The Mexican-American War (1846-48): Part VIII-Vera Cruz and Mexico City

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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 Eight explains how Winfield Scott simply bombarded Vera Cruz until the civilian deaths forced the garrison to surrender. Santa Anna attempted to block the American advance but was routed, and the American army fought its way close enough to Mexico City to bombard it, so the Mexican government surrendered. Fortunately, Polk had sent Chief Clerk of the State Department Nicholas Trist to negotiate a treaty.

Cast of Characters:
James Polk-president of the United States, former governor of Tennessee and former Speaker of the House of Representatives
Santa Anna-President of Mexico
James Buchanan-Secretary of State of the United States
Nicholas Trist-American envoy to Mexico, Chief Clerk of the Department of State
Winfield Scott-Commanding General of the U.S. Army
Zachary Taylor-major-general in the American Army
Gabriel Valencia-Mexican general, former interim president of Mexico

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
Santa Anna of Mexico-Will Fowler
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