What was the Mexican War?

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The Mexican War was the culmination of a series of conflicts between Mexico and the United States. These included the 1836 War of Independence of Texas from Mexico, the 1845 annexation of Texas by the United States, and the claims of United States citizens for monetary damages against the Mexican government. (A group of citizens of the United States claimed they had been injured and their property had been damaged during the civil strife that followed Mexico's 1821 war of national liberation against Spain.) In addition, the Mexican and U.S. governments disagreed over the southern boundary of Texas. The Mexicans contended that the Nueces River was the boundary, while the Texans claimed that the dividing line was further south and west, along the Rio Grande River. Another important source of conflict was the determination of the United States to acquire California. California was a Mexican province where, by 1845, about 700 United States citizens had settled. The United States claimed that if it did not annex California the territory might come under French or British rule.