The Mexican War: Who Really started it?

Introduction

After the Texas War of Independence and the annexation of Texas to the United States, there was a great amount of hostility between the United States and Mexico, which eventually led to the Mexican American War. This war is also referred to as the U.S.- Mexican War, the Mexican War (US), and The War with Mexico (US). This war was caused by nothing more then a hunger for more land, and the belief that it was God's will for the United States to control all land "from sea to shining sea", which had become known as Manifest Destiny.

        Mexico did not like the idea of Texas becoming part of the United States and the contested southern border became an issue. Civil Wars in Mexico left property damage in amount of about $4.5 million.

Discussion

In 1845 Polk offered to resume these debts if Mexico would recognize the Rio Grande as the southern border of Texas. The United States claimed the border to be the Rio Grande River, while Mexico claimed land as far north as the Nueces River. President Polk sent John Slidell of Louisiana to Mexico in the later part of 1845 to correct the Texas border. Slidell worked with two of Mexico's succeeding presidents to get a hearing, but he was ignored and expelled from the country in August of 1846. The two countries both sent troops to the land that was in disagreement and a fierce standoff followed. On April 24, 1846 Mexican forces that crossed the Rio Grande ambushed a group of 63 U.S. scouts under the command of Captain Seth Thornton. This was after issuing a warning to Taylor, which was refused, commanding him to retreat back to the Nueces River. Of the 63 scouts 11 were killed, others wounded, and capturing most of the rest. (Johnson pp.56-65)

However Texas was not the only cause of the war, California, New Mexico, and other territories nearby. President Polk offered $5 million and $25 million for California respectively, but the distraught Mexican Government refused both. These attempts to buy California and New Mexico infuriated the Government of Mexico.

        In May of 1846 word of the attack reached Washington and Polk sent a message to Congress calling for the action of war. The House and Senate voted 50,000 men and $10 million to the war by vast majorities, 170 to 14 and 40 to 2. On May 13, 1846, Polk signed the war bill into a law, even though five days earlier, Mexican and American soldiers had made this war a fact.

       Meanwhile, General Taylor had driven the Mexican forces back to the south bank of the Rio Grande in the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. In these to prewar battles Taylor suffered minor casualties, 48 killed and 128 wounded, which was not one-sixth of Mexico's losses. Six days after the vote calling for war, he crossed the Rio Grande and occupied Mexican frontier town of Matamoros, when afterwards he moved southward ...