Américano-Mexican War

The américano-Mexican Guerre (1846 - 1848) is a war between the the United States and the republic of Mexico. It is started when the American Congrès vote the annexation of the Texas in 1845.

In the United States, it is more usually called The Mexican War (the Mexican war), on the occasion, of the contemporary critics called it ironically Mr. Polk' S War (“the war of Mr. Polk”, which is then president of the United States). In Mexico, it is called the intervención norteamericana (the North-American Intervention) or will guerra It LED 47 (the war of 47).

It is interesting to note that number of officers having been useful in one or the other of the armies, will become then presidents of their respective country, quote for example:

This war was one of the factors starting of the American Civil War which ten years later will put the United States at fire and blood, as Ulysses Grant in its memories wrote it later:

the rebellion of the South was the misadventure of the war with Mexico. Nations and individuals are punished their transgressions. We accepted our punishment in the form of most sanguinary and expensive war of modern times.

Context

The situation the day before the war is complex: Mexico extends since 1821 on the territories from South-west from the current United States, i.e. the California, the Arizona and the New Mexico. It has just lost the Texas, revolted in 1836, then independent republic and finally incorporated in the United States in 1845. On the littoral of the Pacific Ocean, the Mexican interests are threatened by the Russian counters.

Some grounds of this area became familiar with the American mountain dwellers and the merchants who attend the Piste of Santa Fe. A few hundreds of Americans are already installed in California and of the boats various products exchange there, along the coast. All these territories before this war are under the sovereignty of the independent République of Mexico since a quarter century and which constituted before the major part of the News-Spain, the Spanish colony of Central America.

In Washington, the president James Knox Polk is a cantor of the Conquête of the West and wants to see being carried out the “Destinée proclamation”. In February 1846, it sends troops, ordered by the general Zachary Taylor, on the Río Grande to make pressure on the Mexican government. It wishes to buy the territories which would supplement the Union. Taylor then builds Fort Texas (named Fort Brown later) on northern bank of the Rio Grande vis-a-vis the Mexican city of Matamoros.

Beginning of the hostilities

The April 24th 1846, a strong detachment of 2.000 Mexican riders attacks a patrol of the US Army of 63 men on the disputed territory located at the north of the Rio Grande and the south of the Rio Nueces. The Mexican cavalry puts in rout the patrol and keep silent 11 soldiers U.S. in what will be named later the Thornton Affair (the Thornton business, of the name of captain U.S. which ordered the patrol). An survivor will escape and return to Fort Texas.

See also: Head office of Strong Texas

The May 3rd, the Mexican artillery of Matamoros opens fire on Fort Texas, which answers with its guns. The bombardment lasts five days then the Mexican forces ordered by the General Mariano Arista, little by little, encircle the fort. Two soldiers U.S. are killed during the bombardment, of which the commander of the place, Jacob Brown, who will give his name at the height, and at the current city of Brownsville.

The May 8th, Zachary Taylor arrives with 2.400 men in reinforcement. However, Arista sinks towards north with 3.400 men on Palo Alto. American uses of an artillery novel method, named flying artillery (a mobile light artillery, assembled on carriages drawn by horses and been useful by riders), it is devastator in the Mexican rows. They answer it by loads of cavalries and their own artillery. The important losses somewhat demoralize the Mexicans who will seek a ground which is more favourable to them. They make retirement on opposite bank of the bed of a river drained ( resaca ) during the night which will get a natural fortification to them, but also disperse their troops and complicate the communication. During the Battle of Resaca of Palma the next day, begins a terrible body with body. The American cavalry succeeds in capturing Mexican artillery, which forces the Mexicans with the retirement, a retirement which turns in rout. Because of nature of the ground and dispersion of the troops, Arista is in impossibility of rejoining its forces. The Mexican losses are heavy, they are constrained to give up their artillery and their luggage. Fort Texas inflicts new losses to them whereas they pass in the vicinity and swim to cross the Rio Grande where number of them perish drowned.

Declaration of war

At this point in time Polk is informed of the business Thornton that he regards as a Casus belli . A message with the Congress of the May 11th 1846 declares that Mexico “invaded our territory and poured American blood on the American ground”. A joint session of the rooms approves by a crushing majority the declaration of war. The Démocrates support the war with one crushing majority, 67 whigs vote against during an amendment, but with the final vote only 14 whigs vote not, including the representative Abraham Lincoln. The United States declares the war in Mexico the May 13rd 1846, Mexico will declare it the May 23rd.

The whigs of North and the South are in general opposed to the war, whereas the democratic , for the majority, support it. Abraham Lincoln (of the party whig) question causes of the war and request at which place exactly Thornton was attacked and versed American blood.

“This war is indefinable”, declares the leader of the party whig, Robert Toombs of Georgia. “We charge the president with usurping the right to make the war… while seizing ourselves of a territory which since centuries belongs to the Mexicans Control this desire of domination. We have enough territory well, as even the Sky knows it.” 1:417

After the declaration of war, troops U.S. invade Mexico on two principal faces. The Department of the War of the United States sends troops of cavalry ordered by Stephen W. Kearny to invade the west of Mexico since Fort Leavenworth, reinforced by the fleet of the Pacific under the orders of John D. Sloat. The original intention is here to thwart the British who could have been tried to occupy this territory. Two other forces, one ordered by John E. Wool and the other by Taylor, receive the order to occupy Mexico to the town of Monterrey.

Operations in California

When the war is declared the May 13rd 1846, the order of war arrives in California only after two months, mid-July 1846. The American consul Thomas O. Larkin de Monterey, after having heard the rumors of the declaration of war, tries to preserve peace between the Americans and the small Mexican garrison ordered by José Castro. The explorer, soldier and cartographer John Charles Frémont arrive to California in December 1845 with an about sixty well armed men, and move towards the Oregon when it receives the news of the imminence of the war against the Mexico. Having heard rumors according to which the Mexican authorities want to stop all the Americans, 30 colonists revolt and seize the garrison of Sonoma. They hoist the Bear Flag of the République of California in Sonoma the June 15th 1846. The June 23rd, Frémont arrives with its troops and takes the command of the two forces. Commodore John Drake Sloat consequently orders with its naval forces to occupy Yerba Buena (San Francisco) the July 7th 1846 and to hoist the American flag there. The 15, Sloat yields the command to Robert Field Stockton, a more aggressive chief. The July 19th the war is officially declared. The American forces then take quickly control on California, in hardly a few days.

The Mexican governor flees Los Angeles. When the forces of Stockton enter the city the August 13rd 1846, the conquest of California seems complete and not to have cost life. Stockton, however, leaves not enough men in the city and the Californian ones, of their own initiative and without the assistance of the Mexico, force the garrison to be withdrawn towards the end of September. The reinforcements sent by Stockton are pushed back during a small battle with San Pedro.

Finally, the forces of Stockton and a general, Kearny, enter to Los Angeles without resistance the January 10th 1847. Three days later the " Capitulation of Cahuenga" the rendering of the last body armed with Californian sees, in Fremont. The Californian revolt is thus finished.

The war in the north of Mexico

The defeats of Palo Alto and Resaca of Palma cause a political agitation in Mexico, agitation that Antonio López de Santa Anna uses to start again its political career and to return from its voluntary exile to Cuba. He promises to the Americans that if they enable him to cross their blockade, he would negotiate a peaceful conclusion with the war and that he would sell the territories of the New Mexico and of California in the United States. As of its arrival in Mexico, however, he disavows and offers his military talents to the Mexican government. As soon as it is named general, it again disavows its word, this time towards its government, and seizes presidency.

An important force led by Taylor crosses the Río Grande (Rio Bravo), not without some difficulties to obtain the boats necessary to the crossing. They occupy the towns of Matamoros, then Camargo and moves then towards the south and besiege the town of Monterrey. The Bataille of Monterrey is a hard battle during which the two camps regret of heavy losses between the 21 and September 23rd 1846.

See also: Battle of Monterrey

At the conclusion of this battle, Taylor agrees to authorize the Mexican army to evacuate Monterrey and grant a Armistice 8 weeks in exchange of the rendering of the city. Under the pressure of Washington, Taylor breaks the armistice and occupies the town of Saltillo, in the south of Monterrey. Santa Anna reproaches Ampudia the loss of Monterrey and Saltillo and retrogresses it with the head of a small artillery battalion.

The February 22nd 1847, Santa Anna, in person, walk on north to fight Taylor with 20  there; 000 men. Taylor was cut off from a collar, close to a Hacienda, called Buena Vista, with 4  600 men. In its walk towards north, Santa Anna, had to face many desertions and arrives with only 15  000 exhausted men. It requires and is seen refusing the rendering of the Americans the evening of his arrival, then tackles the next morning. Santa Anna tackles by the side the American positions with its cavalry and some infantrymen on the ground escarpé on one on the sides of the collar, whereas a division of infantry tackles face on the road leading to Buena Vista.

A furious battle follows during which the Americans are close to the rout, but saved by artillery salvos against the Mexican attackers ordered by the Captain Braxton Bragg, and thanks to the load of the riders of the the Mississippi Riflemen under the orders of Jefferson Davis. Having undergone very strong losses, Santa Anna is withdrawn during the night, leaving in Taylor control north of Mexico. Taylor will use later the Bataille of Buena Vista like showpiece of its victorious presidential campaign of 1848.

See also: Battle of Buena Vista

The countryside of Scott

Rather than to reinforce the army with Taylor in order to continue his advance, president Polk sends one second army ordered by the general Winfield Scott, who arrives by the sea at the port of Veracruz, in order to invade the heart of Mexico. Polk does not believe any more in Taylor which, it feels it well, with fact shows incompetence at the time of the Bataille of Monterrey by accepting an armistice.

March 9th 1847, Scott carries out the first amphibious unloading of the history of the United States in order to undertake the Siège of Veracruz. A group of 12  000 volunteers and of regular troops discharge ammunition, vivres and horses close to the strengthened city. In these troops one finds some Robert E. Lee and George Meade. The city is defended by the general Juan Morales with the head of 3  400 men. Mortars and naval guns (under the orders of Commodore Matthew C. Perry) are used to destroy the walls of the city and to harass its defenders. The city answers of sound better with its own artillery. The powerful artillery stopping demolishes the will of the Mexicans to resist much higher troops of number. After a cease-fire establishes on March 25th, the city goes officially the March 29th 1847. The Americans deplore 80 victims, whereas Mexican side one counts approximately 180 dead and wounded of which the half are civilians. During the seat, American side, men start to fall, victims of the Yellow fever.

Scott goes then towards the West, in direction of Mexico City with 8  500 men in good health, whereas Santa Anna prepares a defensive position in a canyon along the road, halfway of Mexico City, close to the hamlet of Cerro Gordo. Santa Anna put 12  000 men and of artillery in trenches on the road or he hopes to see appearing Scott. However the April 18th Scott sent as a scout a troop of 2  600 dragons and the premature shooting of Mexican artillery reveals the Mexican position. Rather than to follow the road, the troops of Scott thus passes through a ground escarpé towards North where they install artillery on the heights and attack the Mexicans by their side. Santa Anna and its troops did not prepare with such a possibility, the Mexican army is in rout. American counts 400 victims, whereas the Mexicans count of them more 1  000 and that 3  000 of them are made prisoners.

In May, Scott pushes towards Puebla, at that time the second plus big city of Mexico which capitulates, the May 15th, without fighting because its inhabitants are hostile in Santa Anna.

In the second part of August, the American troops include their progression towards Mexico City, in San Antonio, they are found in front of a fortified position where awaits them Santa Anna and some 20  000 men.

See also: Bataille of Will counter

The American troops advance then towards the West of Mexico City, there they face the troops of Nicolás Bravo at the time of the Bataille of Chapultepec, the 12 and September 13rd. Then, the capital is offered to them, without more resistance.

See also: Battle of Chapultepec

Epilog

By the Traité of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), Mexico yields to the United States Texas, the California, the Utah, the Colorado, most of the New Mexico and the Arizona for 15 million dollars of the time, which is equivalent to approximately 600 million dollars of the year 2000.

Combatants

Although approximately 13.000 American soldiers died during this war, only 1700 of them were killed with the combat, the others perished of diseases. The Mexican losses were estimated at 25.000 victims.

One of the factors which contributed to the defeat of Mexico was the inferiority of its weapons. The Mexican army used Mousquet S English dating from the Napoleonean wars whereas troops U.S. were provided with all last rifle S produced with the the United States. Moreover Mexicans were involved to draw by holding to them mousquet with height from hip, whereas the Americans held their rifle with the shoulder, aiming their target along the gun of the weapon.

Consequences

Mexico lost a territory of 1.300.000 km ², but the war caused a feeling of national unit which had been lacking since the Guerre of independence of Mexico in 1821.

The war allowed also the emergence of a new political community Mexico which will make release taken with the seizure of Santa Anna on the capacity and will proclaim a liberal republic in 1857. One of the first acts of this republic will be to promulgate various laws which will support the colonization of the States of the north of Mexico, vast and little populated, in order to avoid all new loss of territories.

The annexed territories were inhabited by approximately 1.000 Mexican families in California and 7.000 in New Mexico. Some will return to Mexico, but the majority will remain and become American citizens.

One month before the end of the conflict, Polk was blamed by an amendment of the room of the representatives deposited by the general Zachary Taylor for “an useless war and unconstitutional ordinate by the president of the United States. ” This criticism, in which the representative Abraham Lincoln played a big role, followed a meticulous examination of the beginnings of the war by the Congress. The vote followed the lines of the party and the Whigs supported the amendment. The attack of Lincoln caused wrong to its political career in Illinois, where the war was popular and it could not to it be presented for its re-election.

In most of the United States, the victory and the acquisition of new territories exacerbated patriotism (the country had also acquired the southern half of the Oregon Country in 1846 by a treaty with the the United Kingdom). The victory reinforced among American the feeling of Destinée proclamation of their country.

Whereas the Whig Ralph Waldo Emerson rejected the war " like means of reaching the destinies of Amérique" , it accepted that " the majority of the great destinies of the history are obtained by indignes." means; Although the Whigs had been opposed to the war, they made to Zachary Taylor their candidate with the presidential election of 1848, praising its military successes whereas they concealed their criticisms on the war itself.

The war had been largely supported by the Democrats and had been rejected by Whigs. Many abolitionists of North saw in the war an attempt of slave to extend the Esclavage and to ensure their influence on the federal government. Henry David Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience (civil Disobedience) and refused to pay taxes intended to support the war. The former president John Quincy Adams also expressed his opinion according to which, the war aimed at extending slavery. In 1846, the democratic congressman David Wilmot deposited the Wilmot Proviso aiming at prohibiting slavery in all the new territories gained on Mexico. The proposal of Wilmot was disallowed, but it poked the quarrel between the factions. In the years 1880, Ulysses S. Grant, which had been used under the orders as Scott, said that it had been about a diabolic war which had brought the ire of God on the United States and whose punishment was the civil war:

La rebellion of the South was the misadventure of the war with Mexico. Nations and individuals are punished their transgressions. We accepted our punishment in the form of most sanguinary and expensive war of times modernes.

Number of the generals who will fight at the time of the civil war were beaten at the time of this one, among them Grant, George McClellan, Ambrose Burnside, Stonewall Jackson, James Longstreet, George Meade, and Robert E. Lee, as well as the future president Confédéré, Jefferson Davis.

In the park of Chapultepec to Mexico City, the monument of the Niños Héroes (heroic juniors) commemorates the sacrifice of six juniors (old from 13 to 19 years) who fought until death rather than to go to the American invaders at the time of the Bataille of Chapultepec the September 18th 1847. The March 5th 1947, hundred years after the battle, the President of the United States Harry S. Truman deposited a crown on the monument and observed one minute of silence there.

Chronology

See too

Sources

  • '' Personal Memoirs off Ulysses S. Grant '' on the Project Gutenberg
  • documents concerning the war on www.dmwv.org
  • Polk: The Diary off has President, 1845-1849, Covering the Mexican War, the Acquisition off Oregon, and the Conquest off California and the Southwest. ; James Polk; edited by Allan Nevins (1929)
  • The Mexican War ; Nevin, David; Time Life Books; NY; 1978 ISBN 0809423022.
  • The Mexican-American War 1846-48 ; Bauer, K. Jack; NY; Macmillan, 1974; ISBN 0025078909.

Internal bonds

External bond

  • the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on TLFQ, Laval University, Quebec
  • Flash Presentation of the américano-Mexican War
  • the américano-Mexican war on the site of the descendants of the veterans of this war

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