Causes of the Mexican-American War

Reasons for the Mexican-American War The starting points of the Mexican-American War can generally be followed back to Texas winning its freedom from Mexico in 1836. Following his annihilation at the Battle of San Jacinto (4/21/1836), Mexican General Antonio Lã ³pez de Santa Anna was caught and compelled to perceive the power of the Republic of Texas in return for his opportunity. The Mexican government, be that as it may, would not respect Santa Anna’s understanding, expressing that he was not approved to make such an arrangement and, that it despite everything thought about Texas as a territory in resistance. Any considerations the Mexican government had of recuperating the domain rapidly were wiped out when the new Republic of Texas got discretionary acknowledgment from the United States, Great Britain, and France. Statehood During the following nine years, numerous Texans straightforwardly preferred addition by the United States, in any case, Washington dismissed the issue. Numerous in the North were worried about adding another â€Å"slave† state to the Union, while others were worried about inciting a contention with Mexico. In 1844, Democrat James K. Polk was chosen for the administration on a star addition stage. Acting rapidly, his forerunner, John Tyler, started statehood procedures in Congress before Polk got down to business. Texas authoritatively joined the Union on December 29, 1845. Because of this activity, Mexico compromised war yet was convinced against it by the British and French. Pressures Rise As addition was bantered in Washington in 1845, debate heightened over the area of the southern outskirt of Texas. The Republic of Texas expressed that outskirt was arranged at the Rio Grande as set out by the Treaties of Velasco which had finished the Texas Revolution. Mexico contended that the waterway specified in the records was the Nueces which was found roughly 150 miles further north. At the point when Polk freely upheld the Texan position, the Mexicans started amassing men and sent soldiers over the Rio Grande into the contested territory.â Responding, Polk guided Brigadier General Zachary Taylor to take a power south to uphold the Rio Grande as the fringe. In mid-1845, he set up a base for his Army of Occupation at Corpus Christi close to the mouth of the Nueces. With an end goal to lessen pressures, Polk dispatched John Slidell as pastor diplomat to Mexico in November 1845 with requests to open talks in regards to the United States buying land from the Mexicans. In particular, Slidell was to present to $30 million in return for finding the outskirt at the Rio Grande just as the regions of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico and Alta California. Slidell was additionally approved to excuse the $3 million in harms owed to US residents from the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821). This offer was denied by the Mexican government which because of inward precariousness and open weight was reluctant to arrange. The circumstance was additionally excited when a gathering drove by noted traveler Captain John C. Frã ©mont showed up in northern California and started upsetting American pioneers in the district against the Mexican government.â  â   Thornton Affair War In March 1846, Taylor got orders from Polk to move south into the contested domain and build up a situation along the Rio Grande. This was incited by new Mexican President Mariano Paredes announcing in his debut address that he expected to maintain Mexican regional trustworthiness to the extent the Sabine River, including the entirety of Texas. Arriving at the stream inverse Matamoros on March 28, Taylor coordinated Captain Joseph K. Mansfield to assemble an earthen star post, named Fort Texas, on the north bank. On April 24, General Mariano Arista showed up in Matamoros with around 5,000 men.â â The next night, while driving 70 US Dragoons to explore a hacienda in the contested domain between the streams, Captain Seth Thornton unearthed a power of 2,000 Mexican troopers. A wild firefight resulted and 16 of Thornton’s men were executed before the rest of compelled to give up. On May 11, 1846, Polk, refering to the Thornton Affair requested that Congress proclaim war on Mexico. Following two days of discussion, Congress decided in favor of war-not realizing that the contention had just raised.