US Justification for Mexican War

Preservation of one’s own culture does not require contempt or disrespect for other cultures.” As said by Cesar Chavez, celebrating your culture’s pride shouldn’t include showing any disregard for people of any other country or ethics. This quote appears to stand out for the people of Mexico during the War with Mexico. Before the war was declared, Texas originally belonged to Mexico in 1821, and by 1836, Texas’ Congress publicized the Rio Del Norte as the boundary separating them from Mexico.

Shortly afterward, the two countries argued about the border between Texas and Mexico. Then the United States Congress declared war with Mexico for the territory in 1846. During the war, American slaveholders brought over slaves, which was opposing a law against slavery that was recently declared in Mexico. By definition, the territory is an island ruled by a certain authority. Therefore, the United States was at fault, showing both contempt and disrespect toward Mexico. The United States was not justified in declaring war with Mexico because it showed disrespect to the people of Mexico through invasion of territory, robbing their citizens of freedom from slavery, and displaying threat through offensively attacking.

In contrary to all the excuses made by the United States, Mexico was being harassed because their people were repeatedly threatened and attacked, although the United States behaved as if Mexico was at fault. In James Polk’s war message, he stated, “It became, therefore, of urgent necessity to provide for the defense of that portion of our country…a party…of sixty-three men and officers, were…dispatched from the American camp up the Rio del Norte… (They became engaged with a large body of these (Mexican) troops…” (Doc B.

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) From the president’s perspective, it seemed as if Mexico was a threat when in fact, America initiated this negative encounter with them, and it was seen as an attack. When Mexico rejected his offer to purchase California and New Mexico, James K. Polk instigated a fight by moving troops into a disputed zone between the Rio Grande and Nueces River, which both countries had previously recognized as part of the Mexican state of Coahuila. The United States then began marching toward Mexico City and gradually attempted to take over other cities as well. Therefore, due to the attacks and harassment, Mexico was wrongfully and offensively threatened by the US.

It was immoral to initiate a war with Mexico because the United States had robbed their citizens of their land, putting the United States’ liability in jeopardy. Before the war took place, Mexico and the United States were separated by their boundary, the Rio Del Norte river. However, after a dispute between the two countries was started, the people of Texas crossed the boundary and settled in the area without permission. This is displayed in, “…the troops commanded by General Zachary arrived at the Rio Grande, across from the city of Matamoros, thus occupying the territory in dispute and increasing the possibilities of a confrontation… In the eyes of the (Mexican) government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico. (Doc C.) This resulted in becominginet another threat to the people of Mexico, causing America to take the position of the invaders and Mexico to victim. The Mexican government was losing their trust in them, and the United States was starting to be seen as the enemy of their country. To Mexico, America’s government was “a bandit who came upon a traveler.” (Doc C.) Since the United States disregarded the boundary and Mexico’s regulations, they weren’t justified in declaring war with them.

Mexico’s enclave was gradually overrun by the people of Texas who had plans to emigrate and take away their freedom from slavery. After achieving independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico prohibited it and made it illegal. Although, around this time, a chain of emigration settled internally without any permission or respect for Mexico’s wishes. “Slaveholders cross the Sabine…with their slaves, in defiance of the Mexican ordinance of freedom.” (Doc D.) This may not have been a significant event to forgetting Americans, yet it was to Mexico because theytheymed to have been robbed of two belongings by the United States: their land and their freedom from slavery. The people of Mexico were treated no better than when they had been threatened or invaded by them, leaving America at fault in this situation. “At this period, citizens of the United States had already begun to (move) into Texas… The idea was…that this extensive province ought to become a part of the United States…” (Doc D.) Just as mentioned before, America was a thief constantly attempting to leave Mexico with no control in the end. Denying Mexico of their freedom from slavery after their triumphant independence from Spain was an unjust move from the perspective of the Mexican government.

Today, the Mexican War of 1846 might seem as if it weren’t as significant compared to the more well-known wars, but it was just as important. The United States wasn’t justified, though, when declaring a war to be fought with Mexico. In reality, the American government was much more responsible for the damage done than the Mexican government was. They were unjustified in terms of posing threats and organizing minor attacks, widely invading their land and boundary, and stripping away their freedom from slavery from the people of Mexico. Before the Mexican war, the United States had unjustly threatened their country and made the first move to attack their people. According to the Mexican government, the “U.S. Invasion” was outright harassment of their country, which is also another reason why the American government treated Mexico unfairly. As U.S. citizens emigrated and took over the land of Mexico’s people they, in addition, disrespected their abolition of slavery by bringing slaves in while settling in Texas. Overall, the United States wasn’t justified in declaring war since Mexico was the victim of the causes and events of the Mexican War.