MEXICAN WAR

MEXICAN WAR. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) marked the first U.S. armed conflict fought mainly on foreign soil. It involved a politically divided and militarily unprepared Mexico against the expansionist-minded administration of U.S. President James K. Polk. (1)

President Polk believed the United States had a “manifest destiny” to spread across the continent to the Pacific Ocean. A border skirmish along the Rio Grande started off the fighting and was followed by a series of U.S. victories. When the campaign cleared, Mexico had lost about one-third of its territory, including nearly all of present-day California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona and New Mexico. (2)

Iowa was still a territory when President Polk called the states and territories for 86 and one-half regiments and the Act of Congress of May 13, 1846 authorized raising 50,000 volunteers. On June 26, 1846, Iowa had raised its required ten companies. (3)

The war was over in a brief period of time and the battles carried out so far from Iowa that only one company of Iowa soldiers were actually involved in combat. There were five soldiers from Dubuque who enlisted. (4)

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Source:

1. "Mexican War," Online: https://www.history.com/topics/mexican-american-war

2. Ibid.

3. "Iowa and Dubuque in the Mexican War," The Telegraph-Herald, April 26, 1914, p. 26

4. Ibid.