The Mexican-American War

In the 1840s, the United States was in a mad dash to expand its borders under the guise of manifest destiny, or the belief that it was God's will for the United States to extend its territory and spread democracy far and wide. In 1846 this desire for increased territorial control led to military conflict with Mexico over the area including what would become California, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and New Mexico which ended with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and Mexico ceding nearly half ...