NationStates Jolt Archive


Why didn't and what if the U.S. took over Mexico during the Mexican War?

Colodia
07-07-2005, 05:20
I mean, why did we only take California (whooooooooooo!), Arizona, New Mexico, and reaffirmed that Texas came to us and refused to go back to Mexico? We could've taken it all at Mexico City.
Fenure
07-07-2005, 05:46
Why didn't we? Most likely we didn't want to take over a nation of millions.

What would have happened?
Annoy the hell out of European powers.
Face decades of rebellions in Mexico.
Start the American Civil War earlier by making the northern states fearful of more slave states in Mexico.
Squornshelous
07-07-2005, 05:47
we didn't want that shithole.

although we should have taken cancun, acapulco and cozumel
Jervengad
07-07-2005, 05:47
See: Debate over slavery
Kryozerkia
07-07-2005, 05:48
I mean, why did we only take California (whooooooooooo!), Arizona, New Mexico, and reaffirmed that Texas came to us and refused to go back to Mexico? We could've taken it all at Mexico City.
They decided they would rather drink until the room was spinning.
Ham-o
07-07-2005, 05:50
first off, no one wants mexico (and im aware its only a 15 minute drive from my house).. but we should have taken at least the top of sonora and baja california.. so we could have controlled the gulf of california.
The Sword and Sheild
07-07-2005, 05:50
The lands we took were mostly to fulfill our "destiny" to reach to the sea (remember, the territory of Washington was still disputed between us and Britain, we wanted a solid foothold in the Pacific). California was in revolt of Mexico (The Bear Flag Republic), so that explains mostly how we came to get that territory. Arizona and New Mexico were taken to connect it to the rest of the country (that little sliver that seems out of place is the Gadsen Purchase, made later). Now why, well, in the first place, they weren't really under the control of Mexico in the first place. Sure, it claimed those lands, but there weren't many settlers in those territories, and Mexican laws did not really affect life there too much.

Now, as to why we didn't just take over the country. Why would we? We would have to devote a large force to occupying the country, with no prospect of assimilation (Remember, we took New Mexico and Arizona because there was no one there). We didn't want to maintain such a large force, and we also didn't like the idea of taking over Mexico, annexing it, and being labeled imperialists (we were just taking over lands that should've been ours in the first place). We knew the Mexicans we not welcoming us, as the battles to take the country were a lot harder than most people would expect, and they were willing to go to the end (Battle of Chapultepec, sp?).
The Black Forrest
07-07-2005, 05:53
It would have been a long protracted fight.

Supplying the army would have been hard.

General Scott did a foolish thing of abandoning a supply line to live off the country side. Thought to be crazy but labeled a genous when it worked.

The people of mexico were happy to see a change but would have started fighting if we stayed.

The Americans got what they wanted.
The Sword and Sheild
07-07-2005, 05:53
first off, no one wants mexico (and im aware its only a 15 minute drive from my house).. but we should have taken at least the top of sonora and baja california.. so we could have controlled the gulf of california.

We could not lay claim to the territories in Baja California because our forces were defeated in the Battle of Mulege, which kept us out of the Peninsula. Therefore, we had no real right to annex this territory to the US.
Americai
07-07-2005, 08:03
We should have taken it over. (I'm Tejano and a hispanic) I doubt Mexicans in general would mind the government change now. Only the small ruling class would disapprove. Then again, most of them are so willing to **** over anyone, that pissing them off means little anyway.

Mexico is so backwards, I really don't know why we didn't bother just taking it all over. At least more people would have been happier now.
Unblogged
07-07-2005, 08:05
Because if America took over Mexico, we'd probably STILL be dealing with the issue of the supposed "2nd class citizen."

Now we just call them illegal aliens.
Free Soviets
07-07-2005, 08:22
Start the American Civil War earlier by making the northern states fearful of more slave states in Mexico.

wrong way round. mexico abolished slavery way back in 1821. the texans got all uppity because santa anna looked like he was actually going to make good on the decades of threats to free the slaves up there. mexico wasn't going to be turned into slave states very easily.
Crimson Sith
07-07-2005, 08:29
Because if America took over Mexico, we'd probably STILL be dealing with the issue of the supposed "2nd class citizen."

Now we just call them illegal aliens.

Wow, bullseye. :D
Unblogged
07-07-2005, 08:50
wrong way round. mexico abolished slavery way back in 1821. the texans got all uppity because santa anna looked like he was actually going to make good on the decades of threats to free the slaves up there. mexico wasn't going to be turned into slave states very easily.
And the states we took from Mexico wouldn't've been slave states anyways...there would've been no farming for the slaves to do there...

Have you ever been to New Mexico?


Anyway, here's another possible answer: we weren't really interested in lots of worthless desert land, but we were most definitely interested in a nice sunny beach...and we knew already knew Florida was just going to be a retirement community...so there ya go...
Sino
07-07-2005, 08:52
If they did, at least today's 'Mexicans' would be happy and don't have to wait so anxiously for being on the next immigration amnesty. LOL!

If Mexico was made to be part of the USA, North America would be a perfect continent (without poverty or corruption).
Sino
07-07-2005, 08:59
we didn't want that shithole.

although we should have taken cancun, acapulco and cozumel

If they can Americanize California, Texas and Arizona then I'm sure the rest of the "shithole" will follow.
Unblogged
07-07-2005, 09:03
If they did, at least today's 'Mexicans' would be happy and don't have to wait so anxiously for being on the next immigration amnesty. LOL!

If Mexico was made to be part of the USA, North America would be a perfect continent (without poverty or corruption).
No. We'd still be the only continent with Canadians.[/sarcasm]
NianNorth
07-07-2005, 09:20
If they did, at least today's 'Mexicans' would be happy and don't have to wait so anxiously for being on the next immigration amnesty. LOL!

If Mexico was made to be part of the USA, North America would be a perfect continent (without poverty or corruption).
If you hadn't stolen texas Mexico would have been oil rich and not so poor earlier in the cnetury and would be better off now. the US on the other hand would have needed to buy from Mexico so would be slightly worse off.
Sino
07-07-2005, 09:55
No. We'd still be the only continent with Canadians.[/sarcasm]

Isn't Canada America's 51st state? (Sarcasm applied.)