Question #f6ab5
2 Answers
It was actually more a conquest than a purchase
Explanation:
Despite the 15 million dollars given to Mexico as a compensation for the annexation, it is considered a conquest and it can be hardly discussed.
President Polk didn't really think that Mexico wanted to sale the lands of California and New Mexico but that Mexico might take money to legitimize what American had already taken.
Explanation:
The Annexation of Texas by the United States brought Mexico and the United States into War. There is good evidence to support the idea that President Polk wanted the war with Mexico and took actions to provoke the war.
The United States won the war with Mexico even conquering Mexico City. During the War with Mexico a revolution in California brought California under the control the United States. Some factions in the United States wanted to annex all of Mexico. The idea of taking over all of Mexico was opposed by most of America. However the idea of the Manifest Destiny promoted the idea of taking the land directly West of Texas.
The Mexican Cession was negotiated while American Army forces occupied Mexico City. This has been compared to negotiating with a gun to your head. The Mexican Government agreed to "sell" The territories of California and New Mexico. The agreement also required Mexico to surrender its claim to Texas as the Mexican government had not previously recognized Texas as an independent nations nor the annexation of Texas as a part of the United States.
In return the United States assumed the debts that Mexico had to all American private citizens. Also the United States "forgave" the debt that Mexico owned the United States. After all the debts were forgiven Mexico got 15 million in cash. The most important thing that the Mexican government got was the withdrawal American Forces from their territory.
President Polk felt that Mexico would be willingly to give up their territories for a small amount of money. Given that the American Forces had militarily occupied the lands that Mexico was giving up and could threaten to take over all of Mexico, giving up what was already lost for a least some return made sense to President Polk.
The Mexican government resented the forced sale of a large amount of their territory. The sale was made however. America got the territory it had wanted and Mexico got its capital and the settled part of its nation back.
