The Mexican-American War Led by prominent historical gures, including Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna and James K.

. Polk, the MexicanAmerican War would recapture the morale of those who witnessed the Republic of Texas revolt against Mexico. Although Anglo-American settlers in Texas anticipated the war, there existed a number of groups who believed otherwise. Opposition to the Mexican-American War included anti-slavery campaigns in the U.S., AngloAmerican settlers in Texas who remained loyal to the Mexican government and foreign nations abroad, such as Great Britain and France (The American President Project). While the United States acquisition of Texas is often deemed the primary cause of the Mexican-American War, other factors had an equal inuence. Anglo-American settlers rights in Texas, and the exploitation of political propaganda by both the Mexican and the United States governments, contributed to the conict, which resulted in war. Prior to the Mexican-American War, settlers in Texas were placed in a political power struggle within the Mexican government, which resulted in centralist control. Although able to live under the constitutional liberty of a republic government for several years, centralist tyranny of Mexicos government and people, threaten the values of the Texas settlers (Lone Star Junction). Centralist, including Antonio Lpez de Santa Anna and Anastacio Bustamante, feared the results of a survey conducted under the supervision of General Manuel Mier y Tern, to determine the status of the settlements in East Texas (Richardson 56). In his report, Tern concluded that, Mexican inuence is proportionately diminished in East Texas, which was dominated by Anglo-American settlers, who he claimed were either, fugitives or poor labors (Texas State Historical Association). Furthermore, Tern stated that the Mexican citizens who lived in Texas were, very poor and very ignorant, and lacked the ability to establish schools or maintain political order (Texas State Historical Association). While he observed the exponential growth of Anglo-American settlers political power, Tern cautioned that the political autonomy of Texas was inevitable as the settlers had, superiority and better education, in comparison to Mexican citizens (Texas State Historical Association). In response, centralist within the Mexican government utilized Terns report and began a campaign of propaganda to achieve support of the Mexican people, in order to limit Anglo-American immigration to Texas (The Law of April 6, 1830), in addition to limiting the rights of current settlers (Richardson 56, 68). Exhausted from the Mexican governments centralist control, Texas settlers felt that independence was the solution (Richardson 71). According to the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Mexican government, under the rule of Santa Anna, failed to, protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people [of Texas]. In their grievances, the framers of the document, including Sam Houston, provided an account of the injustices suffered by the people of Texas. These injustices included the lack of an established public education system, declaration of martial law for Texas settlements, limited opportunities for commerce, restricted religious freedoms, and the conscation of Texas settlers arms, which made them vulnerable to Indian raids. Furthermore, the refusal of the Mexican government to ensure, the right of trial by jury (The Lone Star Junction), enabled the government to prosecute the accused at will, leaving those who opposed the government, subjected to imprisonment or execution with or without probable cause. Under these conditions, most Texas settlers refused to accept the Mexican governments centralist policies, and succeeded, creating the Republic of Texas, an independent nation, free from political oppression (Richardson 81). Within a decade of its sovereignty the Republic of Texas was ofcially annexed by the United States in 1845, slightly preceding the Polk administration (Richardson 122). Following the annexation of Texas, the U.S. government, under the control of President Polk, deployed troops into Texas as a, precautionary measure, against invasion of the Mexican army (The American President Project). Furthermore, the U.S. government understood that a hostile threat by the Mexican government did not exist immediately after annexation. President

Polk, stated that the Mexican government had, made no aggressive movement, as a measure of war against the United States (The American President Project). Nevertheless, Mexican centralist, who were outraged by the annexation of Texas, overthrew President Jos Herrera, and appointed Mariano Paredes, a strong anti-American as their president (Richardson 128). Polk, fearing that a war with Mexico was inevitable, also used propaganda tools, in order to convince not only the American people, but the U.S. Congress that they must favor war. Enticing Congress to declare war with Mexico, Polk accused Mexican ofcials, along with Great Britain and France, of attempting to prevent the annexation of Texas, infringing on U.S. commercial interest, and endorsing the injustices committed by the Mexican government against Anglo-American settlers during the Texas Revolution. In addition, Polk concluded that the United States should refrain from tolerating such behavior, as the nation historically refrained from tolerating limitations of its interest by other countries, including the, principle nations of Europe (The American President Project). The Mexican-American War (1846-1848), resulted in the acquisition of not only Texas, but a vast quantity of territory, extending from the Red River to the California coast, under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (Richardson 130). As determined, the annexation of Texas was one of several contributing factors that led to the conict. The United States and Mexico had numerous of reasons that inuenced their judgment to declare war. While the Mexican government feared that political autonomy in Texas was innate, due to deteriorating Spanish inuence in East Texas (Texas State Historical Association), the United States was determined that the Mexican government should assume accountability for the injustices inicted against Anglo-American settlers (The American President Project). Although they had legitimate evidence to support their case, the United States and the Mexican government use propaganda to exploit the situation, in order to accumulate a number of political supporters. Furthermore, the Mexican-American War demonstrated that while conicts among nations indeed exist, mass hysteria, coupled with the self interest of a political gure that adheres to a constituency, has the ability to manifest itself into a factor, which could enact war and change the course of history. Bibliography Lone Star Junction: Texas Declaration of Independence, last modied August 2, 2011. "http://www.lsjunction.com/" http://www.lsjunction.com/. Rupert N. Richardson et al., Texas: The Lone Star State (New Jersey: Pearson, 2010), 56, 68, 71-81, 122-130. Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, in Causes and Origin of the Decree of April 6, 1830, ed. Eugene C. Barker, vol. 16 (Journal/Magazine/Newsletter, 1913). The American President Project: James K. Polk First Annual Message, last modied

August 4, 2011. "http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29486#axzz1ONIQFx00" http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ ws/index.php?pid=29486#axzz1ONIQFx00. COPYRIGHTED 2011. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.