ABSTRACT
Congress officially declared war on Mexico on May 13, 1846, but in truth the conflict had been under way for nearly a decade. The United States had initially welcomed Mexico’s break from Spain in 1821, since its adoption of a federal system of government seemed to indicate that Mexico had chosen the road to modernity. However, hostilities between Mexico’s rival political factions soon shook confidence in the population’s ability to effectively govern itself as a republic. These revolts and counter revolts did not go unnoticed in the United States, leading Americans to believe that Mexico would not shed its Spanish and indigenous past without help.
