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The conflict between the satated ideals of "Manifest Destiny" (the 19th-century American concept of territorial entitlement) and the tactics used to implement it -- which ultimately absorbed, shuffled, and displaced the cultures, communities, and individuals in its path -- is often viewed ambivalently by U.S. citizens. And its victims have virtually been forgotten in American history books.
One of these conflicts resulted in the U.S.-Mexican War, which began in 1845 when the U.S. annexed Texas and Mexico reacted to try to protect its northern border. In bloody hostilities that lasted until 1848, the United States acquired a million square miles of territory -- land that included the present states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Mexico lost nearly half its territory. Unique natural phenomena like the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, Yosemite Valley, and Pike's Peak became part of the United States. And the Gold Rush, which might have helped build the Mexican economy, instead became the basis for America's industrial triumphs.
The war that President Grant called "the most unjust...ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation" has rarely been subject to the kind of scrutiny and analysis afforded other historical conflicts involving the U.S. That situation is redressed with the four-part PBS series and this book, which features a distinguished group of Mexican and American scholars exploring the roots of the conflict, contemporary reactions on both sides of the border, the myths and realities of what occurred, and the war's lasting legacy for both parties.
The U.S.-Mexican War gives a history of the 19th-century nations and their development, then sheds light on the contrasting perspectives of the war, which has been called "The Mexican War" or the "U.S. Invasion," depending on whose history you are reading. Included are fascinating personal accounts from diaries and letters from soldiers, citizens, and politicians from both sides.
| Pt. 1 | Looking Back | |
| 1 | Histories in Conflict | 7 |
| 2 | A Fight for Texas | 15 |
| 3 | The Republic of Texas | 29 |
| Pt. 2 | March to War | 44 |
| 4 | Last Chance for Peace | 47 |
| 5 | Hostilities Commence | 56 |
| 6 | The United States Declares War | 68 |
| Pt. 3 | War for the West | 86 |
| 7 | The Fight for California | 91 |
| 8 | Claiming the West | 105 |
| Pt. 4 | The Battle for Northern Mexico | 122 |
| 9 | The Defense of Monterrey | 126 |
| 10 | Divided Armies | 139 |
| 11 | The Battle of Buena Vista | 151 |
| Pt. 5 | Into the Heart of Mexico | 162 |
| 12 | The Taking of Veracruz | 166 |
| 13 | The Defense of Cerro Gordo | 177 |
| 14 | Gathering Forces | 185 |
| 15 | The Splendid City | 198 |
| Epilogue: Legacy | 212 | |
| Final Words | 232 | |
| Timeline | 234 | |
| Bibliography | 237 | |
| Image Credits | 241 | |
| Index | 244 |
Overview
The conflict between the satated ideals of "Manifest Destiny" (the 19th-century American concept of territorial entitlement) and the tactics used to implement it -- which ultimately absorbed, shuffled, and displaced the cultures, communities, and individuals in its path -- is often viewed ambivalently by U.S. citizens. And its victims have virtually been forgotten in American history books.
One of these conflicts resulted in the U.S.-Mexican War, which began in 1845 when the ...