Mexican War

The social , cultural and economic impact of the Mexican-American War continues to reverberate today . The b that exists today is both a physical construct as well as a symbolic force dating back to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 which was the formal ending to the war The Treaty effectively ceded the land from present day Texas to California along the Rio Grande /Bravo . This will outline the contributing factors that led up to the war as well as the major events that brought it to a close . More importantly , this will

discuss how this war shaped the divergent paths these two neighboring countries would follow in the aftermath of the war

Leading up to the war : different countries , different perspectives

Manifest Destiny in the United States

The California Gold Rush

Volunteer ' militia

Mexico spread too thin

Waning power over their northern territories

Christian missions and the role of integration

The role of Native Americans

In the heat of battle : Military might armed with political agenda

The decentralization of the Mexican military

Militiamen in northern areas poorly organized and armed before the outbreak of battle

Faced high rates of desertion and mutiny from drafted members

The United States call to arms - the Army of Manifest Destiny

The U .S . Army constituted a national force but was undermanned

The militia were forces organized by state but could only serve for 90 days by law , including the training process

To get around this lack of manpower , Congress called up...