The Mexican-American War was a pivotal event in the history of both Mexico and the United States. Fought between 1846 and 1848, it altered the balance of power in North America and shaped the destinies of both nations. Though the war was brief, it raised complex issues that reverberated for decades to come. These riddles offer a fun and challenging way to explore the key people, events, and outcomes of the conflict.
Causes of the War
Q: I’m a disputed strip of land between two rivers. Both nations claimed me as their own. I was the spark that lit the war. What am I?
A: The Rio Grande and Nueces rivers. Mexico said the Rio Grande marked the border, but the U.S. claimed it was the Nueces. When the U.S. annexed Texas in 1845, this disputed area led to the first battles of the war.
Q: We were a group of American settlers who moved to Mexican Texas in the 1820s and 1830s. Our growing numbers and desire for independence from Mexico alarmed its leaders. Who are we?
A: The Texan immigrants. Americans flocked to Mexican Texas in pursuit of cheap, plentiful land, swelling its population. This immigration helped fuel the Texas Revolution in 1836.
Q: I was Mexico’s dictatorial president from 1833 to 1855. I refused to recognize Texas independence in 1836. My aggressive actions against the U.S. helped provoke the war. Who am I?
A: Antonio López de Santa Anna. His hostility toward the U.S. after it annexed Texas helped cause the war.
Q: I was America’s expansionist president from 1845 to 1849. I believed it was our Manifest Destiny to spread across North America. I provoked war with Mexico and gained vast new western lands. Who am I?
A: James K. Polk. His expansionist vision drove him to inflame tensions and provoke war with Mexico.
Major Battles
Q: We were the first battles of the war in 1846. U.S. troops under Zachary Taylor defeated Mexicans here, at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. Where were we fought?
A: In the disputed territory between the Rio Grande and Nueces Rivers in Texas. These opening victories convinced Polk to have Congress declare war on Mexico.
Q: I’m a formidable Mexican fortress in Northern Mexico. U.S. forces under Winfield Scott bombarded me for days before I finally fell in 1847. What’s my name?
A: The Battle of Veracruz. Scott’s capture of this fortified city paved the way for his advance toward Mexico City.
Q: I was the climactic battle of the war, fought near Mexico City in 1847. Scott’s army attacked Santa Anna’s forces here and crushed them, sealing America’s victory. What am I called?
A: The Battle of Chapultepec. This decisive U.S. victory broke Santa Anna’s defenses and led to the capture of Mexico City.
Q: I was a regiment of mostly Irish Catholic immigrants who deserted and fought for Mexico at the Battle of Churubusco. Who were we?
A: The San Patricio Battalion. About 200 deserted because of grievances against the U.S. army and anti-Catholic prejudice. Most were executed after their capture.
Effects of the War
Q: I’m a treaty signed in 1848 that ended the Mexican-American War. I forced Mexico to cede nearly half its territory to the United States. What am I?
A: The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. It handed over California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, and Wyoming to the U.S.
Q: I’m a doctrine justifying America’s expansion across the continent. I asserted that such expansion was inevitable, just, and sanctioned by God. What doctrine am I?
A: Manifest Destiny. This belief in America’s divinely ordained expansion fueled imperialistic policies like the Mexican-American War.
Q: I ran on the Whig ticket against the Democratic candidate Lewis Cass in 1848. I criticized the Mexican-American War as an immoral expansion of slavery. Who am I?
A: Zachary Taylor. Despite his role as a general in the war, he later denounced the territorial gains as a “plot to extend slavery.”
Q: We were 80,000 Mexican citizens living in the lands conquered by the U.S. The 1848 treaty supposedly protected our rights and property. But we often lost our lands anyway. Who are we?
A: Mexicans in the ceded territory. Despite guarantees of citizenship and rights, many lost their lands to unscrupulous speculators and lawyers after the war.
People
Q: I was a young U.S. soldier who served in the Mexican-American War and kept a diary of my experiences. I later became a famous American novelist. Who am I?
A: Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain. His war experiences influenced his later anti-imperialist views.
Q: I commanded the American troops who were ambushed and forced to surrender along the Rio Grande in 1846. This early defeat caused embarrassment for the Polk administration. Who am I?
A: Major General Zachary Taylor. Despite this setback, his later victories helped fuel war fever in the U.S.
Q: I was a U.S. soldier and explorer who served as a guide for the Army of the West during the war. I later played a key role in the California Gold Rush. Who am I?
A: Kit Carson. His wilderness skills proved invaluable during the war and settling of the West.
Q: I was a young Congressman who strongly objected to the Mexican-American War and demanded to know the exact spot where blood was shed on American soil. Who am I?
A: Abraham Lincoln. Though a little-known legislator at the time, he later became president and led the Union during the Civil War.
Q: I was a prominent Mexican general who fought capably against the Americans, winning victories at Angostura and Cerro Gordo. Who am I?
A: General Antonio López de Santa Anna. Though he ultimately lost the war, Santa Anna proved a wily, formidable foe.
Weapons and Technology
Q: I was invented in 1836 but first used widely during the Mexican-American War. My rotating barrels allowed rapid fire and devastating volleys. What lethal weapon am I?
A: The Gatling gun. This early machine gun wrought havoc on Mexican troops.
Q: Stephen Watts Kearny and his Army of the West relied heavily on us during their long march to California in 1846. We provided speed, endurance and logistical support. What are we?
A: Mules. These sturdy pack animals transported food, ammunition, and other vital supplies over vast distances.
Q: I’m a naval warship classified as a sloop-of-war. My heavy cannons provided crucial fire support to American forces fighting along Mexico’s coasts and rivers. What kind of ship am I?
A: The USS Cyane. This well-armed sloop bombarded Veracruz before its capture by Winfield Scott’s army.
Q: I’m a defensive fortification made of interlocking bags filled with sand. U.S. troops used me to shield themselves from Mexican cannon fire during the Veracruz siege. What am I called?
A: Sandbag entrenchments. These portable barriers absorbed and deflected cannon shot more effectively than dirt trenches.
Q: I was invented by Samuel Colt just before the Mexican-American War began in 1846. My revolving cylinder allowed repeating fire for the first time. What revolutionary weapon am I?
A: The Colt Paterson revolver. This innovative handgun gave American soldiers a decisive edge in firepower.
Aftermath and Impact
Q: I’m a provocative book published in 1846 condemning America’s aggression against Mexico while the war still raged. I helped ignite wider opposition to the conflict. What am I?
A: Reginald Daltons’ The War with Mexico. This blistering critique called the war a cynical land grab to expand slavery.
Q: I was an Illinois Congressman who challenged the legality of the Mexican-American War from its outset. I later ran against Abraham Lincoln for Senate in 1858. Who am I?
A: Stephen A. Douglas. He questioned whether Polk “had a right to declare war at all without the express authority of Congress.”
Q: I was an abolitionist poet who wrote a moving verse after the war lamenting the young Mexican and American lives lost in the fighting. My poem helps humanize both sides. Who am I?
A: Walt Whitman. His poem “Reconciliation” poignantly notes how “the breadth of the prairies, the soul of the untainted air” whisper consolation to the war’s dead.
Q: I’m a provocative 1848 book by Henry David Thoreau arguing that individual conscience transcends the state. I championed civil disobedience against unjust wars and laws. What work am I?
A: On the Duty of Civil Disobedience. Thoreau’s essay had far-reaching impacts on passive resistance movements.
Q: I’m a political philosophy arguing that land seized by force creates unstable titles. I was used to criticize America’s huge Mexican-American War land grab. What doctrine am I?
A: The Law of Unstable Titles. This concept held that property gains from unjust war were not truly secure.
Conclusion
The Mexican-American War fundamentally changed North America’s political map and shaped relations between the U.S. and Mexico for generations. These riddles explore key people, battles, technologies, and outcomes of this consequential yet controversial conflict. They provide a thought-provoking perspective on the war’s causes, conduct, and lasting impact on both sides of the border.
