventually joined the United States, a move that shocked Mexico.
At the time, even though Mexico had agreed to recognize Texas’ independence after the Texas Revolution, it still felt that bringing the territory into the United States was dangerous. Adding to the aggravation was the incompletely established Texas-Mexico border. Some argued that the territory of Mexico ended up at the Rio Grande River. Mexico claimed territory from the Nueces River to the south.
American troops attacked from the north under the command of General Zachary Taylor and more troops under the command of Colonel Stephen Kearny moved west. During the initial battle at Fort Texas and Palo Alto, and at Resaca del Palma, Mexican troops suffered heavy casualties. As most Mexican-American battles would turn out, these were one-sided affairs that drove the Mexicans back across the Rio Grande. Another decisive Mexican-American battle was the Battle of Monterrey where both sides suffered heavy casualties, but it was another setback for the Mexicans.
At the same time as Mexican troops were being pushed north and west, another part of the Mexican-American War was about to unfold further south and east. General Winfield Scott led an amphibious invasion near Veracruz, which put pressure on the Mexicans from several fronts. After a series of battles, he finally captured Mexico City.
This eventually led to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In this treaty, Mexico recognized its northern border as the Rio Grande and gave the United States huge tracts of land in parts of what are now New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, California, Nevada, and Utah . In exchange for the land, the United States would pay Mexico 18.25 million US dollars (USD). To provide some perspective, the United States had offered Mexico $25 million for California a year before the war broke out. This treatment effectively ended the Mexican-US War.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
