The content of this article comes from the Internet, if it is inconsistent with the actual situation or there is infringement, please contact to delete.
This article is only published in today's headlines, please do not move.
North America, geographically like a puzzle, is made up of many countries and regions. However, the territory of the North American continent is relatively clear, and it only needs to be seen at a glance: Canada, the United States, Mexico. Canada's vast territory, the vast territory of the United States, and the southern territory of Mexico have an interesting history and story.
The United States, the hegemon of the North American continent, had ambitions to unify North America. However, this feat was not achieved, not because of a lack of desire, but for a number of complex reasons. America's rise began with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and after eight years of the War of Independence, the United States finally won. Then, over the next 91 years, the United States began its own frontier campaign.
In 1803, the United States purchased Louisiana Territory from Napoleon for $15 million, doubling the size of the country. This worries the UK because they fear that the overseas "wild baby" will continue to expand. As a result, Britain resorted to a series of interference measures, from maritime trade to political, military and economic repression. Britain even supplied weapons to Indian tribes through Canada to weaken American influence. These actions intensified the contradictions between the United States and Britain, and convinced the United States that its aspirations for free development and territorial expansion could only be realized by conquering Canada and completely driving Britain out of North America.
On June 18, 1812, the United States officially declared war on Britain under the pretext of maintaining freedom of navigation, but the actual goal was to occupy Canada and expand its territory into the Arctic Circle. In the eyes of the Americans, Canada was supposed to be their territory. However, the American plan did not go well, and the initial plan was to attack Canada in three ways, but the American states were not united, and many states were reluctant to send troops. As a result, the United States changed its plan and first concentrated its forces on the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes region, gaining some advantages. But the British garrison began to counterattack, and the British army turned from defense to attack, gradually driving American troops out of Canadian soil and launching an attack on the American mainland. This unexpected war turned the desire to invade Canada into the Great Patriotic War, and the United States was forced to abandon its plans to annex Canada.
As the war progressed, British troops occupied some important cities in the United States, and the United States was in trouble. Most happily, in 1814, British troops invaded Washington, D.C., and U.S. President Madison had to withdraw from the White House. British troops retaliated against the United States by burning the White House and the Capitol. This incident made the United States abandon its ambitions to expand Canada further. The contradictions between the United States and Britain continued to intensify, and finally Britain decided to support Canada in order to contain the United States. This also led to the Battle of Canada and the United States, which eventually led to the creation of Canada's Confederation.
However, the United States has not stopped the pace of expansion. In 1820, the Mexican government allowed Americans to emigrate to the area in response to the restless indigenous peoples of the Texas area. Soon after, the Texas region became the majority of the U.S. population, and they launched the Texas Independence Movement and established the Republic of Texas. In 1845, Texas was incorporated into the United States, becoming the 28th state of the United States. This series of events sparked resentment in Mexico, which eventually led to the Mexican-American War of 1846.
In the early days of the Mexican-American War, the Mexican army was numerically superior, but its training, discipline, and equipment were inferior to that of the U.S. army. The United States took full advantage of its advantages and quickly occupied large swathes of northern Mexico. In the end, the United States acquired territories in California, Nevada, Utah, and other places in peace negotiations and paid $15 million as compensation. Although the war allowed the United States to seize large swathes of Mexican land, the United States did not adopt the entire Mexican territory, mainly due to complex population and resource problems.
The United States has vast land, but it values resources more than land. The territory of northern Mexico is rich in resources, including oil, natural gas, minerals, etc. However, southern Mexico is a densely populated region with distinct cultural and ethnic differences in the white-dominated society of the United States. The U.S. is reluctant to accept Mexico's people of color, which is part of the reason for refusing to expand.
In addition, Mexico's economy was relatively backward at the time, and occupying all of Mexico would mean that the United States would need to take in 7 million poor people. Given that the United States itself has a population of less than 17 million, adding 7 million people means that more welfare and resources need to be distributed, a burden that the United States is not willing to bear. Thus, despite the attractive resources, the United States eventually abandoned further expansion of Mexican territory.
To sum up, although the United States had ambitions to unify North America, this feat was not achieved for a number of complex reasons, including geographical, demographic, resource, and cultural considerations. The United States has chosen to selectively expand and utilize resources rather than blindly annex territories. The three countries of North America, Canada, the United States and Mexico, each have unique histories and trajectories, making up the diverse and rich face of the continent.
The above content and materials are derived from the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or allude to any real country, political system, organization, race, individual.
The above does not mean that the author of this article endorses the laws, rules, opinions, behaviors in the article and is responsible for the authenticity of the relevant information.
The author of this article is not responsible for any issues arising above or related to any of the above, nor does it assume any direct or indirect legal liability.