Spanish Settle of the West

International borders have always been centers of conflict, and


the


U.S.-Mexican border is no exception.   With the European colonizing the New


World, it was a matter of time before the powers collided.   The Spanish


settled what is today   Mexico, while the English settled what is to day


the


United States.   When the two colonial powers did meet what is today the


United States’ Southwest, it was not England and Spain.   Rather the two


powers were the United States and Mexico.   Both Counties had broken off


from


their mother countries.   The conflict that erupted between the two


countries


where a direct result of different nation policies.   The United States had


a


policy of westward expansion, while Mexico had a policy of self


protection.


The Americans never had a written policy of expansion.   What they had was


the idea of "Manifest Destiny."   Manifest Destiny was the belief that the


United States had the right to expand westward to the Pacific ocean.   On


the


other hand, Mexico was a new country wanting to protect itself from


outside


powers.   Evidence of U.S. expansion is seen with the independence of Texas


from Mexico.   The strongest evidence of U.S. expansion goals is with the


Mexican-American War.   From the beginning, the war was conceived as an


opportunity for land expansion.   Mexico feared the United States expansion


goals.


During   the 16th century, the Spanish began to settle the region.


The


Spanish had all ready conquered and settled Central Mexico.   Now they


wanted


to expand their land holdings north.   The first expedition into the


region,


that is today the United States Southwest, was with Corando.   Corando


reported a region rich in resources, soon after people started to settle


the


region.   The driving...