Abraham Lincoln and Mexico: A History of Courage, Intrigue and Unlikely Friendships

by Michael Hogan

Overview

This book by a noted Ph.D. historian is one of the best books available about historical relations between the United States and Mexico. It shines new light on reasons for the US invasion of Mexico in 1846, opposition by Abraham Lincoln and other politicians to the unjustified and unconstitutional decision by President Polk to go to war, the importance of the ensuing war against Mexico, the resulting territorial seizures by the United States, the impact both nationally and internationally to both countries, the troubling legacy even today, and the result of silences that have been pervasive over the years regarding this conflict. It examines all aspects of this history based on actual documents in government, university, and private institutions in both the US and Mexico, including citations to these documents and the complete text for many of them in the Appendix.

The book covers more than two decades of US history, from 1846 to the immediate aftermath of the Civil War, including Lincoln's role in helping Mexico defeat French occupation forces in the 1860s. As such, this outstanding book is a welcome addition to continuing discussion about the roles of the United States and Mexico during two of the most controversial and complex periods in American history, and how decisions made then continue to permeate the daily lives of citizens and residents of both countries.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780996955478
Publisher:	Henselstone Verlag LLC
Publication date:	08/20/2016
Pages:	362
Sales rank:	400,682
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Michael Hogan is the author of twenty-four books, including the best-selling The Irish Soldiers of Mexico and the controversial Savage Capitalism and the Myth of Democracy. He is Emeritus Humanities Chair at the American School Foundation of Guadalajara, and a former professor of International Relations at the Autonomous University of Guadalajara. He is a member of the Organization of American Historians, the American Historical Association, and the Sociedad de Geografía y Estadísticas de Jalisco

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface Chapter One: Mexico Before the Conflict Chapter Two: Texas Statehood and General Taylor's Army Chapter Three: The Thornton Affair and Mr. Polk's War Chapter Four: The Loyal Opposition Argues Against War with Mexico Chapter Five: Abraham Lincoln and the Spot Resolutions Chapter Six: Lincoln Writes to Herndon Chapter Seven: Consummate Politician or Courageous Statesman? Chapter Eight: Pilloried in the Press for Pro-Mexican Views Chapter Nine: The Mexican Republic Much Reduced Chapter Ten: The United States Inherits the Whirlwind Chapter Eleven: Lincoln and the Beginnings of Civil War Chapter Twelve: Friends of Mexico, Friends of Lincoln Chapter Thirteen: The French Empire in Mexico Chapter Fourteen: Four for Freedom: Grant and Sherman, Romero and Juárez. Chapter Fifteen: US Colored Troops and American Legion of Honor Chapter Sixteen: Imperialist Forces Falter Chapter Seventeen: The March to Mexico City Chapter Eighteen: Lincoln's Legacy, Mexico's Pride Appendix: A Selection of Original Documents in Their Complete, Unedited Format Bibliography List of Photos and Maps Author Biography Other Books by the Author Acknowledgements Epilogue Index

Editorial Reviews

"Historian Michael Hogan makes a bold claim. He says that Abraham Lincoln is in no small part responsible for the United States being blessed for many generations with an essentially friendly nation to the South." -- Smithsonian Magazine. "Michael Hogan's important new study of US expansionist policy in the mid-nineteenth century provides an illuminating and unvarnished account of United States imperialist ambitions vis-à-vis Mexico. It is also a spirited defense against and rebuttal of simplistic thinking about Abraham's Lincoln's ideas about slavery, Mexico, and American hegemony. Hogan sets the record straight on these and other controversial historical matters, and...offers a positive way forward in considering Mexican-American relations." -- Robert DiYanni, Professor, Center for the Advancement of Teaching. New York University. "In this shining contribution to the literature on Abraham Lincoln and that of the US-Mexican War, Michael Hogan illuminates the stance of a young politician against that terrible war, telling a story that is both urgently necessary and well more than a century overdue." -- C.M. Mayo, author of The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire "Michael Hogan, in Abraham Lincoln and Mexico, brings together a passion for Mexico and an understanding of the United States during the nineteenth century. There is a scope about this book that finds a kind of grandeur in the events as they are eloquently described." -- William H. Beezley, Professor of History, University of Arizona. Author of The Essential Mexico (Oxford University Press). "The story of Lincoln's evolving defense of Mexico's autonomy and rights as a sovereign nation is an excellent forum for understanding related topics including the limitations of presidential power, the interpretation of the power to wage war, and the limits of the use of a pre-emptive attack on another country." -- Victoria M. Breting-Garcia, Independent scholar/historian. "While Abraham Lincoln and Mexico undoubtedly privileges the U.S. context, it nevertheless adds to the vital pedagogical mission of challenging triumphalist narratives of U.S. identity with more critical renderings of the past." -- Carlos R. Hernández, Department of History, Yale University. "These neglected connections between Lincoln and Mexico provide valuable insights into U.S.-Mexico relations and international history. This is an important book that...should be a resource in every high school and college classroom." -- Victor Gonzalez Pérez, Facultad de Estudios Sociales, Colegio Americano, Guadalajara. "As an AP teacher, I believe that books like these are worth their weight in gold. Michael Hogan has not only broken ground on undiscovered sources covering Lincoln's relationship with Mexico, but has also generously annexed the sources in their entirety. It is a godsend for history teachers who are constantly looking for new material and ways to challenge their students' analytical skills." -- Liam O'Hara, Chair, Department of History and Social Studies, American School Foundation of Guadalajara, A.C. "Dr. Hogan has done it again, finding a grand tale lost in the shadows of history. His meticulous research brings to light a period of Lincoln's life often ignored by other biographers." -- Christopher Minster, Ph.D., Founder and Editor of About.com's Latin American History site. "Abraham Lincoln and Mexico brings to light that which for too long has hidden in the shadows: the interest, integrity, and involvement of our sixteenth President in the struggles and victories of our southern neighbor, be they internal or external with the United States and France." -- Philip Stover, former Deputy Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District, and author of Religion and Revolution in Mexico's North.

From the Publisher