US ResearchConflictsEarly Republic and War of 1812TexasMexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846
Early Republic and War of 1812

Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846

1846
Texas
Era
Early Republic and War of 1812
Year
1846
Location
Texas
Status
Verified engagement
The Battle

History & Significance

The battles of the Mexican–American War include all major engagements and most reported skirmishes, including Thornton's Defeat, the Battle of Palo Alto, and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, which took place prior to the official start of hostilities.

The Mexican–American War lasted from 1846 until 1848. It grew out of unresolved border disputes between the Republic of Texas and Mexico after the United States annexed Texas nine years after the Texas Revolution. It ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in which Mexico was forced to sell a vast tract of land that amounted to almost half its national territory to the United States.

List of United States military and volunteer units in the Mexican–American War

Combined official Mexican losses and the US estimates Northern Campaign (Palo Alto-Buena Vista): c. 1,031 Mexican killed. Valley Campaign (Cerro Gordo-Mexico City): c. 2,854 Mexican were killed. Or, c. 3,885 not including later died of wounds, died from disease, or the losses in the West.

The Mexican Cavalry Division (Army of the South) escaped the Valley Campaign largely intact (4,000 evacuated Mexico City). Of some 16,000 Infantry of the Armies of the East & North, only 5,000 evacuated Mexico City.

Bauer, K. Jack (1974). The Mexican War, 1846–1848. New York: Macmillan. ISBN 0-8032-6107-1.

Brooks, N.C. Complete History Of The Mexican War: Grigg, Elliot & Co.Philadelphia 1849

Ramsey, Albert C. The Other Side or Notes For The History of The War Between Mexico And The United States John Wiley New York 1850

The Occupation of New Mexico (Battle of Cañoncito)

A Continent Divided: The U.S. - Mexico War, Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, the University of Texas at Arlington

Historical context

The early republic period saw the United States move from the weak Articles of Confederation to the federal Constitution ratified in 1788, with the Bill of Rights added in 1791. George Washington served two terms as president (1789–1797), establishing precedents for executive authority, and the federal capital moved permanently to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the nation's territory for roughly $15 million, opening vast trans-Mississippi lands to American expansion. The War of 1812 against Britain ended inconclusively but produced a surge of American national identity and eliminated most British support for Indigenous resistance east of the Mississippi. The Northwest Indian Wars (1785–1795) and the Creek War (1813–1814) broke Indigenous confederacies that had resisted US expansion. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 temporarily balanced slave and free states as the nation expanded westward, but embedded the contradiction of slavery in every subsequent territorial debate.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846 take place?
Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846 took place in 1846.
Where was Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846 fought?
Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846 was fought in Texas, United States.
What was the significance of Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846?
The battles of the Mexican–American War include all major engagements and most reported skirmishes, including Thornton's Defeat, the Battle of Palo Alto, and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, which took place prior to the official start of hostilities. The Mexican–American War lasted from 1846 unti
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Protected heritage nearby

Historic Sites near Mexican-American War — Battle of Resaca de la Palma 1846

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site
Listed · 3.4 mi
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