The Significance of the Mexican-American War

The significance of the United States winning the Mexican War became a major accomplishment in the expansion of the country. The land gained by the United States enlarged the nation by about one-third. After the war, Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, in which the Rio Grande became the Texas border and the Mexican cession cost the United States $15 million. The Mexican cession included present-day California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, most of Arizona, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. In 1853, John Gadsden purchased another piece of territory from Mexico for $10 million. The purchase of the territory south of the Gila River became known as the Gadsden Purchase. The new states that were gained in the war advanced the economy of the United States because of the events that happened in California a year after the war. However, there was also a downside to the addition of new states. The balance of power in the government altered and caused problems between different political parties.

With the addition of new land came new opportunities for Americans from the East to move to the Western lands. California became the most alluring state because gold was discovered there. The discovery of gold in Sutter’s Mill spread rapidly. Word spread all over the country and soon, people all over the world began heading toward California. This enormous migration toward California became known as the California Gold Rush of 1849.

The population of California rose dramatically during the Gold Rush. In 1848, only 400 people moved to California, but in 1850, migration skyrocketed up to 44,000 people. Not only were people from the East coast going to California, but people from other countries as well. California went through an economic revolution because of the increased population and the new found industry linked to gold. Ships soon linked California to the rest of the United States, which expanded markets.

I believe that the United States winning the Mexican war was crucial for the country’s expansion and progress. It’s hard to picture the United States without California or the rest of the states that were acquired because of our victory in the Mexican-American War. California is especially important because the United States depends on it for economic success. If Mexico had won the war, everything including the economy and geology would have differed in both Mexico and the United States. I am, however, satisfied with the way things turned out.

If Mexico had won the war, I strongly believe that the United States would have been less powerful than it is as of today. Mexico, on the other hand, would have become a more affluent country due to the abundant natural resources that their territories had, particularly California. It’s a pity that Mexico didn’t discover the gold in California before the war because it would have definitely been beneficial for them. The Gold Rush that occurred in California would have made Mexico wealthier than it is as of now.

Evidently, the acquisition of the land to the west allowed the United States to become as rich and powerful as it has turned out to be. If the California Gold Rush hadn’t occurred for the United States, the population of the country would have been considerably less than it is today.