Study Notes on the Mexican War of Independence and U.S. History

BOOKS IN THE REVISIONING AMERICAN HISTORY SERIES

  • A Queer History of the United States by Michael Bronski
  • A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen
  • An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
  • An African American and Latinx History of the United States by Paul Ortiz

INTRODUCTION TO THE CONTEXT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINX HISTORY

  • The concept of an African American and Latinx history is rooted in the foundations of American capitalism, which was established on the pursuit of wealth and power.
  • This pursuit triggered numerous violent conflicts, culminating in the American Civil War, regarded as the bloodiest civil war in human history.

GLOBAL LIBERATION EFFORTS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS

Haitian Revolution's Revolutionary Impact

  • Following the Haitian Revolution, African Americans began envisioning a freedom that extended beyond national boundaries, advocating for a global liberation front.
  • Emancipatory internationalism gained traction as the abolition of slavery began spreading globally.
  • Influential Black abolitionists, like William Whipper, emphasized the role of oppressed individuals in securing their emancipation:

"How was the emancipation of the slave, and the enfranchisement of the free colored people effected there? We unhesitatingly affirm, that it was chiefly through the influence of colored men—the oppressed…"

ANTI-IMPERIALISM AS A THEME IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

The Mexican War of Independence

  • The Mexican War of Independence started in 1810, driven by leaders like José María Morelos, who urged for U.S. support against Spanish colonialism.
  • Morelos, of mixed African, Indigenous, and European descent, presented the foundational document "Los Sentimientos de la Nación," which:
    • Called for the abolition of slavery.
    • Advocated for civil rights and racial equality.
    • Encouraged education and renunciation of torture.
Racial Caste System in New Spain
  • Alexander von Humboldt described the racial caste system as deeply ingrained:

"In a country governed by whites, the families reputed to have the least mixture of Negro or mulatto blood are also naturally the most honored…"

Goals of the Mexican Insurgents

  • Insurgents, primarily comprised of peasants and workers, sought:
    • Access to land.
    • Improved working conditions rather than simply political independence.

JOSE MARIA MORELOS: A BRIDGE BETWEEN COUNTRIES

  • Morelos sought support from President James Madison, drawing parallels between Mexico's fight for independence and that of the Thirteen Colonies against Britain:

"Dear Sir: The Mexican people, tired of suffering under the enormous weight of the Spanish domination, and forever losing their hope of being happy…"

  • This highlight on liberty resonated as a mutual pursuit between the U.S. and Mexico, condemning tyranny together.
Appeal for Solidarity
  • Morelos envisioned a partnership forged on mutual support and mutual liberation, emphasizing their distinctive capabilities:

“The sincerity and philanthropic spirit that characterize both Nations…the beautiful bond that will result between the two peoples…"

U.S. REACTIONS TO THE MEXICAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

Concerns of U.S. Leaders

  • U.S. leaders perceived the impending abolition of slavery in Mexico as a threat, fearing revolts among enslaved Africans and Indigenous peoples in Spanish Florida.
  • John Quincy Adams stated that the conflicts in South America were fundamentally different from that of the United States, depicting the Latin American independence movements as chaotic:

"The struggle in South America is savage and ferocious almost beyond example…"

Racialized Perception of Latin American Politics
  • Adams equated the struggles faced by Latin American countries with slave revolts, fearing racial disturbances and the potential strengthening of rebellion in the U.S. itself.

Manifest Destiny and Racial Capitalism

  • Adams and others viewed Manifest Destiny as a form of preemptive strike against potential uprisings, binding the fight against imperial capitalism to their management of U.S. borders and populations.

EMANCIPATORY INTERNATIONALISM IN THE ANTEBELLUM ERA

Advocates for International Solidarity

  • Leaders in the Black community, including Frederick Douglass, championed the idea of translational solidarity among oppressed groups, contending that:

“Our platform is as broad as humanity. We repudiate…that narrow spirit which would confine our duties to one quarter of the globe…"

Opposition to Expansionism
  • Many regarded the expansion of slavery as fundamentally flawed and linked it to the broader system of imperialism, calling attention to a united hemispheric struggle for freedom.

Mexican Abolition as a Blow to U.S. Slavery

  • The abolition of slavery in Mexico in 1829 resonated profoundly in the United States, prompting enslaved people to escape across the border into Mexico, finding sanctuary.
  • Efforts by U.S. officials to draft treaties for the return of escaped individuals met with national rejection by Mexican authorities:

"…denounced slavery as a palpable violation of the first principles of a free republic."

SLAVERY'S EXPANSION: U.S. POLICY AND RACIAL REALITIES

Prelude to Conflict

  • The expansionist policies underlying the Mississippi land boom of the 1830s revealed a systemic desire for more territory in order to accommodate a growing slave population.
  • Activists highlighted connections between the forced removal of Native Americans and the expansion of slave territories, interlinking racial oppression across different groups.
The Role of Abolitionist Newspapers
  • Abolitionist publications documented the oppressive facts of this expansion, emphasizing that slavery depended on new territories:

"That slavery lives by expansion…"

ANTI-IMPERIALISM IN A TIME OF WAR

The Mexican-American War

  • The contemporary attitudes surrounding the U.S. invasion of Mexico, which started in 1846, illustrate a deep critique among abolitionist activists who argued that the war was driven by the aim of preserving and extending slavery.
  • Martin Delany pointed out that the war was being fueled by the interests of Southern slaveholders:

“…the war was instigated for the acquisition of slave territory…"

Frederick Douglass' Critique

  • Douglass condemned the war explicitly, describing U.S. personnel as "land-pirates and free-booters," revealing their motives as focused on oppression rather than liberty.

CONCLUDING REFLECTIONS ON INTERCONNECTIONS

Lessons from the Past

  • African Americans and LatinX perspectives reveal that they utilized connections with anti-colonial movements as a strategy against slavery and imperialism in a way that reshaped the understanding of U.S. history.
  • Historical analyses advocate for recognizing shared experiences among marginalized communities and the importance of internationalism in the struggle for freedom.