The Importance of the Rio Grande

I was thinking after history class, why was The US so adamant at the southern border being at Rio Grande. I mean most of the disputed territory after the US annexed Texas was apart of New Mexico. Why was so valuable about controlling this border that they did not just take accept the original border of Texas during Spanish Mexico. They probably would have acquired the Baja peninsula if they took the border at the Nueces. Also, why was the US so forceful with Mexico? I mean Great Britain completely destroyed the US during the War of 1812 and they compromised quite a bit even though they basically won. Texas was willing to accept the border at the Nueces river so, why did Polk want the Rio grande so badly.
 
I was thinking after history class, why was The US so adamant at the southern border being at Rio Grande. I mean most of the disputed territory after the US annexed Texas was apart of New Mexico. Why was so valuable about controlling this border that they did not just take accept the original border of Texas during Spanish Mexico. They probably would have acquired the Baja peninsula if they took the border at the Nueces. Also, why was the US so forceful with Mexico? I mean Great Britain completely destroyed the US during the War of 1812 and they compromised quite a bit even though they basically won. Texas was willing to accept the border at the Nueces river so, why did Polk want the Rio grande so badly.
First of all, wrong forum.

Second of all, when the US annexed Texas it also acquired Texas claimed border of the Rio Grande. Accepting the Mexican Claim was a way of saying that the Mexicans were right about administration over Texas, which they still claimed. That and the Rio Grande to me seem like a nice buffer between Mexico and the valuable, populated parts of Texas.

What puzzles me is the part I bolded. From the American point of view, the only reason to have Baja California is if you have Alta California. The only way to get Alta California is War with Mexico. It seems a bit daft to fight a war with Mexico over having a border at the Rio Grande, proceed to crush Mexico, and then not demand a border at the Rio Grande in the peace treaty. Also, the area between the Nueces and Rio Grande is infinitely more valuable than the barren wasteland that makes up Baja California.

The US was forceful with Mexico because it absolutely crushed them in the Mexican-American War.

Neither side won the War of 1812 (if anyone "won" more than others I would argue it was the US). You could say everyone won their own important victories. The US was able to achieve a long and lucrative peace with the UK that lead to the US becoming the Superpower it is today, prevented New English secession, and was able to crush Indian Resistance in the Northwest thus preventing the British from setting up a Pro-British Indian protectorate there (but didn't get Canada, which was unlikely to happen anyway). Canada avoided annexation by the US, and had their National Identity begin to form. The UK curbed US ambition against its colonies in The America's, got a very lucrative long-term trade partner in the US, no longer had to that much worry about fighting with the US, and got a long-term ally that would help it emerge victorious in both World Wars and ensure its safety and security after its Hegemony over the world ended.

Got a source for the Texans accepting the Nueces? Also, the US wanted the Rio Grande because it claimed it and thought it was their rightful territory. That and it was a nice way of getting at all of Mexico's rich and sparsely populated land in North America.
 
First of all, wrong forum.

Second of all, when the US annexed Texas it also acquired Texas claimed border of the Rio Grande. Accepting the Mexican Claim was a way of saying that the Mexicans were right about administration over Texas, which they still claimed. That and the Rio Grande to me seem like a nice buffer between Mexico and the valuable, populated parts of Texas.

Sorry, I thought I was posting in the right forum. Can a mod move this please? I disagree, the land the acquired by placing the border at the Rio Grande was mainly apart of New Mexico. I think that Polk used this as a incentive to go to war with Mexico. If the US was a little less greedy took the Nueces River as the southern border , Texas wouldn't have been all that different, they would still be the oil state.

What puzzles me is the part I bolded. From the American point of view, the only reason to have Baja California is if you have Alta California. The only way to get Alta California is War with Mexico. It seems a bit daft to fight a war with Mexico over having a border at the Rio Grande, proceed to crush Mexico, and then not demand a border at the Rio Grande in the peace treaty. Also, the area between the Nueces and Rio Grande is infinitely more valuable than the barren wasteland that makes up Baja California.

I agree with you here. Baja California was just a barren wasteland but, I think they wanted this territory to gain control of the Gulf of California to do trade with South American countries. I mean it would have pissed off the Texans if they took the Nueces River but all Texas wanted to do was to reach the Gulf of California or the Pacific Ocean for trade. I'm sure they could have reached some compromise.



The US was forceful with Mexico because it absolutely crushed them in the Mexican-American War.

Neither side won the War of 1812 (if anyone "won" more than others I would argue it was the US). You could say everyone won their own important victories. The US was able to achieve a long and lucrative peace with the UK that lead to the US becoming the Superpower it is today, prevented New English secession, and was able to crush Indian Resistance in the Northwest thus preventing the British from setting up a Pro-British Indian protectorate there (but didn't get Canada, which was unlikely to happen anyway). Canada avoided annexation by the US, and had their National Identity begin to form. The UK curbed US ambition against its colonies in The America's, got a very lucrative long-term trade partner in the US, no longer had to that much worry about fighting with the US, and got a long-term ally that would help it emerge victorious in both World Wars and ensure its safety and security after its Hegemony over the world ended.

I disagree.The US barely made it through that war. They were just happy to have survived a war with Great Britain. The reason the Americans even tried to take Canada was to take the opportunity of kicking Britain out of North America while they busy dealing with The Napoleonic Wars. They took control of a defenceless colony and burnt York. Big deal. Once Britain could manage to spare some men they quickly reclaim lost territory and burnt the White House.I mean why be so forceful and piss off your southern neighbour. Why no show some hindsight and comprise with Mexico just a bit. I think that if the Mexican government showed that they were able to keep the US away from the Rio Grande, they would look more victorious coming out of the negotiations. but that's just my opinion.



Got a source for the Texans accepting the Nueces? Also, the US wanted the Rio Grande because it claimed it and thought it was their rightful territory. That and it was a nice way of getting at all of Mexico's rich and sparsely populated land in North America.


From Wikipedia

"The Texan leaders at first intended to extend their national boundaries to the Pacific Ocean, but ultimately decided to claim the Rio Grande as boundary, including much of New Mexico, which the Republic never controlled. They also hoped, after peace was made with Mexico, to run a railroad to the Gulf of California to give "access to the East Indian, Peruvian and Chilean trade."[10] When negotiating for the possibility of annexation to the U.S. in late 1836, the Texan government instructed its minister Wharton in Washington that if the boundary were an issue, Texas was willing to settle for a boundary at the watershed between the Nueces River and Rio Grande, and leave out New Mexico.

They were willing to compromise as long as they obtain a way to reach the Pacific. That's the value of Baja California, a bridge to trade with Latin America. I understand that the Mexican-American War was started because of the Rio Grande Boundary, but they could've given up a little territory for something much greater, in my opinion.
 
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