Impact the Mexican-American War had on former Mexican Citizens
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Impact the Mexican American War had on former Mexican Citizens
The Mexican-American War was a war between the newly developed America and the bordering country of Mexico. This was the first war Americans fought together on foreign soil with the goal of expanding the country all the way to the Pacific Ocean. When America declared war on Mexico the country was unprepared for the number of soldiers and the planned military attacks they faced. The country was quickly defeated in battle after battle until the war ended and America had gained the territories now known as California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. Mexico was forever changed with rich landowners becoming poor as their land as seized by the American government and the once stable Mexican government began to deteriorate.
American went to war with Mexico after constant border skirmishes and the goal of President James Polk and Americans to expand the country. Manifest Destiny is a conviction that white Americans were divinely ordained to dominate the continent, from sea to shining sea (Lee, 2014). The goal was to expand America and its democratic ideals to people all over Northern America including Mexican citizens and Native Americans. The result was Mexican Americans and Native Americans lost their land and their homes and were forced to live under the rule of the American government. Eventually Native Americans were granted some of their land back in the form of reservations. Mexican-Americans that lost their land were not granted the same restitution.
While many landowners lost land, the former Mexican citizens who lived in the territories ceded by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to the U.S were hardest hit. America promised in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that these citizens could become American citizens and reclaim their land (Griswold Del Castillo, 2010). When they attempted, however, they were denied these lands that had been claimed by American citizens from the East. When these Mexican citizens used the American court system to sue the Easterners that stole their land they quickly lost their lawsuits and were denied the land guaranteed in the treaty.
Before President Polk decided that it was destiny to expand all the way to the Pacific, Mexico was a large country with plenty of resources but because America was more powerful Mexico was defeated (Lee, 2014). Once over half of the country was lost to Americans expansion former Mexican citizens became American citizens but despite promises of equal treatment Mexican citizens were denied promise lands and struggled to find work. Secondly former Mexican citizens were separated from their home and country when American seized their land in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The treaty established the Rio Grande as the U.S.-Mexican border.
Mexican citizens were deceived by the American government and the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. They were promised citizenship which they received but never received promised lands. Even though they were considered citizens in the courts they were viewed as foreigners and rarely won lawsuits to reclaim their promised lands. Former Mexican citizens were left with nowhere to go and no way to establish a decent life. Some Mexican-American citizens were wealthy landowners with great lives before the treaty but after the treaty lived in abject poverty.
When Mexican-American citizens were denied the land promised in the treaty it created conflict between old Mexican landowners and the Easterners that illegally took their land. This resulted in the development of uprisings from Mexican-American citizens frustrated at this unequal treatment that were easily quelled by the American government. Mexican-Americans had nowhere to turn. They were no longer Mexican citizens so they were not welcome in their home country and they were never welcomed into their new country. These citizens were forever separated from friend, family, and their home country.
Since 1848 Mexican Americans have struggled to achieve the equality promised. These citizens often cite the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo as a document that promised civil and property rights (Griswold Del Castillo, 2010). Mexican citizens that lost their land through the Treaty were considered foreigners on land they had once owned and that had once been a part of Mexico. The plight of the Mexican-American during this time period was similar to that of the Native American. These Mexican-American citizens were supposed to be able to live on the lands seized by the American government, similar to the Native American, but instead were forced into poverty by a government who refused to acknowledge the rights of these citizens. Because these citizens once wealthy with land were denied what was rightfully theirs most Mexican-Americans then and today live in poverty.
Bibliography
Griswold Del Castillo, R. (2010). War’s End: Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Retrieved December
5, 2014 from http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/war/wars_end_guadalupe.html
In this source Griswold Del Castillo discusses the impact of the Mexican-American war on the former Mexican citizen and the American citizen upon its end. Griswold Del Castillo discusses the drafting of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and U.S. occupation of former Mexican cities as well as the impact of the Treaty on the newly acquired territories and on new Mexican-American citizens. According to Griswold Del Castillo the Treaty resulted in lasting inequality of the Mexican American citizen.
Lee, R. (2014). The History Guy: The Mexican-American War. Retrieved December 5, 2014
From http://www.historyguy.com/Mexican-American_War.html
Roger Lee discusses the history surrounding the American-Mexican War and its relation to Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was a belief that Americans had the God given right to expand their territory and the democratic way of life. Lee goes on to discuss the negative impact of the war on Mexico and the former Mexican citizen. In the end, the war cost America almost 100 million dollars but it forever cost Mexico its ability to become a thriving, independent country.
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