Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about
MEXICAN-AMERICAN WAR
The Mexican–American War,[a] also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the Intervención Estadounidense en México (U.S. intervention in Mexico), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas, which Mexico still considered Mexican territory since the government did not recognize the treaty signed by Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna when he was a prisoner of the Texian Army during the 1836 Texas Revolution.
The Republic of Texas was defacto an independent country, but most of its citizens wished to be annexed by the United States. Domestic sectional politics in the U.S. prevented that since Texas would have been a slave state, upsetting the balance of power between northern free states and southern slave states. In the 1844 United States presidential election, Democrat James K. Polk was elected on a platform of expanding U.S. territory in Oregon and Texas.
Polk advocated expansion by either peaceful means or by armed force, with the 1845 annexation of Texas as furthering that goal. For Mexico, this was itself a provocation, but Polk went further, sending U.S. Army troops to the area; he also sent a diplomatic mission to Mexico to try to negotiate sale of territory.
U.S. troops' presence was provocative and designed to lure Mexico into starting the conflict, putting the onus on Mexico and allowing Polk to argue to Congress that a declaration of war should be issued.Mexican forces attacked U.S. forces, and the United States Congress declared war.
AMERICA'S WEAPONS
America's weapons far outdid Mexico's in their technology and efficiency. Muskets, rifles, pistols, colt revolvers, bayonets, swords and artillery pieces were all used against the Mexican forces. The standard issue firearm for the U.S. soldier was the .69-caliber smoothbore flintlock musket. It could hit a target from 100 yards.
There were 10 different models used during the Mexican conflict. Officers carried double-barreled shotguns for closer combat. For sidearms, glintlock or percussion pistols were issued, but could only shoot accurately for 10 or 15 yards. But the U.S.'s advantage was in its artillery. Their cannonballs, shells, canisters were effective for up to 300 yards. Flying artillery units could fire more than five times faster than Mexican artillery.
Mexican Weapons
Mexicans used smoothebore flintlock muskets, pistols, savers, short swords, lances and out of date cannons. In general their weaponry was older, heavier and less reliable than that of Americans. Mexico had no armory to make weapons so they bought theirs from Europe, often settling for the weapons the Europeans no longer used or wanted, purchasing at a discount.
Muskets and rifles from the 1830s were common. They used the Griveaubal cannon of different calibers, which were often defective, but ammunition was limited. Bad powder and wrongly sized balls, made their musket shooting inaccurate.
FOOD
How do U.S. soldiers get through hours of drill, long marches, and combat during the U.S-Mexican War? Well they definitely did not have MREs packed in their haversacks. The ration used throughout the Mexican War was established by Congress in 1838. This ration provided soldiers with 20 ounces of beef, 18 ounces of flour, 2.4 ounces of dried beans, 1.92 ounces of sugar, .64 ounces of salt, .96 ounces of green coffee, and small amounts of vinegar, candles, and soap.
i hope you liked this post and as always have a chilled day from the Viking
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