As a result of the war with Mexico in the years
1846 though 1848, the United States gained territory that would eventually
become the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
The war was driven by the American notion of "Manifest
Destiny"--a belief that the country's borders should stretch from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. Another contributing factor was the Texas War
of Independence, which resulted in the annexation of Texas to the United
States, the exacerbation of preexisting tensions and the continuation
of border fights.
Open hostilities between the two nations began in May
1845 when General Zachary Taylor's troops clashed with Mexican forces
near the Rio Grande. Not long afterwards, the United States declared war--it
would last until American troops entered Mexico City in 1847.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo put an end to the fighting
and required that Mexico cede two fifths of its territory to the United
States. |
Mexican
War @ HistoryChannel.com - Features a series of articles and related videos for sale.
PBS Online - Bilingual account offers guidance from authors, historians, and scholars;
disparate perspectives, dialogues, timelines and forums.
Robinson Research - Description of the conflict complete
with images.
Invasion Yanqui - View propaganda images from the war period
and accompanying text in Spanish or English.
US-Mexican War -
Gives a bilingual overview of the major events of the war and provides
documents, maps, and artwork.
American Local History Network - Read an essay on the 19th
century conflict, while viewing a map clearly marking the areas of cession.
Federation of American Scientists - Analyzes the various
causes of the Mexican War.
The
History Guy - Describes the causes and consequences of the war and
enumerates trivia of interest.
The Avalon Project - Locate war documents, including the
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
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