The Mexican-American War (1846-48): Part V-The Return of Santa Anna

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The Mexican-American War lasted from 1846 to 1848. The official cause of the war was Mexican opposition to the American annexation of the Republic of Texas, which had won its freedom from Mexico ten years earlier. However, President James Polk intended to use the war to greatly expand the United States by annexing New Mexico and California, therefore it was the first war fought against a fellow republic to gain territory. Episode Five explains how President James Polk received permission from Congress to declare war on Mexico, even though the war had already started. Around the same time, President Paredes resigned, and in a strange turn of events, was succeeded by Santa Anna, who had been allowed to pass through the American blockade because Polk believed that he would negotiate the annexation of Texas.

Cast of Characters:
James Polk-president, former governor of Tennessee and former Speaker of the House of Representatives
Mariano Paredes-President of Mexico (following coup against Herrera), formerly general in the Mexican Army
Santa Anna-President of Mexico
Valentin Gomez Farias, vice-president of Mexico, former president of Mexico
Thomas Hart Benton-senator from Missouri, former aide to General Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812
Winfield Scott-Commanding General of the U.S. Army
Zachary Taylor-brigadier-general in the American Army
Mariano Arista-major-general in the Mexican Army
Pedro de Ampudia-general in the Mexican Army

Sources:
A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, The Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent-Robert W. Merry
Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America-Walter R. Borneman
Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest-K. Jack Bauer
Agent of Destiny: The Life and Times of General Winfield Scott-John S. D. Eisenhower
So Far From God: The U.S. War with Mexico, 1846-1848-John S. D. Eisenhower
The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War-Peter Guardino
A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico-Amy S. Greenberg
A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States-Timothy J. Henderson
The Irish Soldiers of Mexico-Michael Hogan
This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy-Matthew Karp
Heirs of the Founders: Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants-H. W. Brands
The Great Triumverate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun-Merrill D. Peterson
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848-Daniel Walker Howe
Mexico: Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996-Enrique Krauze, translated by Hank Heifetz

Image Credit:
By Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot - Originally published in The War Between the United States and Mexico, Illustrated, 1851, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1178283