Manifest Destiny In The Mexican-American Civil War

Individual Response Paper Latinos helped shape the U.S. in many diverse historical experiences. During the 1840s John L. O’Sullivan, the editor of the Democratic Review wrote the infamous term Manifest Destiny to label American expansion. Manifest Destiny was a dream and an “American Mission” to expand the country to the Pacific Ocean in the 19th century. To many Americans, it was a God given right because an expansion would offer advancement, income, freedom and even self-sufficiency. We know that without Manifest Destiny, the United States wouldn’t be the size it is today.

Santa Anna moved toward San Jacinto River after defeating the Texan army at the Alamo and Goliad. Santa Anna was defeated at the Battle of San Jacinto, and was captured by General Sam Houston, on April 21. After signing two treaties, one ending the war and one a secret promising to do everything he could to ensure that the Mexican government adhered to public treaty. After a meeting with President Andrew Jackson in Washington, D.C., Santa Anna returned home to Mexico where his reign ended. Santa Anna gained prestige again after a battle with the French in 1838.

The Mexican American War started in 1846 because of Mexican resentment caused by the 1836 loss of Texas and the American’s desire for Mexico’s more northern territory. “On September 9, 1847 after two years of fighting, the Mexican American war essentially ended when the American Army captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec”( 6). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. United States leaders then acted morally superior in their negotiations of the treaty 1. During negotiations, United States officials viewed the “forcible incorporations” (1) of almost one half of Mexico’s land as an “event foreordained by providence and Manifest Destiny” (1).

How did California, The Golden State, become a part of the United States of America? The answer lies in the Mexican-American War. This controversial war was fought in 1846 under the presidency of James K. Polk, a strong believer in Manifest Destiny. It took place after the annexation of Texas and was a result of a dispute over land between the Nueces River and Rio Grande. The Mexican-American War was unjustified for three reasons, for one; Polk intentionally instigates the war with Mexico, secondly; the U.S. only wanted Mexican land to expand their own, and finally; in order to obtain this land, America violates Mexican laws.

Manifest Destiny is what the mindset of the American people where in the 19th century, where in they believed in the expansion of American territory from coast to coast and that time, to the West. Although even as the early 1800s, Andrew Jackson led an army of men during the Florida crisis and conquered forts and cities. He also punished Indians who supported Spanish troops. The expansion was not only focused on territory but also to achieve freedom and economic stability for the people. There was territorial expansion.

Indians were forced to dig. Even they didn't have any right to go against white people according to california law that time. They were kidnapped and sold too. Life was becoming harder for them as the city of San Francisco became an important part of U.S economy. There were 50,000 Native Americans in california in 1849.

On March 9, 1847, General Scott guided his soldiers to Mexico City where they would raise the American flag. The fleet had very few issues and were able to easily vanquish the Mexicans and conquer the city of Vera Cruz by March 29. On September 14, Scott’s dominant troops reached the capital of Mexico. On February 2, 1848, the Mexican-American war was ended when both American and Mexican representatives signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty not only ended the war, but formally acknowledged Texas as part of United States territory and allowed the U.S. to expand their boundaries further west.

Manifest Destiny is a unique, yet mysterious fundamental series of events in American history. No other country’s history contains such an eventful history as the United States. Amy Greenberg’s book, Manifest Destiny and American Territorial Expansion, provides documented evidence that settlers believed they were destined for expansion throughout the continent. In other words, many religious settlers believed that it was a call from God for the United States to expand west. On the other hand, people believed that Manifest Destiny vindicated the war against Mexico.

Among the many states newly under U.S. territory, California, with its Pacific coast, became popular for civilization and development in the land. In the book titled “Mexican-American War,” it states “He claimed that California, in particular, ‘would afford shelter for our Navy, for our numerous whale ships, and other merchant vessels employed in the Pacific Ocean, and would in a short period become the marts of an extensive and profitable commerce with China and other countries of the East. "’(Sticklor). This important development of places to hold the U.S. Navy ships depends on the position of California. The position they hold helps set and direct ways to cast power over the Pacific and show aid to the allies.

Manifest Destiny, the concept that the United States was destined to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific, was a major motivating factor in the conflict. In 1846, the United States invaded Mexico by crossing the Rio Grande. Four years later, in 1848, the war ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Due to this pact, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas all received significant land transfers. As a watershed moment in American history, the conflict had far-reaching effects that are still being felt today.

INTRODUCTION Throughout the 1840s and 1850s a major war happened called the Mexican American War which drastically changed the U.S. and Mexico and lead to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to be signed and which established the Rio Grande and not the Nueces River as the U.S Border. This also lead to the U.S. annexation of Texas and lead to the Mexico agreeing to sell California and the rest of the territory for 15 million. So you 're probably wondering why the war was fought but you 'll find that out later.

Manifest destiny also affected the relationship with Mexico. Several factors led to the Mexican- American War in 1846. The factors were that the U.S citizens were moving into California and Mexico. Since there were many revolutions happening in Mexico throughout this time period the Mexican government was not able to protect the U.S citizens in this region. Another factor was that Mexico was upset that Texas declared independence from them and then the U. S annexed Texas in 1845.

“Once we became an independent people it was as much a law of nature that this [control of all of North America] should become our pretension as that the Mississippi should flow to the sea” –John Quincy Adams (Henretta, p. 384). In the 1840s, Americans had a belief that God destined for them to expand their territory all the way westward to the Pacific Ocean. This idea was called Manifest Destiny. In the nineteenth century, Americans were recognized for coming together and building up one another for one cause: westward expansion.

The US did not not have solid reasons to do so besides their own greed, so the US hid behind the idea of Manifest Destiny and tried to justify their actions. John O’Sullivan was the New York City journalist who coined the term Manifest Destiny. He said, “Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real government authority over such a country…’’ (O’Sullivan, 8). O’Sullivan and the US suggested that Mexico “needed” the US to come and take over, because otherwise Mexico was going to fall apart. Although this was somewhat true, the US did not try to help Mexico through this difficult time; instead, the US took advantage of Mexico’s weakness and tried to take over completely.

Manifest Destiny was the term used by John O’Sullivan to describe America’s desire to expand West due to reasons including both the vast amount of unclaimed land and the opportunities Americans wanted to explore. During this time, Americans believed that it was their God-given right to expand West, and therefore they were entitled to push away any groups that were in their way. Due to the mindset that the Americans could do as they pleased with the groups of people who got in their way, Manifest Destiny affected many groups of people, including the American Indians and Slaves, and continued to build up the preexisting tension between the North and South. One of the groups of people affected greatly by Manifest Destiny were the Native Americans. Manifest Destiny affected the American Indians by spreading foreign diseases to them as they moved Westward, through the Native American territory.