Source
“War between the United States and the Republic of Mexico broke out in the Spring of 1846 and was declared officially by the Congress of the United States on the recommendation of President Polk on May 13 of that year. The causes of the war appear to be two; namely, (1) a dispute between the two nations concerning the boundary of Texas, (2) failure of the Mexican government to pay the claims of American citizens against her, arising mainly out of incidents which had happened in Texas. The immediate occasion of the war was the firing on American soldiers who were camped on the Texas side of the Rio Grande, although at the time, Mexico claimed this as Mexican territory. Many writers, however, have insisted that there were additional causes of this war other than those officially given. One of them is the great California historian, Banoroft, who boldly states, ‘There were two other causes, which were kept in the background, the acquisition of California, and the desire to extend the area of slavery.'”
Introduction
This reflection on the war between Mexico and the United States provides a primary reflection from a librarian at the time on the occurrence of and the progress since the war. Peter Thomas Conmy was a librarian that wrote about the 100 year anniversary of the war. In his reflection he mentions the reasons given by the U.S. government as to what caused the war and the reasons that were not officially stated by the U.S. government but that still contributed to the start of the war.
With this source you are able to see the progress and changes 100 years after the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo and evaluate the changes 100 years after up to now, 174 years later. Conmy’s point is that there were other factors that contributed to the beginning of the war than the U.S. government let on and those motivators affected the course of the war.
Citation
Conmy, Peter Thomas, 1901. A centennial evaluation of the treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo, l848-1948. 1948. Retrieved from the Digital Public Library of America, http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/102138601. (Accessed December 14, 2022.)