Mexican War

Unequivocally, the most important results of the Mexican War and the Mexican Cession on the United States were the expansion of territory provided to the fledgling nation. This expansion of territory was well aligned with the notion of Manifest Destiny, or the inherent belief that the entirety of the western portion of the North American continent rightfully belonged to the new nation (regardless of the fact that large parts of it were occupied by Mexico). President Polk was one of the many who supported this view (Sang-Rae, 2011, p. 97).

Perhaps the most tangible piece of evidence to support the above thesis is the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which capped the war the Mexican-American War that spanned from 1846-1848 (Dawson III, 2006, p. 253). This treaty was singularly responsible for the annexation of Texas and the demarcation of its border (the southern part of which was formed at the Rio Grande). Furthermore, it was also responsible for setting the foundation for the U.S. To purchase California and New Mexico, which it did for approximately $20 million (Salvucci, 2009, p. 70). The treaty also had a great "impact on…Mexico as well" (Porterfield, 2006, p. 81) Therefore, the successful waging of this war allowed the U.S. To achieve its principle goals with the Manifest Destiny sentiment, which was to expand its borders from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. There would be substantial repercussions regarding this new territory at the time regarding the question of slavery, which was a considerable topic in U.S. government due to its pecuniary consequences. But the U.S. was able to rapidly expand with conclusion of the aforementioned war.

References

Dawson III, J.G. (2006). Leaders for Manifest Destiny: Amrican volunteer colonels serving in the U.S.-Mexican war. American Nineteenth Century History. 7(2), 253-279.

Porterfield, J. (2006). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, 1848: A primary source examination of the treaty that ended the Mexican-American war. Library Media Connection. 25(1): 81.

Salvucci, R.J. (2009). Santa Ana never had an iPhone: some thoughts on the price of peace and the financial misfortunes of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Journal of the Historical Society. 9(1): 67-86.

Sang-Rae, L. (2011). Rethinking the Mexican-American War and Mexico's historical interpretations. Asian Journal of Latin American Studies. 24(3): 97-119.