...The United States in 1846 was not justified in going to war with Mexico. The United States did not have proper justification to respond with violence against the Mexican government. The war with Mexico was also a product of the United States’ belief of manifest destiny. Polk’s over ambition to seize new territory from the Mexicans and disappointment over their refusal to sell him California also possibly played a factor in his willingness to wage war against Mexico. The United States under the leadership of president Polk clearly provoked Mexico into attacking US troops. All these reasons show that the US had no business starting a war with Mexico for territory that was rightfully theirs. The war with Mexico came at a time when much of the country had strong feelings of manifest destiny. Manifest destiny is the belief that fate had preordained the US to expand from the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans and from Canada to the Rio Grande river. This idea which was coined by John O’ Sullivan was very popular in the 1840’s. This ideal had strong influence and was one reason that their was so much popular support for the US expansion west. This ideal while nationalistic did not give us the right to go into Mexico and seize land which was rightfully theirs in the first place. They had the right to expel any US citizens that were living on their country’s land especially if they where not abiding by their laws. This alone makes even the annexation of Texas not completely just...
Words: 836 - Pages: 4
...The American Press & the Spanish-War Jennifer Irizarry April 21, 2014 HIS/120CA Shannon L. Gerlach The American Press & the American-Spanish War It has been point out that the American Press was primarily to blame for the involvement of the United States in Cuba that caused the Spanish-American war, more than the actual events themselves. The two competing circulations at the time, the New York World and the New York Morning “sent numerous reports and illustrators to Cuba, and editors in New York demanded (Armstrong, 2011)” intense and exaggerated stories that produced strong reactions from the public causing the rise of extreme patriotism and aggressive foreign policy. This was the beginning of yellow journalism and jingoism in America, as most of the newspapers across the country reprinted the accounts published in these papers. “The Main Blown Up” “The Main Blown Up” (New York Times, 1989) was the headline of the New York Times dated Feb 15, 1989. As much as the government wished to reside their involvement of the Cuban revolt, it was made difficult due to events that occurred that day. The Maine exploded and many people were killed and wounded. The Maine had been placed in commission on Aug 17, 1895 in the Havana Harbor to protect American interests after riots had broken out. The Cuban citizens were revolting against Spanish rule and were fighting for their independence. After an investigation was conducted and completed four weeks later, by the U.S. Navy...
Words: 624 - Pages: 3
...The American Civil War Student’s Name: Course: Instructor’s Name: Institution: Date Submitted: The American civil war is a war that happened between the years 1861 to 1865. The war was fought so that the union could determine its survival and to ensure that it gets independence (Blattman, C., & Miguel, E., 2010). The war originated due to the issues of slavery that was especially practiced in the western countries. The lessons that struck me from the story of American civil war include the following; one is that there is a very big role of influence that a few important people can contribute in the outcome of a war. There were few individuals who influenced people to take part in the civil war in the United States during mid-1860 as they played major role in making sure most people participate in the war through incitement (Justino, P. 2009).For example Abraham Lincoln had a lot of influence to general public because of his position of being the commander in Chief although he had not been trained on military. The other thing that struck me from reading the civil war is that no one should ever undermine the determination of the average soldier. This is because the soldiers have a chance to show a difference no matter how the plans of the commander are. When the war started the soldiers fought very well not considering the plans but to show the outcome of the war. The soldiers wanted to ensure that they became the winners after the war which after the war they...
Words: 417 - Pages: 2
...The American Civil War In my final project I would like to try to describe the American Civil War. I chose this topic, because I think there are still disparities between the South and the North. I would like to learn something more about it. I would also like to discuss racial problems. In my opinion it is interesting to show a different perspective of slavery during the war and African American’s status these days. This project should also remind people of what the American Civil War was about. The Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Causes o the war 3. Abolitionism 4. The war 5. Characteristics and results of the war 6. Reconstruction period 1. Introduction The American Civil war was an armed conflict that took place between the States of the Union (today's founding states of the USA) and the Confederation of States (11 states that wanted to secede from the Union). The war lasted from 1861 – 1865. This war is also known as the North versus the South. 2. Causes of the war • Difference between the North and the South The North - industry, coal mining and processing iron, financial, more people, slavery was prohibited The South – agriculture, cultivation of tobacco, cotton and sugar cane, backward industry, legal slavery • Slavery Slavery was the most obvious reason for the war. The northern states wanted to ban slavery throughout the USA, while the southern states feared, that it would destroy their economy. The balance between "free states"...
Words: 620 - Pages: 3
...American Civil War History Paper The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a civil war between the United States (the "Union") and the Southern slave states of the newly-formed Confederate States of America under Jefferson Davis. The Union included all of the free states and the five slaveholding border states and was led by Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery into territories owned by the United States. Republican victory in the presidential election of 1860 led seven Southern states to declare their secession from the Union even before Lincoln took office.[1] The Union rejected secession, regarding it as rebellion. Hostilities began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a U.S. military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Lincoln responded by calling for a large volunteer army, then four more Southern states declared their secession. In the war's first year, the Union assumed control of the border states and established a naval blockade as both sides massed armies and resources. In 1862, battles such as Shiloh and Antietam caused massive casualties unprecedented in U.S. military history. In September 1862, Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation made ending slavery in the South a war goal, which complicated the Confederacy's manpower shortages. In the East, Confederate commander Robert E. Lee won a series of victories over Union armies, but Lee's reverse at Gettysburg in early...
Words: 6578 - Pages: 27
...The Mexican-American War Samuel Lebron HIST/110CA June 18, 2015 Dr. J. Randall III Introduction The Mexican-American war according to many has a lot of controversy behind it. Many believe that the war was really initiated and provoked by the United States, and President at the time, James K. Polk. Polk envisioned a much larger America (territory) that would one day reach from the east all the way to the west (Pacific Ocean). Amid the controversy of whether it was Mexico or the United States that started this conflict, one thing is for certain, the end result of this war would help shape the U.S. in more than one ways than one. It is believed by many that newspaper editor John O’ Sullivan came up with the term Manifest Destiny, which really was a time when American families started looking west in search of new lands and opportunity, and while many were motivated by religious beliefs and the movement of the second awakening, thinking they could reach the natives and convert them to Christianity, others were simply motivated by the economic potential (e.g. fur trade) the west had. Unfortunately many Americans, mostly from the south also sought new lands but for the wrong reasons, reasons such as acquiring more lands for the expansion of cotton cultivation, thus also spreading more slavery. One of the main events that lead to the war was the dispute of boundaries between Mexico and the United States and the union of Texas with the U.S. Mexico did not...
Words: 1022 - Pages: 5
...to as "The American Question." The question could not be evaded; a choice had to be made between neutrality and intervention. European attitudes towards the American Civil War would have a significant effect on the war's ultimate outcome (Randall and Donald 355). Throughout the early months of the conflict, the reaction of Europe was of great interest to both sides; Queen Victoria's Great Britain, in particular. Would Queen Victoria recognize Confederate independence? Such recognition would legitimize the Confederacy and provide it with allies who could furnish weapons and supplies the Southern cause desperately needed (Davis 197). At the outbreak of the war, most foreigners were poorly informed about America, according to Leslie Stephen in 1865: The name of America five years ago, called up to the ordinary English mind nothing but a vague cluster of associations, compounded of Mrs. Trollope, Martin Chuzzlewit, and Uncle Tom's Cabin. The choice between neutrality and intervention was not an easy one; either choice would lead to more choices. The question dealt with several issues, and it was difficult to read the conflict amidst threatening demands of angry belligerents. England had to guess the future in order to make a wise decision while balancing interests at home (Randall and Donald 355). Europe's three greatest powers were England, France, and Russia. England and France had won control of Central and Eastern Europe by defeating Russia in the Crimean War (1854-1856)...
Words: 1604 - Pages: 7
...territory through wars and the struggle for independency in the colonies. They did manage however, to keep their main sources of power such as Puerto Rico and Cuba. During the 1890s, the United States became a world power itself. They sought out to deem nearby assets which included Cuba and Puerto Rico. The U.S had millions of dollars invested in business in Cuba. They had investments in the islands, sugar, tobacco and mining industries and public utilities. The U.S needed to maintain a strong political presence in Cuba in order to protect its economic interest. In 1895, Jose Marti and the Cuban Revolutionary Party lead a revolt against Spain. Sympathy rose high for the Cubans through the use of yellow journalism which documented what was occurring in Cuba. William Randolph Hearts, who dominated the newspaper in American, exploited and exaggerated the Spanish oppression of poor Cuba. The American public demanded that President McKinley do something about the situation, so he sent a naval fleet to Havana. A submarine mine exploded in Havana Harbor in Cuba, sinking the U.S. battleship Maine. Although it was never proven, America placed responsibility on Spain. “Remember the Maine!” became the war’s most famous slogan. Another incident that led to the increase of intensity between Spain and the U.S was the publication of a stolen letter in the New York Journal. The Spanish ambassador sent a letter which referred to President McKinley as “weak” and insulted him. Americans were outraged...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...The American Civil War Jill Ayala HIS/115 February 19, 2012 Jody Ault The American Civil War “In the course of four years, more than 2% of the population of the United State lost their lives in the American Civil War, between 618,000 and 700,000 people” (American Civil War, 2012). Never before or since has there been such a tragic event occur. There are many different opinions regarding the American Civil, why it occurred, and what the actual reasons for the War were. A Nation Divided In 1861 the American Civil War erupted after many years of conflicts between the North (the Union) and the South (the Confederacy). These conflicts included western expansion, States rights versus federal authority, and slavery. With the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 seven Southern states (South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama) declared their succession from the Union and formed the Confederate States of America. Four more states (Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, and Arkansas) joined the Confederation after start of the Civil War. The Confederates wanted to remain slave State. The Union wanted to bring the country back together as one single, unified nation. Why the North Won the Civil War In 1860 he South’s population was 1/3 slaves. The South relied heavily on the slave trade and not only wanted but needed the slave trade to continue for economic purposes. They wanted to become and independent nation...
Words: 964 - Pages: 4
...History Homework Name: Course title: Institution: Instructor: Submission date: The American Civil War An increase in the American population during the 1800s bore dissatisfaction among the white settlers with regards to the land they owned. As a result, they began exploring land in the west of the Mississippi River, thus marking the Westward expansion. The exploration also included the acquisition of lands from Mexico and Louisiana, exploitation of California, and invasion of Texas. Although this activity propelled America onto a new stage and position, it also caused more conflict within the country that became one of the causes that led to the American Civil War. The annexation of Texas, movement of immigrants to the West and the settlement in Oregon led to the formation of a new region that later became states. At this point, there was a conflict of interest as to whether or not to make regions Free states (Brinkey, 2004). Meanwhile, Congress was seeking ways in which they could strike a balance between Free states and slaves. The westward expansion elicited views and debates on granting western territories permission to become states on the basis of their view of slavery. Subsequently, the state was split into two; abolitionist union and pro-slave Confederacy (Bartleby.com, 2014). A significant number of settlers had relocated to south into the Missouri by 1818. At that time, it was still in the process of being made a state while the same problem emerged...
Words: 869 - Pages: 4
...Kristine Sizemore American Intercontinental University Unit 4 Individual Project HIST105 – U.S. History May 26, 2013 Abstract The Mexican-American War, it was a war where the United States cemented itself as a world super power; however, that came at a cost. This paper explores the ups and downs of the Mexican-American War. Mexican Cession: 1848 (Mexican-American War) The Mexican Cession in 1848 or better known as the Mexican-American War was a war where Mexico gave most of their land to America. It was a quest for James L Polk, the president at the time to expand the United States westward toward the Pacific Ocean. Mexico was forced to give approximately one-third of their land away when the United States captured Mexico City. They were given two choices: the first one being lose all of Mexico to the United States because the United States had a much stronger military than Mexico. The second choice being to surrender the part of their land to the United States that the United States wanted. After much deliberation and very heated debates between Mexico and the United States, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848 to finally end the war. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, drafted by Nicholas Trist, stated that the United States was to pay Mexico a sum of $15 million in exchange for Mexican territory, that today are known as Texas, California, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, and New Mexico. Also, the United States had to...
Words: 849 - Pages: 4
...Perez Mr.Velluntini United States History 22 May 2009 Mexican American War “ As war exist, and, notwithstanding all our efforts to avoid it, exists by the act of Mexico herself, we are called upon by every consideration of duty and patriotism to vindicate with decision the honor, the rights, and the interest of our country.” - Special message of President James Polk asking Congress to declare war with Mexico on May 11, 1846.( Carey 26) Mexico was furious when Texas became part of the United States in 1845. A formal complaint was made by a Mexican ambassador to Washington, D.C. and returned to Mexico city. In turn, the American ambassador withdrew from Mexico. The two nations poised for war.( ---) Trying to avoid any conflict, the United States tried to obtain the territory that now makes up California and New Mexico peacefully. President James Polk sent an envoy to Mexico City of $30 million or more to buy the territory for California and New Mexico. Mexico refused to consider the offer. (-----) By May of 1846, many people in the United States wanted to declare war on Mexico and grab as much territory, but the U.S. Secretaries of state and of war argued that it would be illegal. (-----) They insisted that they would not allow the country to go to war unless Mexico attacked first. (-----) At just that time, President James Polk had already ordered General Zachary Taylor to lead a detachment of American troops into western Texas, between the Nueces and the Rio Grande...
Words: 1215 - Pages: 5
...Experiences of the American Civil War (1861-1865): Honor, Duty and Death Introduction The following pages are an essay on the cause of the American Civil War (1861-1865) and the effects that the war had upon the soldiers, women and African Americans of the North and the South. In this essay I will write about the following topics and present a view of how the war was witnessed by these different groups of people. In regards to the soldiers of the North and the South, I will answer the following questions: What was the enthusiasm of the soldiers from the North and the South before the war? What was their perspective after the fighting had started? How did the soldiers of the invading armies treat the civil population? The horrors of the Civil War witnessed by the soldiers of the North and the South? Then I will answer some of the following questions about women and the Civil War: What role did women play during the war? What respect did women attain for their role? How did women help the soldiers to endure the hardships of the war? The questions dealing with African Americans are: Did the Civil War change how their comrades in arms viewed African Americans? How did African Americans help in fighting the war? Why did African Americans fight in the war? What did African Americans hope to gain from fighting in the war? The Causes of the American Civil War The American Civil War (1861-1865) occurred because the two principal regions of the country, the North and...
Words: 3517 - Pages: 15
...SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR There were several long-term factors that contributed to the outbreak of hostilities in the Spanish-American War. One of these factors dealt with sugar production. Sugar production, the backbone of the island’s prosperity, was crippled when the American tariff of 1894 restored high duties on the toothsome product. (David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Mel Piehl, The Brief American Pageant, 8th Edition, Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2012. 442) These sugar markets went sour in 1890 when the McKinley Tariff Act raised barriers against the Hawaiian product. White American planters’ mounting efforts to secure annexation by the United States were blocked by Queen Liliuokalani, who insisted that native Hawaiians should control the islands. Another long-term factor that contributed to the start of the Spanish-American War was the Explosion of the Maine in February 15, 1898. This explosion encouraged and amplified by the “yellow press” the outcry over the tragedy of the Maine, which helped to drive the country into an impulsive war against Spain. (David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Mel Piehl, The Brief American Pageant, 8th Edition, Wadsworth: Cengage Learning, 2012. 442) Two-hundred and sixty sailors loss their lives when the Maine mysteriously blew up in Havana Harbor. There were two different open investigations inquiring about this explosion; one by U.S. naval officers and the other by Spanish officials. In 1976, the U.S. Navy Admiral H. G....
Words: 471 - Pages: 2
...| The Spanish American War | | | Juan Jimenez | 12/1/2012 | Historia de Puerto Rico | The Spanish American War was fought in 1898 between the United States and Spain. Spain was a colonial power at the time, holding many territories in the Caribbean and Pacific. Revolts against Spanish rule were taking place in many of these territories. In Cuba and in the Philippines, the seeds of revolution were steadily growing. The United States found themselves in a position to assist these people with their fight for independence and to gain some land and power in both the Caribbean and the Pacific. It has long been thought that the sinking of the USS Maine in Havana Harbor was the catalyst that propelled the US into war with Cuba. I have found evidence that the US entered into war for a different reason. My research has led me to believe that the spread of disease, especially yellow fever, from Cuba into the US was the true reason for the American declaration of war against Spain. The sinking of the Maine has historically been accepted to be the cause of the US entering into war. It can be argued that it was, but, was the sinking really caused by the Spanish? There is no conclusive evidence that it was or was not. The Maine was sent to Havana Harbor in January of 1898. The ship, along with other US military vessels, was used to help blockade the port. This would keep the Spanish fleet from replenishing supplies and weapons to quell the...
Words: 1015 - Pages: 5
