The Dead March : A History of the Mexican-American War

"By focusing on the experiences of ordinary Mexicans and Americans, The Dead March offers a clearer historical picture than we have ever had of the brief, bloody war that redrew the map of North America. Peter Guardino invites skepticism about the received view that the United States emerged victorious in the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) because its democratic system was more stable and its citizens more loyal. In fact, heading into the war, American forces dramatically underestimated the strength of Mexicans' patriotism and failed to see how bitterly Mexicans resented America's claims to national and racial superiority. Having regarded the United States as a sister republic, Mexicans were shocked by the scope of America's expansionist ambitions, and their fierce resistance surprised U.S. political and military leaders, who had expected a quick victory with few casualties. As the fighting intensified over the course of two years, it claimed the lives of thousands of Americans and at least twice as many Mexicans, including many civilians. As stark as they were, the misconceptions that the Mexican-American War laid bare on both sides did not determine the final victor. What differentiated the two countries in battle was not some notion of American unity and loyalty to democracy but the United States' huge advantages in economic power and wealth--advantages its poorer Latin American neighbor could not hope to overcome."--Jacket. The Bloody 1846-1848 War Between The United States And Mexico Filled Out The Shape Of The Continental United States, Forcing Mexico To Recognize Its Loss Of Texas And Give Up The Rest Of What Became The Southwestern United States. Generally People Argue That The United States Won This War Because Unlike Mexico It Was Already A Unified Nation That Commanded The Loyalty Of Its Citizens. Focusing On The Vivid Experiences Of Ordinary Soldiers And Civilians, Both Americans And Mexicans, The Dead March Reveals Something Very Different. The United States Won Not Because It Was More Unified But Instead Because It Was Much Wealthier. Both Americans And Mexicans Had Complicated Relationships With Their Nations, Relationships Entangled With Their Commitments To Their Religions, Their Neighbors, And Their Families. The War's Events, Both On The Grand Scale Of The Conflict Between Nations And The More Intimate Scale Of Campaigns And Battles, Cannot Be Understood Without Probing This Social And Cultural History. Politicians Could Not Simply Conjure Up Armies, And Generals Could Not Manipulate Units As If Their Members Were Chess Pieces Without Ideas Or Attitudes. This Book Also Uses The War To Compare The Two Countries As They Existed In 1846. The Results Of This Comparison Are Quite Startling. The United States And Mexico Were Much More Alike Than They Were Different, And Both Nations Were Still In The Tumultuous And Often Violent Process Of Constituting Themselves. What Separated Them Was Not Some Fabled American Unity Or Democracy But The Very Real Economic Advantages Of The United States.-- The Men Most Damaging To The Population -- We're The Boys For Mexico -- Like Civilized Nation -- Even The Fathers Of Families -- Each Chapter We Write In Mexican Blood -- The Yankees Died Like Ants -- The People Of The Town Were Firing -- Ashamed Of My Country -- The Law Of The Strongest. Peter Guardino. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The bloody 1846-1848 war between the United States and Mexico filled out the shape of the continental United States, forcing Mexico to recognize its loss of Texas and give up the rest of what became the Southwestern United States. Generally people argue that the United States won this war because unlike Mexico it was already a unified nation that commanded the loyalty of its citizens. Focusing on the vivid experiences of ordinary soldiers and civilians, both Americans and Mexicans, The Dead March reveals something very different. The United States won not because it was more unified but instead because it was much wealthier. Both Americans and Mexicans had complicated relationships with their nations, relationships entangled with their commitments to their religions, their neighbors, and their families. The war's events, both on the grand scale of the conflict between nations and the more intimate scale of campaigns and battles, cannot be understood without probing this social and cultural history. Politicians could not simply conjure up armies, and generals could not manipulate units as if their members were chess pieces without ideas or attitudes. This book also uses the war to compare the two countries as they existed in 1846. The results of this comparison are quite startling. The United States and Mexico were much more alike than they were different, and both nations were still in the tumultuous and often violent process of constituting themselves. What separated them was not some fabled American unity or democracy but the very real economic advantages of the United States.-- Provided by publisher Winner of the Bolton-Johnson PrizeWinner of the Utley PrizeWinner of the Distinguished Book Award, Society for Military History“The Dead March incorporates the work of Mexican historians...in a story that involves far more than military strategy, diplomatic maneuvering, and American political intrigue...Studded with arresting insights and convincing observations.”—James Oakes, New York Review of Books“Superb...A remarkable achievement, by far the best general account of the war now available. It is critical, insightful, and rooted in a wealth of archival sources; it brings far more of the Mexican experience than any other work...and it clearly demonstrates the social and cultural dynamics that shaped Mexican and American politics and military force.”—Journal of American HistoryIt has long been held that the United States emerged victorious from the Mexican–American War because its democratic system was more stable and its citizens more loyal. But this award-winning history shows that Americans dramatically underestimated the strength of Mexican patriotism and failed to see how bitterly Mexicans resented their claims to national and racial superiority. Their fierce resistance surprised US leaders, who had expected a quick victory with few casualties.By focusing on how ordinary soldiers and civilians in both countries understood and experienced the conflict, The Dead March offers a clearer picture of the brief, bloody war that redrew the map of North America.