Spanish Settlement Of The West Essay Research free essay sample

Spanish Settlement Of The West Essay, Research Paper International boundary lines have ever been centres of struggle, and the U.S.-Mexican boundary line is no exclusion. With the European colonising the New World, it was a affair of clip before the powers collided. The Spanish settled what is today Mexico, while the English settled what is to twenty-four hours the United States. When the two colonial powers did run into what is today the United States? Southwest, it was non England and Spain. Rather the two powers were the United States and Mexico. Both Counties had broken off from their female parent states. The struggle that erupted between the two states where a direct consequence of different state policies. The United States had a policy of westbound enlargement, while Mexico had a policy of ego protection. The Americans neer had a written policy of enlargement. What they had was the thought of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the belief that the United States had the right to spread out due west to the Pacific ocean. On the other manus, Mexico was a new state desiring to protect itself from outside powers. Evidence of U.S. enlargement is seen with the independency of Texas from Mexico. The strongest grounds of U.S. enlargement ends is with the Mexican-American War. From the beginning, the war was conceived as an chance for land enlargement. Mexico feared the United States enlargement ends. During the sixteenth century, the Spanish began to settle the part. The Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico. Now they wanted to spread out their land retentions north. The first expedition into the part, that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando. Corando reported a part rich in resources, shortly after people started to settle the part. The drive force behind the colony was silver in the part. The Spanish settled the part through three major corridors ; cardinal, western and eastern. The first colonies were chiefly through the cardinal corridor. The Spanish went thorough what is now the modern Mexican province of Chihuahua into the U.S. province of New Mexico. Finally the Spanish established the metropolis of Santa Fe in 1689. The eastern corridor was through modern twenty-four hours Texas and led to the constitution of San Antonio. The eastern enlargement was caused by the Gallic enlargement into modern twenty-four hours Louisiana. The Spanish Crown wanted a buffer between the Gallic in Louisiana and cardinal Mexico. The last corridor of enlargement was in the West, through the sea, which led to the constitution of San Diego in 1769 and Los Angles in 1781. The Spanish were non the lone European power to colonise the new universe ; Gallic, English and the Dutch besides settled North and South America. The Spanish and the Gallic settled what is present twenty-four hours U.S.-Mexico boundary line part. The Gallic settled modern twenty-four hours U.S. Midwest, while the Spanish settled present twenty-four hours Mexico and U.S. sou-west. As clip went on, European influence in the part diminished.. The Gallic sold there claims to the United States, in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase. Mexico gained independency from Spain in 1821. Once the United States bought the Louisiana Purchase, western enlargement began. This set the phase for major struggle in the part. The United States gained independency from England in 1775. After 1775, the Americans started to spread out West. By the clip Mexico gained independency, the United States had reached the Mexican frontier. Mexico needed to protect its northern boundary lines. To protect the boundary line part, Mexico needed to dwell the country. Mexico continued the policy started by Spain of leting Americans to settle Texas. The Americans had to follow Mexican jurisprudence, faith and imposts. The colony of Texas played into the United States? enlargement programs. Finally Mexico City closed Texas from more Americans from come ining. This angered the Americans desiring to come in and Americans already populating in Texas. Texas revolted from Mexico in 1833. Mexicans did populate in Texas, and fought for the independency of Texas. The bulk of Texans were Americans and fought for their independency. After the war the Americans deliberately or non-intentionally forced most Mexicans out of Texas. The 1s that stayed faced racial tensenesss that continue to today. After deriving independency from Mexico, Texas wanted to fall in the United States instantly. The U.S. Congress voted against Texas from fall ining the Union. Congress was worried that appropriation of Texas would anger Mexico. Mexico had neer officially recognized Texas as independent. Congress was concerned that appropriation would get down a war with Mexico. Mexico? s rest to American appropriation was non the lone factor in make up ones minding against appropriation. If Texas was to go a province, it would be a slave province. At the clip, the United States an even balance between slave and free-soil provinces. Texas come ining Thursday e Union would interrupt the balance, giving slave provinces an advantage in the U.S. House and Senate. Since the United States was non ready to annex Texas, Texas declared itself a autonomous state. In 1837 President Andrew Jackson officially recognized Texas a state. Texas wanted to be portion of the United States. It needed the protection of the Untied States. President Tyler could non acquire the 2/3 bulk needed to admit Texas. Alternatively, he changed the jurisprudence to necessitate merely a simple bulk. It was non until 1845 and two Presidents later that Texas was annexed into the United States. Mexico protested the admittance of Texas into the United States. The United States saw Mexico? s protest as a alibi to pass military personnels into Texas The appropriation of Texas was a represented the United States enlargement ends. The United States wanted to settle in Texas, but Mexico owned the land. That did non affair to the United States, they settled in the part irrespective. The Americans that settled the part agreed to Mexican jurisprudence and imposts, but still considered themselves Americans. After the appropriation of Texas, Texas besides wanted to spread out. Texas claimed that New Mexico and California were portion of Texas. The boundary with Mexico was besides disputed. The United States claimed that the Texas boundary line was at the Rio Grande. Mexico disagreed, Mexico stated the boundary line was at Nueces River. The United States did seek to settle affairs diplomatically. The United States sent inexperient diplomat John Slidell. Slidell tried to purchase country known as the U.S. Southwest. Slidell, being an inexperient diplomat, was rejected. Not merely was he non successful in purchasing the land, he aroused Mexican frights. This put the phase for the Mexican-American War. . The United States besides had no written policy of enlargement, but the authorities softly supported it. The United States has ever had troops the part, even though they held no land in the part The United States kept ships off the seashore of California. In 1842 the U.S. commanding officer in the part, Commodore Thomas Jones, attacked and took the metropolis of Monterrey in California. He falsely believed that Texas and Mexico were at war. Once he realized his error he withdrew his forces and apologized to the Mexian authorities for his action and claimed that he did non move with orders from the U.S. authorities. Although Jones claimed that he did non move with orders from the U.S. authorities, clearly the authorities did non halt the pattern. Another illustration of the United State? s enlargement ends was the Mexican-American War. This is the first clip America has fought a war with land enlargement as its chief end. The war started on April 25 1846 with the onslaught from Mexican military personnels and the counter onslaught from General Taylor of the U.S. Army. Taylor sent a message to President Polk that belligerencies have started. President Polk, with a pre-drafted declaration of war, asked Congress to declare war against Mexico. President Polk knew that Mexico would lose the war and would derive new lands in the terminal. The Mexican-American war lasted two old ages, and ended with the sign language of the Treaty of Guadeloupe on February 2 1848. The United States had succeeded in winning the war. With the Treaty of Guadeloupe the United States had succeeded in finishing its Manifest Destiny. The Treaty itself represented the United States enlargement ends. The United States wanted to settle on were the international boundary line was to be. Mexico wanted the boundary line to north of the Rio Grande river, but eventually decided upon the center of the Rio Grande river. Mexico holding been belly-up from the war, agreed to take the 15 million as payment for the huge land. In add-on, the United States agreed to pay off all Mexican debts owed to the United States. This sum was little in comparing to what the United States gained in district. The United States took advantage of a weak state of obtained its enlargement ends. Another illustration of the United States taking advantage of Mexico is the Gasden Purchase. The Gasden Purchase was ratified in 1854 for the merchandising monetary value of 10 million. Mexico was traveling through unsmooth economical clip and urgently needed the money. The United States seeing an chance to construct a railway through the part brought the land at a inexpensive monetary value. The merchandising of the Gasden Purchase was the down autumn of President Santa Ana, and led to his replacing. The struggles along the boundary line part were a direct consequence of U.S. enlargement policies and Mexican fright for the United States. The Americans saw Manifest Destiny, westbound enlargement, as there God given right. The United States proved frequently that it supported policy of enlargement. With the Mexican-American war, the United States completed it # 8217 ; s Manifest Destiny. The United States completed Manifest Destiny at the cost of the Mexican authorities and its people.