The Mexican-American
War lasted for two
years, from 1846
until 1848. It
resulted in 25,000
Mexican soldiers
dead or wounded,
according to the
archives of the
Mexico’s Secretariat
of National Defense.
Mexico also lost
about 40% of its
territory. The
Americans suffered
17,423 dead or
wounded and had over
9,000 soldiers go
AWOL, according to
American records.
The war started as a
result of the
declaration of
independence by the
State of Texas in
1836 and the
subsequent
annexation of Texas
into The United
States in 1846.
On May 11, 1846,
U.S. President James
K. Polk asked and
received approval by
Congress to declare
war on Mexico. On
May 13, 1846 the
United States
officially declared
war.2
Although the
perceived pretext
for war was the
Mexican insistence
that Texas was not
free to join the
American Union,
historians have
generally accepted
that the war was
about the expansion
of the American
empire through
Manifest Destiny.
As America prepared
for war, thousands
of European
immigrants hit the
American shores.
Among these were the
Irish who were
fleeing the Great
Hunger of 1845. With
the offer of free
acres of land and
three months of
advanced pay, many
enlisted in the
American army.3
