Was the Mexican-American War a war of American conquest or a response to Mexican provocation?

Was the Mexican American War a War of American Conquest or a Response to Mexican Provocation The Mexican American War was fought between 1846 and 1848 . It was a conflict between the United States and Mexico over not only the ownership of Texas , but of which country would control much of the western part of North America . The cry of Remember the Alamo ! comes from the Mexican American War , as one of the most important battles of that war was fought at the Alamo fort in Texas . The war has many

important lessons for Americans today , as it parallels the current issue in this country of bringing our brand of democracy to the rest of the world . Even in the 19th century , America had this as an aim , and this aim was expressed in the Mexican American War . While the true reason for the war has been debated throughout the years , with some saying the war was an American response to Mexican aggression , while others say it was a war of American conquest , a look at the facts and circumstances of the war show that there really is no question regarding its cause . The Mexican American War was clearly a war of American conquest

In to understand how the Mexican American War was a war of American conquest , it is first necessary to understand how some historians see it as an American response to Mexican aggression . In the early nineteenth century , much of the land in what is now the western part of the United States belonged to Mexico . Mexico won its independence from Spain in 1822 , and its significant land holdings extended from what is what is Mexico today all the way up through California . The various territories of Mexico were loosely allied with one another , as it was difficult to govern so vast a territory from one central location . Mexican general Santa Anna was largely responsible for consolidating power among the various Mexican territories into one centralized Mexican nation . However , not all of the territories appreciated Santa Anna 's attempts to control them , and several rebelled against his authority . The territory of Texas was one of these territories

By the time of the Mexican American War , Americans had been living in the western territories for years . While still under Spanish rule these territories allowed anyone to live there who was Catholic and who would swear allegiance to the Spanish king . Therefore , when Texas rebelled against Mexican authority , the United States was quick to support the territory , as the interest of many American citizens already living there was at stake . Texas had many grievances against the Mexican government , including the Mexican government 's abolition of slavery and the abolition of the federalist constitution of 1824 in favor of a central government headed by Santa Anna .3 Unable to live under Mexican rule , Texas revolted in a successful , but violent

revolution in 1836 . The infamous battle of the Alamo happened

3Machado , Daisy L . Of Bs and Margins : Hispanic...