As every one understands, our conflict with Mexico has been almost entirely eclipsed by the greater wars following it. But in the field of thought mere size does not count for much; and while the number of troops and the lists of casualties give the present subject little comparative importance, it has ample grounds for claiming attention. As a territorial stake New Mexico, Arizona and California were of immense value. National honor was involved, and not a few of the Mexicans thought their national existence imperilled. Some of the diplomatic questions were of the utmost difficulty and interest. The clash of North and South, American and Mexican, produced extraordinary lights and shades, and in both countries the politics that lay behind the military operations made a dramatic and continual by-play. The military conduct of the governments-especially our own-and the behavior of our troops on foreign soil afforded instruction worthy to be pondered.

Written for both the specialist and the casual reader, Texas and the Mexican War discusses the pivotal role Texas played in the Mexican War, battles fought on Texas soil, and the contributions—for better or sometimes worse—of Texas troops throughout the war. Since the opening of hostilities in 1846, the Mexican War has remained controversial. Author Charles M. Robinson III describes how attitudes of the era were influenced by sectional, political, and social differences, and, in recent times, by comparison to conflicts such as Vietnam. Robinson draws on U.S. and Mexican sources to discuss conditions in both countries that he believes made the war inevitable. Besides examining the political and military differences, he reveals the motivations, egos, pettiness, and quarrels of the various generals and politicians in the United States and Mexico. He also looks at how the common soldier saw the war. The extensive citations include commentaries on the historiography of the war. The book is profusely illustrated with contemporary photographs, sketches, and drawings, many from the author’s own collection. Besides an account of the war itself, sidebars throughout the book titled “Then and Now” serve as a guide for those who want to visit important Mexican War sites in Texas, northern Mexico, and Louisiana.

Reproduction of the original: The War With Mexico, Volume I by Justin H. Smith

"The War with Mexico" in 2 volumes is one of the best-known works by an American historian Justin Harvey Smith. The Mexican-American War was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered Mexican territory since the government did not recognize the treaty signed by Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna when he was a prisoner of the Texian Army during the 1836 Texas Revolution. For Mexico, this was a provocation: Mexican forces attacked U.S. forces, and the United States Congress declared war. Volume 1: Mexico and the Mexicans The Political Education of Mexico The Relations between the United States and Mexico, 1825–1843 The Relations between the United States and Mexico, 1843–1846 The Mexican Attitude on the Eve of War The American Attitude on the Eve of War The Preliminaries of the Conflict Palo Alto and Resaca de Guerrero The United States Meets the Crisis The Chosen Leaders Advance Taylor Sets out for Saltillo Monterey Saltillo, Parras, and Tampico Santa Fe Chihuahua The California Question The Conquest of California The Genesis of Two Campaigns Santa Anna Prepares to Strike Buena Vista Volume 2: Behind the Scenes at Mexico Vera Cruz Cerro Gordo Puebla On to the Capital Contreras and Churubusco Negotiations Molino del Rey, Chapultepec and Mexico Final Military Operations The Naval Operations The Americans as Conquerors Peace The Finances of the War The War in American Politics The Foreign Relations of the War

Timothy J. Henderson's A Glorious Defeat provide a short, accessible account of the US-Mexican War. The war that was fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 was a major event in the history of both countries: it cost Mexico half of its national territory, opened western North America to U.S. expansion, and brought to the surface a host of tensions that led to devastating civil wars in both countries. Among generations of Latin Americans, it helped to cement the image of the United States as an arrogant, aggressive, and imperialist nation, poisoning relations between a young America and its southern neighbors. In contrast with many current books that treat the war as a fundamentally American experience, Timothy J. Henderson's A Glorious Defeat offers a fresh perspective on the Mexican side of the equation. Examining the manner in which Mexico gained independence, Henderson brings to light a greater understanding of that country's intense factionalism and political paralysis leading up to and through the war. Also touching on a range of topics from culture, ethnicity, religion, and geography, this comprehensive yet concise narrative humanizes the conflict and serves as the perfect introduction for new readers of Mexican history.