Mexican-American War
By, Chaitanya Srinivasan
Manifest Destiny
The majority of the land in which the Mexican-American War occurred was around modern day California and Texas. The reason for movement into California was the Gold Rush, which was between 1848 and 1855. Furthermore, there were many new job opportunities for settlers and Mexican immigrants. One of the men allowing this to happen was Stephen Austin. He brought Mexican families to the US and made them colonize and work there. The diffusion of this was catalyzed with the railroad system which was developed at the time. It provided transportation for the people from coast to coast.
War
James K. Polk was the president in the duration of the Mexican-American War. He wanted to move in to California, but Mexico refused to give up this territory, hence the reason for war. The US definitely had the advantage in this war, as they had complete support from the locals. This led to their victory at the Battle of San Jacinto, which was one of their greatest victories It led to the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which affirmed the annexation of Texas, as well as the cessation of California. This compromise very much led to the success of the US as these are currently the second two largest states of the US that greatly contributed to the economy.
The Natives
The majority of the natives in the region in which the war broke out were Native Americans, hence their name. Their land was taken over by American colonists because of Manifest Destiny, and they were forced into reservations. In these reservations, they had no basic rights and were treated inferior to all others.