Warfare Through The Ages: The Mexican-American War

Though Mexican-American War was occurred between 1846 and 1848, the majority of the fighting took place between April 1846 and September 1847.

Causes:
The causes of the Mexican-American War can be traced back to Texas winning its independence from Mexico in 1836. After the end of the war, Mexico refused to acknowledge the new Republic of Texas, but was prevented from taking military action due to the United States, Great Britain, and France conferring diplomatic recognition. For the next nine years, many in Texas favored joining the United States, however Washington did not take action due to fears of increasing sectional conflict and angering the Mexicans. In 1845, following the election of the pro-annexation candidate, James K. Polk, Texas was admitted to the Union. Shortly thereafter, a dispute began with Mexico over the southern border of Texas. Both sides sent troops to the area, and on April 25, 1846, a US cavalry patrol, led by Captain Seth Thornton, was attacked by Mexican troops. Following the "Thornton Affair," Polk asked Congress for a declaration of war, which was issued on May 13.

Taylor's Campaign in Northeastern Mexico:
On May 8, 1846, US General Zachary Taylor was moving his 2,400-man army to relieve Fort Texas, when he was intercepted at Palo Alto by 3,400 Mexicans commanded by General Mariano Arista. In the battle that ensued Taylor defeated Arista, forcing his army from the field. The battle continued the next day at Resaca de la Palma, with Taylor's men routing the Mexicans and driving them back across the Rio Grande.After being reinforced, Taylor advanced south into Mexico and, following heavy fighting, captured the fortress city of Monterrey. When the battle ended, Taylor offered the Mexicans a two month truce in exchange for the city. This move angered Polk who began to strip Taylor's army of men for use in invading central Mexico. Taylor's campaign ended in February 1847, when his 4,000 men won a stunning victory over 20,000 Mexicans at the Battle of Buena Vista.

War in the West:
In mid-1846, General Stephen Kearny was dispatched west with 1,700 men to capture Santa Fe and California. Meanwhile, US naval forces, commanded by Commodore Robert Stockton, descended on the coast of California. With the aid of American settlers, they swiftly captured the towns along the coast. In late 1846, they aided Kearny's exhausted troops as they emerged from the desert and together forced the final surrender of Mexican forces in California.

Scott's March to Mexico City:
On March 9, 1847, General Winfield Scott landed 12,000 men outside of Veracruz. After a brief siege, he captured the city on March 29. Moving inland, his forces defeated a larger Mexican army at Cerro Gordo. As Scott's army neared Mexico City, they fought successful engagements at Contreras, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. On September 13, 1847, Scott launched an attack on Mexico City itself, assaulting Chapultepec Castle and capturing the gates of the city. Following the occupation of Mexico City, the fighting effectively ended.

Aftermath & Casualties:
The war ended on February 2, 1848, with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty ceded to the United States the land that now comprises the states of California, Utah, and Nevada, as well as parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, and Colorado. Mexico also renounced all rights to Texas. During the war 1,773 Americans were killed in action and 4,152 were wounded. Mexican casualty reports are incomplete, but it estimated that approximately 25,000 were killed or wounded between 1846-1848.

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[nick91257]

Everything.  The U.S do they do

[RevBillyRayCollins]

@nick91257 How so?

[RevBillyRayCollins]

Really, two people disliked this? Must have been relatives of Santa Anna....

[RedGoblinus]

Great video, I'd like to give special mention to William J. Worth. When U.S. forces entered Mexico City, General Worth personally climbed to the roof of the National Palace and took down the Mexican flag replacing it with the Stars and Stripes. My own ancestor - John de Havilland - served under the great General as an Adjutant of the 3rd U.S. dragoons. God Bless America and her great military.

[RevBillyRayCollins]

@RedGoblinus Cool story!

[calman1951]

@kill2beborn Bottom line Sir-not when it counted.

[kill2beborn]

@calman1951 Yup

[calman1951]

@kill2beborn Is "give" Mexispeak for We got Our asses kicked and Our dictator captured?And to save His worthless hide He surrenderd?

[RedGoblinus]

@RevBillyRayCollins It's ironic that from the time of Hernando Cortés and the Spanish Conquistadors of the 1500s, one of the main reasons for the Spanish colonizing the Americas was to find gold. The Spanish and their descendants had held California for some 300 years and failed to find gold. The USA had held California for just a few months when they struck the golden jackpot !!!

[RedGoblinus]

On this day - January 24th 1848 - James W. Marshall discovered gold in California, USA. Thus starting the great Gold Rush. How do I know this? - it says so on a calendar given to me by a stationery supplier based in Birmingham, England !!!! Were it not for the U.S. Mexican Border War of the late 1840s then that Californian gold would have belonged to Mexico as California was ceded by Mexico to the U.S. just months before the discovery of gold.

[DSD1v57BG32]

@nick91257 Everyone copies everyone else, it's very rare that original ideas are made in modern times, because most are offspring of other older ideals, so everything is copied from one another.

[kill2beborn]

We defeated the US plenty of times until this time, and we decided to give them Texas. Simply like that Gentlemen