History UsefulNotes / MexicanAmericanWar

Notably, the war was a major factor in the eventual outbreak of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, which is much more popular in contemporary American media. While disagreements over slavery and states' rights stretched all the way back to the founding of the United States, they ''really'' got volatile after the Mexican Cession suddenly left the country with huge tracts of newly acquired Mexican territory. With the United States steadily getting bigger, Northern abolitionists suddenly had a lot more reason to fear the expansion of slavery, while pro-slavery Southerners had a lot more reason to ''fight'' for the expansion of slavery. Most of the Civil War's military generals, including Union general UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant and his Confederate counterpart Robert E. Lee, learned military strategy from their experience in this conflict.

* The 1999 Creator/TomBerenger film ''One Man's Hero'' is about the Saint Patrick's Battalion.

Despite the war's incredible impact on history, it is very underrepresented in popular media. Why is that? For one, it wasn't a very long war, nor an extremely active or deadly one by modern standards; the highest estimates place the total casualties at around 50,000, with the vast majority being from unglamorous causes like disease, making it not a particularly exciting conflict. Second, there's the uncomfortable GreyAndGreyMorality of the whole war that Hollywood (literally located on territory from the Mexican Cession) has never been comfortable with tackling. The war was one of the most dramatic "right-of-conquest" land grabs ever, something that flies in the face of America's preferred image as a democratic and liberationist nation (hence why so many Americans opposed it in the first place). Mexico likewise doesn't make too much media about it, in part because it was such a CurbStompBattle and in part because their claim to the land wasn't all that strong to begin with. Outside of parts of California, the north was sparsely settled by Mexicans ''or'' Americans, but it ''was'' pretty heavily settled by UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans, most notably the Comanche, whose ''de facto'' control of much of the region was almost unaffected by the war for at least a few more decades.

Despite the war's incredible impact on history, it is very underrepresented in popular media. Why is that? For one, it wasn't a very long war, nor an extremely active or deadly one by modern standards; the highest estimates place the casualties on both sides at around 50,000, with the vast majority being from unglamorous causes like disease, making it not a particularly exciting conflict. Second, there's the uncomfortable GreyAndGreyMorality of the whole war that Hollywood (literally located on territory from the Mexican Cession) has never been comfortable with tackling. The war was one of the most dramatic "right-of-conquest" land grabs ever, something that flies in the face of America's preferred image as a democratic and liberationist nation (hence why so many Americans opposed it in the first place). Mexico likewise doesn't make too much media about it, in part because it was such a CurbStompBattle and in part because their claim to the land wasn't all that strong to begin with. Outside of parts of California, the north was sparsely settled by Mexicans ''or'' Americans, but it ''was'' pretty heavily settled by UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans, most notably the Comanche, whose ''de facto'' control of much of the region was almost unaffected by the war for at least a few more decades.

The war was one of the most important events of both American and Mexican history and, by extension, the history of the world. In total (counting Texas, which Mexico didn't recognize as independent until after the war's end), Mexico lost over half of its territorial claims to the United States in less than two decades. Today, over ''ninety'' million people live in that territory, which covers close to 900,000 square miles. That's one-fourth of the current American population and 50-75% of Mexico's current population. The ''value'' of that territory is even more striking. The economy of California ''alone'' is currently twice the size of the entirety of Mexico's; Texas also far outstrips it just by itself. One could hardly imagine the United States' culture today without [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas cowboys]], Hollywood movies, UsefulNotes/LasVegas casinos, etc.; TV Tropes would certainly look quite different.

Lasting from 1846-1848, the Mexican American War was fought between the United States and Mexico over a small land dispute in UsefulNotes/{{Texas}}, eventually resulting in the invasion of Mexico and the seizing of half that nation's territory. Though the war is seldom depicted in contemporary media, both the United States and Mexico as we know them exist, in part, as a result of this war.

The year is 1846. The Southern United States' plantation economy is becoming less and less practical as Europe gets more of its cotton from other sources, particularly [[UsefulNotes/TheRaj India]] and to a lesser extent [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfModernEgypt Egypt]]. Industry is driving more and more people north, and the balance between free and slave states is rapidly shifting. This only increases when the Oregon Territory is annexed. Meanwhile, European powers are developing spheres of influence in China, and the US government finds itself in need of a large Pacific port. There's [[UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco a big one]] in the Mexican province of Alta UsefulNotes/{{California}}, which everyone knows is ''much'' more valuable than the newly-annexed Texas, which Mexico is still claiming as its own. In addition, tensions with Britain are flaring up, and American expansionists move to thwart any British interest in California. The answer to all of these problems: build a railroad from New Orleans to the Pacific coast, where many American expatriates already live. But the land in between is in the hands of a hostile Mexican government...

American forces quickly secured the northern Mexican territories in what is now modern California and New Mexico, while at sea, the US Navy blockaded both coasts of Mexico. From there, they advanced into what is today northern Mexico, ultimately capturing Mexico City. With the loss of many of its major cities, and facing internal strife as well, Mexico had no choice but to negotiate after two years of mostly one-sided conflict. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the US a large area of former Mexican territory consisting of California and many of the modern-day southwest states and established the Rio Grande as the border between Texas and Mexico. The modern border wouldn't be finalized until the Gadsden Purchase a decade later, where the U.S. again expanded its claims to include the southern parts of modern Arizona and New Mexico (which Mexico prudently decided to sell rather than risk another war.

The war was one of the most important events of both American and Mexican history and, by extension, the history of the world. In total, Mexico lost over half of its territorial claims to the United States in less than two decades. Over sixty million people now live in the half-million square miles claimed by the U.S. after the war, and over ''ninety'' million in close to 900,000 square miles if you count Texas, which Mexico didn't recognize as independent until after the war's end. That's one-fifth to one-fourth of the current American population and 50-75% of Mexico's current population. The ''value'' of that territory is even more striking. The economy of California ''alone'' is currently twice the size of the entirety of Mexico; Texas also far outstrips it. One could hardly imagine the United States' culture today without [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas cowboys]], Hollywood movies, UsefulNotes/LasVegas casinos, etc.; TV Tropes would certainly look quite different.

Notably, the war was a major factor in the eventual outbreak of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, which is much more popular in contemporary American media. While disagreements over slavery and states' rights stretched all the way back to the founding of the United States, they ''really'' got volatile after the Mexican Cession suddenly left the country with huge tracts of newly acquired Mexican territory. With the United States steadily getting bigger, Northern abolitionists suddenly had a lot more reason to fear the expansion of slavery, while pro-slavery Southerners had a lot more reason to ''fight'' for the expansion of slavery. Most of the Civil War's military generals, including Union general UsefulNotes/UlyssesSGrant and his Confederate counterpart Robert E. Lee, learned military strategy from their experience in this war.

Despite the war's incredible impact on history, it is very underrepresented in popular media. Why is that? For one, it wasn't a very long war, nor an extremely active or deadly one by modern standards; the highest estimates place the casualties on both sides at around 50,000, with the vast majority being from unglamorous causes like disease, making it not a particularly exciting conflict. Second, there's the uncomfortable GreyAndGreyMorality of the whole conflict that Hollywood (literally located on territory from the Mexican Cession) has never been comfortable with tackling. The war was one of the most dramatic "right-of-conquest" land grabs ever, something that flies in the face of America's preferred image as a democratic and liberationist nation (hence why so many Americans opposed it in the first place). Mexico likewise doesn't make too much media about it, in part because it was such a CurbStompBattle and in part because their claim to the land wasn't all that strong to begin with. Outside of parts of California, the north was sparsely settled by Mexicans or Americans, but it ''was'' pretty heavily settled by UsefulNotes/NativeAmericans, most notably the Comanche, whose ''de facto'' control of much of the region was almost unaffected by the war for at least a few more decades.

Lasting from 1846-1848, the Mexican American War was fought between the United States and Mexico over a small land dispute in UsefulNotes/{{Texas}}. Despite its small origins, it eventually resulted in the invasion of Mexico. Though the war is seldom depicted in contemporary media, both the United States and Mexico as we know them exist, in part, as a result of this war.

The year is 1846. The Southern United States' plantation economy is becoming less and less practical as Europe gets more of its cotton from other sources, particularly [[UsefulNotes/TheRaj India]] and to a lesser extent [[UsefulNotes/HistoryOfModernEgypt Egypt]]. Industry is driving more and more people north, and the balance between free and slave states is rapidly shifting. This only increases when the Oregon Territory is annexed. The answer: build a railroad from New Orleans to the Pacific coast, where many American expatriates already live. But the land in between is in the hands of a hostile Mexican government...

Meanwhile, European powers are developing spheres of influence in China, and the US government finds itself in need of a large Pacific port. There's [[UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco a big one]] in the Mexican province of Alta UsefulNotes/{{California}}, which everyone knows is ''much'' more valuable than the newly-annexed [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]]. In addition, tensions with Britain are flaring up, and American expansionists move to thwart any British interest in California.

American forces quickly secured the northern Mexican territories in what is now modern California and New Mexico, while at sea, the US Navy blockaded both coasts of Mexico. From there, they advanced into what is today northern Mexico, ultimately capturing Mexico City. With the loss of many of its major cities, and facing internal strife as well, Mexico had no choice but to negotiate. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the US a large area of former Mexican territory consisting of California and many of the modern-day southwest states, and set the Rio Grande as the border between the two countries.

In 1845, President James K. Polk sent troops to the Nueces Strip, a minor, almost insignificant land claim on the Texan border with Mexico. Mexican troops attacked the U.S. force in 1846, giving the United States an excuse to declare war shortly afterward.

Going to war was a major point of contention in the United States. Many Democrats (particularly in the South) supported the war, hoping that the new territorial additions would be slave-holding, while most Whigs and anti-slavery elements opposed it. A number of notable artists who opposed the war included Creator/HenryDavidThoreau [[note]]He refused to pay taxes in protest of this war, which led to his imprisonment (he was bailed out by his aunt much to his frustration). This would lead him to develop his belief in and practice of Civil Disobedience, which became the template for later movement leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and the Reverend Martin Luther King.[[/note]] and Creator/RalphWaldoEmerson.

Notably, the war was a major factor in the eventual outbreak of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, which is much more popular in contemporary American media. While disagreements over slavery and states' rights stretched all the way back to the founding of the United States, they ''really'' got volatile after the Mexican Cession suddenly left the country with huge tracts of newly acquired Mexican territory. With the United States steadily getting bigger, Northern abolitionists suddenly had a lot more reason to fear the expansion of slavery, while pro-slavery Southerners had a lot more reason to ''fight'' for the expansion of slavery.

Lasting from 1846-1848, the Mexican American War was fought between the United States and Mexico over a small land dispute in [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]]. Despite its small origins, it eventually resulted in the invasion of Mexico. Though the war is seldom depicted in contemporary media, both the United States and Mexico as we know them exist, in part, as a result of this war.

Meanwhile, European powers are developing spheres of influence in China, and the US government finds itself in need of a large Pacific port, and there's [[UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco a big one]] in the Mexican province of Alta UsefulNotes/{{California}}, which everyone knows is ''much'' more valuable than the newly-annexed [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]]. In addition, tensions with Britain are flaring up, and American expansionists move to thwart any British interest in California.

American forces quickly secured the northern Mexican territories, in what is now modern California and New Mexico, while at sea, the US Navy blockaded both coasts of Mexico. From there, they advanced into what is today northern Mexico itself, ultimately capturing Mexico City.

With the loss of many of its major cities, and facing internal strife as well, Mexico had no choice but to negotiate. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave the US a large area of former Mexican territory consisting of California and many of the modern-day southwest states, and set the Rio Grande as the border between the two countries.

Notably, it was a major factor in the eventual outbreak of the UsefulNotes/AmericanCivilWar, which ''is'' hugely popular in contemporary media. While disagreements over slavery and states' rights stretched all the way back to the founding of the United States, they ''really'' got volatile after the Mexican Cession suddenly left the country with huge tracts of newly acquired Mexican territory. With the United States steadily getting bigger, Northern abolitionists suddenly had a lot more reason to fear the expansion of slavery, while pro-slavery Southerners had a lot more reason to ''fight'' for the expansion of slavery.

Meanwhile, European powers are developing spheres of influence in China, and the US government finds itself in need of a large Pacific port, and there's [[UsefulNotes/SanFrancisco a big one]] in the Mexican province of Alta UsefulNotes/{{California}}, which everyone knows is ''much'' more valuable than the newly-annexed [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]]. Unfortunately, relations with the British Empire are tense and there's a great fear that this will be their next conquest.

In 1845, President James K. Polk sent troops to the Nueces Strip, a minor, almost insignificant land claim on the Texan border with Mexico. Mexican troops attacked the area in 1846, giving the US an excuse to declare war shortly afterward.

Going to war was a major point of contention in the United States. Many Democrats (particularly in the South) supported the war, hoping that the new territorial additions would be slave-holding, while most Whigs and anti-slavery elements opposed it. A number of notable artists who opposed the war included Creator/HenryDavidThoreau [[note]]He refused to pay taxes in protest of this war, which led to his imprisonment (he was bailed out by his aunt much to his frustration). This would lead him to develop his belief in and practice of Civil Disobedience, which became the template for later movement leaders such as Gandhi and the Reverend Martin Luther King.[[/note]] and Creator/RalphWaldoEmerson.

In 1845, President James K. Polk sent troops to the Nueces Strip, a minor, almost insignificant land claim on the Texan border with Mexico. Mexican troops attacked the area in 1846, giving the US to excuse to declare war shortly afterward.

American forces quickly secured the northern Mexican territories, in what is now modern California and New Mexico, while at sea, the US Navy blockaded both coasts of Mexico. From there, they advanced into what is today northern Mexico itself,

In 1845, President Zachary Taylor sent troops to the Nueces Strip, a minor, almost insignificant land claim on the Texan border with Mexico. Mexican troops attacked the area in 1846, giving the US to excuse to declare war shortly afterward.

Lasting from 1846-1848, the Mexican American War was fought between the United States and Mexico over a small land dispute in [[EverythingIsBigInTexas Texas]]. Despite its small origins, it eventually resulted in the invasion of Mexico. Though the war is seldom depicted in contemporary media, both the United States and Mexico as we know them exist, in part, as a result of this war.