Page 82 - All About History - Issue 186-19

Mexico Interview by Jonathan O’Callaghan 1848

MEXICO

DEFEATS THE

UNITED STATES

Mexico maintains claim on vast swathes of territory, including the

potentially gold-rich California, in huge blow to US expansion

What was the background to the much of the territory in what is now the American settlers in the Mexican
EXCLUSIVE Mexican-American War of 1846-48? the southwest of the United States, and province of Texas in 1836 rebelled,

Interview With The United States in the early 19th indeed the Pacific Coast of the United declared independence, fought a short
century had a rapidly growing population,
States. So in the 1840s the US found
but relatively bloody war of independence
particularly in the west. [This] put it itself on a potential road to conflict with and achieved their independence. And
on a collision course with the Republic both Mexico and Britain in what’s today then the United States, in 1846, annexed
of Mexico, which had acquired its the Pacific Northwest. That’s the big Texas, and that set the war in motion
independence in the 1820s and claimed picture. The more proximate cause is that between 1846 and 1848.

GOLD JACKPOT

FOR MEXICO?

© University of Edinburgh There have long been rumours

that California holds deep within
its hills and mountains a secret
treasure, and with Mexico’s victory

PROFESSOR over the United States it now looks
as if it will be the nation to reap
FRANK COGLIANO the rewards. Word is spreading
through the prospecting community
Professor Cogliano that a gold rush is about to kick off
is Professor of American
History at the University across the western state, so keep
of Edinburgh. His research your ears to the ground because
interests include the history riches and opportunity have never
of revolutionary and early been closer for the people of Mexico
national America, including
the Mexican-American War. General Winfield Scott leads his © Getty Images than they are now.
troops triumphantly into Mexico City

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