Wilmot Proviso
The Spark for Stopping Slavery
Aditya Agashe #28
The Mexican American War
The Start of the War
The single biggest cause for the drafting of the Wilmot Proviso was undoubtedly the Mexican American War, as it was the basis on which the document was written. The wars beginnings unfolded with the rise of James K. Polk, who was a strong believer of Manifest Destiny. Polk had his mind set on expanding the U.S. further, through obtaining much of Mexico's northwest lands. Despite northern disinterests as well as the Mexican government's threats, Polk started the procedures to annex Texas, which had recently split off from Mexico. Yet he also had his eye on much of the current U.S. southwest, including the present day states of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. When Mexico refused any purchase offers, Polk slyly initiated warfare by moving troops into the disputed territory of the Mexican state, Coahuila. When Mexico retaliated, Congress declared war.
The War
Following a similar path as Cortes during his capture of the Aztecs for much of his journey, General Zachary Taylor was able to make quick work of the Mexican army. As shown by the graphic on the right, the little resistance he met on his path was quickly shut down. Heading on the capital, Mexico City, Taylor had already captured the key cities of Monterrey, Veracruz, and Santa Anna. Though the Mexicans were somewhat successful in using guerrilla warfare to cut off supply lines, by then the war was all but decided, with city after city falling to the American troops.
Side by Side
The two Countries
Population
Military Size
Economy
Technology
Leadership
Home Soil
The End & Impact
With many of their cities gone along with much of their military force, the Mexican government was forced to surrender in defeat. As the victor, America won the right to dictate much of the peace deals in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This led the new border between the two nations to be placed at the Rio Grande. Further, it forced Mexico to recognize America's annexation of Texas along with selling all of its current territory north of the Rio Grande. However, America's real problem began with the issue of governance and law in the newly established region.