Study Group Details
1770: The US-Mexican War of 1846–48: From the Alamo to the Halls of Montezuma
Tuesday1:45 - 3:15
Starting June 07
In-Person and Online
Our often forgotten war with Mexico divided the US, led to the Civil War, caused Mexico to lose over half its territory, featured atrocities on both sides, and furthered the careers of Lincoln, Grant, Lee, Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis, and others. This study group will focus on: why did the war happen? Was the US justified in invading and seizing so much of Mexico? What was the role of Manifest Destiny, slavery, and US expansion? What events in Mexico and Texas preceded and led to the war? How was this training for the Civil War? What were the roles of Presidents Polk and Tyler, Mexican President Santa Anna, Henry Clay, and others? What happened in California and New Mexico? What was and is the Mexican view? And why did both the US and Mexico go to war? This study group has a high class size capacity.
This study group is new
Class Type: Lecture and Discussion
Class Format: Hybrid
Hours of Reading: 1 hr/week
Study Group Leader(s):
Joe Belden
Joe Belden is of Mexican ancestry and has traveled frequently in Mexico.
Xenia WilkinsonAfter a career in the US Foreign Service, Xenia Wilkinson earned a PhD In Latin American history from Georgetown University. She served twice in the US Embassy in Mexico City. Specializing in Latin America, she served in Brazil, Honduras, and the OAS Mission.
Reading List
The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War (Peter Guardino) | 2017: Harvard Univ. Press | ISBN: 9780674244740 | Recommended
A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 US Invasion of Mexico (Amy Greenberg) | 2012: Knopf | ISBN: 10-0307475999 | Recommended
The Mexican-American War (Wikipedia) | 2022: Wikipedia | Recommended