Trump Is Right About the Mexican-American War

After more than a century and a half of virtual apologies and silence from America’s leading political figures, President Trump finally broke one of the oldest taboos in American politics by issuing a statement celebrating the 178^th anniversary of America’s victory in the frequently maligned Mexican-American War. Although the war was condemned at the time and in later generations as a land grab perpetrated by President James Polk, in truth it was brought about by Mexico: Mexican double standards, Mexican chauvinism, Mexican intransigence, Mexican belligerence, and a Mexican attack on the army of the United States.

The road to war was set in motion by the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which had been de facto independent since at least 1836 but over which Mexico still claimed sovereignty. Few, however, are familiar with the history of that time and the many factors muddying questions about the justice of the war, including Mexico’s status at the time, claims of Texan independence, and the effect these facts would have on later Mexican claims.

Mexican independence began in 1821, when Viceroy Juan O’Donoju signed the Treaty of Cordoba. Unfortunately, O’Donoju lacked the authority for this move and it was immediately repudiated by the Spanish government. Reconquest efforts followed until 1829. Spain only formally recognized Mexican independence seven months after Texan independence, in the Dec. 28, 1836 Treaty of Santa-Maria Calatrava—which did not specify Mexico’s border thereby avoiding Spanish entanglement in the Texan question.

Put simply, Mexico insisted Texas could not unilaterally declare independence from Mexico at the very time that Mexico was unilaterally insisting upon its own independence from Spain. Moral differences between Mexican rebels and Texan rebels were limited. If Texans had slavery, Mexicans had peonage—described as a form of debt repayment, which was often slavery in practice.