Mexican-American War-FINAL

1. Mexican-American War Is there a clear victor?

2. Thesis • The Mexican-American War started in 1846 over territory. The war lasted about two years and ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The Treaty, also known as the “Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic”, ordered that the U.S. pay Mexico in return for Texas and California, with pieces of Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, and Utah. At the end of the war, the treaty’s outcome was mostly beneficial to the Americans.

3. Causesof the War • Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/mexican-american-war-roots-of-conflict-2361034 • Description: There were multiple reasons behind what started the Mexican American war in 1846. The Americans wanted statehood and land, they believed in manifest destiny and wanted to expand westward. Meantime the Mexican government was not willing to give up that land without a fight and had a fear of losing their cultural identity if the Americans moved west. This article guides you through the tension built between the two nations, on the issues previously stated, that ultimately led to the war.

4. Evaluation • I find this website to be a credible secondary source because they have been an information platform for over twenty years. This year, 2018, they received an award for Communication in General Education. All the references used check out and they have clear contact information on all their writers. The site also has a set of guidelines for publishing, so I know that the information is thoroughly checked before being placed on the site for public knowledge.

5. The Fall of Mexico • Source: https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war/mexican-american-war#section_3 • Description: When Americans entered Mexico in 1847 the war turned for the worse for Mexicans, they were now on the defensive protecting their homeland. They did not have the resources or man power to keep the Americans from advancing. The fall of the Mexican capital, Mexico City, forced the Mexican government to surrender to the Americans and come to an agreement. The Mexican government knew that if they did not come to a truce with the Americans, they would lose their land and the identity they worked so hard to protect.

6. Evaluation • This website is a credible secondary source. It is an accredited organization that in is known around the world. All information has primary sources provided. The History channel can be found online, on TV, or in articles around the world.

7. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo • Source: https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/guadalupe-hidalgo-original • Description: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on February 2, 1848. The treaty added an additional 525,000 square miles to United States territory while the Mexican government gained 15 million dollars from the Americans. This was a win for the Americans because the land gained was worth more than the money given. Afterall, the whole cause of the war was for the land itself.

8. Evaluation • This is a great primary source website. The federal archives contain the original documents as well a professional synopsis of the information for readers. I was able to read and see pictures of the true Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and everything it outlined. I trust in this source because it is a federally monitored website. All the resources used check out as well as.

9. Political aftermath of the War • Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkgkZwQ9HgQ • Description: One major issue for the Americans after the victory of the war was slavery. The question quickly arose if slavery would be pushed westward or contained to where it was already practiced. This video is a great insight of the political conflicts and the congress men that carried them out. The Mexican-American war deepened this issue for the U.S.

10. Evaluation • Youtube can be a very credible social media source when used correctly. In this case I find the link very credible because it is from a University. The video provides resources, has a “Creative Commons Attribution license”, and many subscribers to their channel.

11. Cultural Benefit for the Americans • Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/Mexican-American-War • Description: This website is also more of an overview, however, it pointed out a specific point that is beneficial for Americans. I learned that not only did the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo give the U.S. land but the citizens that occupied the land; they were not sent away. They Americans wanted to push their religion and cultural beliefs west ward and with the win of this land they did just that on millions of people.

12. Evaluation • This site is a credible secondary source. It is updated in 2018 and has a list of primary sources the information was pulled from. The website has been established for many years. They information presented was like reading a time line, very informative and factual.

13. Monetary Benefit for the Americans • Source: http://www.pbs.org • Description: Profit is one major benefit the Americans gained after the war. For the Americans, the treaty opened trade routes on the coast of California, the Rio Grande River, and the trade those on ground. They citizens of these territories were taxed and worked for the Americans now. Americans benifited heavily from gaining all this territory.

14. Evaluation • The PBS website is a credible secondary source. It is an American publishing company that was founded in 1969. The articles published are unbiased and purely factual based. They provide a list of sources and always provide authors to the articles they post. The article I used was written by Richard Griswold del Castillo. Castillo is a Professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies and chair of the department at San Diego State University.

15. Conclusion • The Americans won most of the battles in the Mexican-American war and ultimately came out with the victory. They fall of the Mexican government weekend their position in the war and they knew that without a treaty the Americans may not stop pushing west. Although the treaty was supposedly mutual beneficial, I can say with certainty that the Americans benefited most from the War.

16. Works Cited • Hickman, Kennedy. “Mexican-American War: Roots of the Conflict.” www.thoughtco.com. Dotdash Publishing, July 08, 2017. Web. 2018. • The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. “Mexican-American War.” www.britannica.com. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc, 2018. Web. 2018. • Eric Foner and the Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York. “The Mexican War & Expansion of Slavery-The Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850-1861” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkgkZwQ9HgQ. ColumbiaLearn, Oct 27, 2014. Web. 2018.

17. Works Cited Cont. • Edmunds, David. “The U.S.-Mexican War: A Major Watershed.” www.pbs.org. KERA, March 14, 2006.Web. 2018. • History.com Editors. “Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo” https://www.history.com. History, November 9, 2009. Web. 2018. • Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo; 2/2/1848; Perfected Treaties, 1778 - 1945; General Records of the United States Government, Record Group 11; National Archives Building, Washington, DC. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/guadalupe-hidalgo-original, December 4, 2018.