Manifest Destiny: Was It America’s Destiny? Or did America Make It So?
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Manifest Destiny: Was It America’s Destiny? Or did America Make It So?
The Battle of Buena Vist Lithograph
One of the major debates in U.S. History is whether or not the Mexican-American War was justified. The story has been told from many different perspectives. There is a wonderful sentence from your textbook (pg. 230) in reference to the definition of Manifest Destiny offered before the author discusses the Mexican-American War. It states, “Manifest destiny interpreted the conquest of the West as a story of triumph in the cause of freedom rather than a saga of conflict, death, and destruction.”
The topic for discussion is: Which of these views applies to the Mexican-American War? Was the war with Mexico justified?
The Mexican-American War remains as one of America’s most controversial wars. Supporters of the war blame Mexico for the hostilities that were created when Mexico severed its relations with the United States, refused to receive an American emissary, or to pay damages from claims of American citizens. Additionally, it is argued that the Mexican cavalry crossed over into American territory and shed blood on American soil.
Conversely, opponents of the war denounced the war as nothing more than an immoral land grab by American expansionists (largely from southern slave holding interests) against a newly created nation that was unable to defend its territory or its interests. Moreover, the critics of the war claimed that President Polk deliberately provoked Mexico into war by sending troops into disputed territory.
Here is a contemporary version of the war as told by the History Channel.
Here is another perspective from Professor Emeritus Rodolfo Acuna from Cal State Fullerton who tells the story of the lead up to war in great detail from Mexico’s point of view. Legacy of Hate Acuna.pdfPreview the document There is additional information on the war from the supplemental readings for this unit. In February 1848, the war ended with a U.S. victory and the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
As a result of this war, Mexico lost half of its territory. You may not realize that the Mexican American civil rights movement of the 1960s stems from the terms of this treaty. Unfortunately, as was done with the many treaties involving Indian people, the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo were not honored.
Although there were provisions to protect Mexican land titles and water rights, in practice, the terms of the treaty were largely ignored. Mexicans in the United States were, therefore, relegated to a class apart from the dominant race. We live with this legacy even today.
What is your perspective on this topic?
