A Glorious Defeat: Mexico and Its War with the United States

by Timothy J. Henderson

Timothy J. Henderson's A Glorious Defeat provide a short, accessible account of the US-Mexican War.

The war that was fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 was a major event in the history of both it cost Mexico half of its national territory, opened western North America to U.S. expansion, and brought to the surface a host of tensions that led to devastating civil wars in both countries. Among generations of Latin Americans, it helped to cement the image of the United States as an arrogant, aggressive, and imperialist nation, poisoning relations between a young America and its southern neighbors.

In contrast to many current books, which treat the war as a fundamentally American experience, Timothy J. Henderson's A Glorious Defeat offers a fresh perspective by looking closely at the Mexican side of the equation. He examines the tremendous inequalities of Mexican society and provides a greater understanding of the intense factionalism and political paralysis leading up to and through the war. Also touching on a range of topics from culture and ethnicity to religion and geography, this comprehensive yet concise narrative humanizes the conflict and serves as the perfect introduction for new readers of Mexican history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, War, Military History, World History, Politics

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Tim Henderson has been studying, teaching, and writing about Mexican history for about twenty years. He has just completed a book on the Mexican wars of independence, which will be published in early 2009 by Hill & Wang, and he is currently doing research for a history of Mexican immigration to the United States.

Reviews

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

a very short introduction to the relationship between the U.S. (plus the future state of Texas) & Mexico from its independence (1808) to 1848 as seen from south of the border. Mexico could not hope to win, but it could hope for a peace that would strengthen internal unity & curb American appetites to colonize its northern territories.

The Alamo and the war fly by in the blink of an eye, but that's why we have So Far from God: The U.S. War With Mexico, 1846-1848. Henderson specializes in the other side.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, read several good books concerning the Mexican American War but really we grow tired of the military successes, this book looks at this was from a sociology standpoint. It compares the differences in colonization between UK and Spain. This I this book to be simply fascinating, it is a short read, passed on to my wife who has same interests and she was very delighted to see another way to analyze and present history.

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR YOU HISTORY BUFFS!

[Moises Cordova · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book highly recommended for readers at both sides of Rio Grande.

First it should be clarified that this is not a history about the Mexican-American War but a history about the path that led to the war.

Well written, brief and balanced, the book makes a great job to give clarity to the chaotic history of Mexico in the first half of 19th century.

Besides some details my main complain is that the author mentions the argument that mexican leadership wanted to end the war because they were scared of mexican people, and to be honest this argument is just ridiculous.

I also have the impression that the author gives race more importance than it had in reality (an issue I have noticed with some american authors studying Mexico)

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

very interesting book that shows the precedence behind america' effed up foriegn policy.

[Rhuff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slim but excellent summary of the causes of war in 1847, and especially valuable in its delineation of Mexican motives. Far from being a mere crusade of nationalist vanity led by the "Mexican Milosevic" Santa Ana, Mexico's position was that of a weak pseudo-nation badly divided by deep race and class inequity, badgered by an undoubtedly superior United States determined to wage war for its expanding empire of land and race. The way out seemed, as Professor Henderson recounts, to fall on the sword of "a glorious defeat."

While modern historians deservedly denounced the US' "wicked war," its actual unfolding was far from the "lost cause" revisionism assumed by modern Mexican nationalists. War with the US was dreaded by the Mexican elite precisely because of the likely consequences: the stirring of the Mexican peon, then mostly of Indian blood and culture, into claiming his own right of rebellion against his masters. This civil war prompted the quick surrender of the Mexican elite and the cession of less valuable land than loss of the geographic and racial basis of its rule. US forces, especially under General Winfield Scott, did not always live up to their modern judgment of racist and Protestant bigots: Scott in particular cultivated respect for the Catholic church and its clergy and promptly punished mistreatment of Mexican civilians by US troops.

In the end, both sides lost this war. The cessions made to the US led to a full scale civil war in Mexico sixty years later that swept away the last of its Spanish colonial culture. In turn, annexing Texas opened the door to civil war in the United States of the North that was clearly a form of "Montezuma's Revenge." A superb little study recommended for any student of US-Mexican relations, with so many parallels to modern imperial history.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well-written, the central theme of this book is Mexico's inability to govern itself. Henderson looks not only at the decade before the war, but long before that.Henderson's overall thesis makes sense, but his evidence just seems to get weaker and weaker as the book progresses.

The title itself is somewhat misleading; the actual war of 1846-1848 is not the main subject of the book. Its subject is the history and background of the deterioration in US-Mexican relations that led to the war. So to put you on notice, the book is more about context than anything else.

Henderson shows respect for the Mexican people as a whole and a particular mastery of the difficult realities that Mexico faced as a nation during this time period, providing a wealth of important insight into Mexico's troubles.

Henderson highlights the simple fact that Santa Anna was not the only individual in Mexico who wanted, for whatever reason, a war with the US. A faction riven Mexico, so brilliantly illustrated in detail in this book stumbled into a war for many reasons, not least of course was nationalism. Santa Anna simply rode the wave to power and managed to get killed thousands of Mexican conscripts in a war against a smaller tho much better led and equipped foe.

At least three times during the book, the author states that the War between the US and Mexico did nothing to resolve the social and economic differences between the two nations. Nowhere did Henderson state that this was a war aim, or any sort of goal of either nation. It seems a little out of place.

Not the "go-to" book for the war itself; but if you're looking for the war's background and context from the Mexican perspective, this is a must-read.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know little about Mexican history so his discussion of it was especially interesting to me. Henderson explains why and how Mexico and the U.S. were different at the time of the war. He explains their differing colonial experiences and their different racial and cultural situations. The reader learns why the issue of slavery came into play (Mexico had already banned the slave trade) and why the U.S. insisted on pushing the boundary of Texas further into Mexican territory even though the extra area was worthless land. The U.S. having provoked the war by moving the army into that region, it could only claim to be the victim in the ensuing conflict if the army had been on U.S. territory when attacked--hence their claim to the territory. It seems that the most victimized were the Mexicans who were forced (sometimes in chains) into the army and then poorly fed, poorly equipped and poorly armed. An excellent book that packs a lot into its short length.

Oh, and I was surprised to learn just how long Texas had been an independent republic. I hadn't known that.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable non-fiction. I was flabbergasted at all I didn't know about Mexican history (and American history regarding Manifest Destiny).

[That One Guy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrid Leadership - Mexico and It’s War with the United States That would be a much better title for this book.

I do not recommend you read this book unless you are willing to overlook the biased review of history.

Mr. Henderson makes a case for why Mexico devolved into the mess it became during the Mexican - American war. Much of his insights from a Mexican perspective were very insightful. I learned quite a bit about the class system that held back the population from advancing into the modern era. It seems to me after reading Henderson’s account that the war was in part due to a complete lack of leadership on Mexico’s end rather than US dubious expansionistic thoughts. Double-backing on relations, state to state fighting, continual resistance to overcoming the income disparity situation- all of these show a lack of uniformity in mind and purpose from the leadership and peoples in Mexico during this time.

Henderson reduced the US to two motives: expansionist tones and racial purity. I fully agree that the US had a huge blindside with its racist tones, but I think he was too simplistic in his breakdown. The US had quite a few reasons to be cautious about Mexico given their extreme leadership issues. He claims that the US used dubious means at one point. Let’s remember fully that the US wasn’t the only dubious party. Mexico for its part had a large number of rather dubious actions. Henderson was too harsh on the US, even for a book coming from the Mexican perspective. It didn’t look professional or historically accurate, rather more like an author “taking it out” on the US. Remember that in our present age, it is not common for countries to want to expand their land. That was not the case in this time period. We cannot interpret our current prejudices against that mentality and insert it into an historical account expecting that to be accurate. You must judge peoples motives based on what the world was like at that point, not ours. That was Henderson’s overstep and the reason I don’t recommend this book. To a mailable mind, they could view the US as a villain here without understanding all that was going on, or understanding that Mexico had plenty of bad apples as well.

My advice in the future: remember interpreting history is fine - just don’t interpret your history into it.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you grow up in Texas, you spend an entire school year dedicated to Texas history in 7th grade. How much do I remember about Texas history? Well, not much now, so I thought I would brush up on my history lessons by reading this book.

I'm going to be a library geek here for a moment and say that this book can probably be found in your local library's section on the Mexican War of 1846--that is, the U.S.'s war against Mexico for Texas. However, this book gives more than just a basic background of Mexican history as well, starting with its independence from Spain in 1812, detailing its problems with democracy, and its hatred of the institution of slavery. The Mexicans, according to the author, really longed for nobility, and Santa Anna-a rich military landowner-appealed to the Mexicans so much that he was elected president something like 10 times. Unfortunately, he was also run out of the presidency a few times as well.

The issue of Texas begins not necessarily when the "yanquis" start settling in Texas, but when they start bringing their slaves into Texas as well. Couple that with gross inattention to the legitimate settlers and their desire for trade, and you have yourself a revolution.

The writing in this book is very down-to-earth, and many aspects of the Texas revolution were cleared up for me, like why did Santa Anna give in to the Texans demands at San Jacinto (answer: he didn't really, and the Mexican government didn't view the demands as legitimate anyway). Also, as kids we're taught to be proud of our legacy as Texans, but really, this book shows that with maybe the exception of Stephen F. Austin, there weren't a whole lot of good guys in this battle.

[Larissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, concise overview of the factors that brought the United States and Mexico to war in 1846. While I would have appreciated more emphasis on the war itself, Henderson's thesis is that the various disparities existing between the two countries made Mexico's defeat inevitable, so it's understandable that the book wouldn't treat the military aspects of the conflict in much detail. A little more problematic is the first chapter, which draws too stark a contrast between a cohesive, dynamic, well-governed United States and an only marginally functional Mexico. Since A Glorious Defeat would make an excellent textbook for undergraduate courses on the history of modern Latin America or the U.S. Southwest, I wish it could have done more to incorporate recent work on the surprising vitality of post-independence Mexican politics (or, for that matter, on the various factors that undermined national unity in the antebellum U.S.) Still, this is a good introduction to a subject that doesn't receive enough attention.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book presents a fresh view of the 1847 war - it looks critically at the developments within Mexico from its independence to the crisis. In following the history of Mexico, its social structure, and its political frailties, the author notes that the border areas with the expansionist US would be a continuing source of worry. The role of Texas would be key for decades: it would spur Anglo settlement in a distant areas; its slaveholding would conflict with Mexico's antislavery views; it would lead to problems of federalism within Mexico; and its loss would be a constant wound. Texas would be no less a problem for the US; the annexation of Texas threatened the balance of slave and free states in the Union. This would only be exacerbated by the annexation of territory at the conclusion of the war. In the end, both nations would undergo civil war because of the outcome of the conflict. I also believe the war affected US relations with Latin America for decades.

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent review of what lead to the Mexican-American War, and its aftermath from mainly a Mexican perspective. The war itself is covered in a short section within a broader chapter. Although, this left me wanting more of the history of the progression of the war itself, I started the book fully aware that it was more of a diplomatic history. I found the inner turmoil and complexity of Mexico in the early 19th century shedding light on the true causes and consequences of the Mexican-American War. Far beyond the narrow historical view of it being a stepping stone on the path to Manifest Destiny instigated by the land grabbing Polk that was force fed to us in Junior High and High School history classes. In this book, the author presents a compelling argument that Mexico indeed defeated Mexico in the Mexican-American War.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a useful account of the political landscape in Mexico leading up to the war, and answers the question why the war came about and what made the Mexicans feel they had to fight it (rather than, say, selling a lot of land they couldn't control for money they desperately needed). It also helps explain why Mexico has a long history of instability while its neighbor to the north has been so robust. However, it lacks depth and the author seems uninformed in surprising but small ways (e.g., he says that the telegraph and railroad helped fuel westward expansion in the 1820s and 30s, when trains were mostly local and the telegraph had not yet been invented). It comes across as a solid thesis paper put out as a book.

[Daniel Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really great book on the first decades of independent Mexico, the Anglo settling of Mexico, the Texan Revolution, the Annexation Crisis and the subsequent Mexican-American war. I especially like that this book goes into details about different political motivations and strategies and diplomatic maneuvering. This book also discusses the attitudes and agenda of all sorts of politicians and political groups, not only Mexico, Texas, and the US but also within different Mexican states, the UK and France, and Native American groups. Finally, this book actually has a decent map, which is vital to any history book. Lots of notes and citations, well-sourced, fluid prose, chapter subheadings, keeps the reader interested and engaged - I liked it!

[Alondra Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good overview of the U.S.-Mexican War, it doesn't go overly into detail because it is simply a survey (when historians write an overview of a specific time period/event) and therefore it only uses secondary sources, in addition to that the author uses only U.S. sources for the book. That being said I didn't find this book to be bias toward either country, it tells a good narrative and it is easy to read. The way in which the author ties this conflict to the shaping of U.S.-Mexican relationships is also very compelling and it speaks to a greater truth about the way most of Latin America feels in regards to the U.S. Over all this is a well rounded book and I definitely enjoyed reading it.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his haste to provide the Mexican point of view for the causes and outcomes of the war, he creates a "straw man" version of American history to serve as the foil to his arguments about the various problems besetting Mexican history and people in the years 1821-1847. His comments oversimplify strong regional, economic, and socio-cultural divisions within the U.S. of the same era, with one prime example being differences on the issue of slavery. Scanning the primary documents and diplomatic correspondence will give one an equal, if not more nuanced, grasp of the reasons and concerns for Mexico's decision to fight back against U.S. aggression in 1846-47 than this book provides.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this book. I had to read it for a freshman history class. Honestly, the topic is not super interesting to me, but I didn't hate the book. Parts were boring, but the book taught me a lot. I hope to reread the book one day to get a better understanding of what the book was trying to prove.

[Not HG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the best book about the Mexican-American War I have read. Though the war itself is dealt with only in the last chapter, the book's main point in analyzing the history of Mexico and why it lost, rather than just chalking it up to the "America is better duh" idea many take.

[Alberta L. Gallardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Gave a lot of insight I was unaware of. It truly was a Glorious Defeat. Mexico had no chance with all their dysfunctional entities. Santa Anna kinda reminds me of what Trump would be like as a leader.

[Hugh Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, clear and a great story. Yankee imperialism and Mexico idiocy.

[Tom Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Mexican/American War.

[Susie Schroeder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting read from the Mexican point of view of the Mexican War

[Doug McNair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good short history of the Mexican - American War, as told from the Mexican point of view.

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I am living in Texas, I should have a better appreciation for borderlands history! A compelling narrative of the Mexican-American war from the Mexican perspective.

[Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I ordered online thinking it was something entirely different then what it turned out to be. I was wanting a book about the U.S. – Mexico War that took place in the latter half of the 1840s. I was wanting a blow by blow account of the battles, the key figures, the politics, and the overall sentiments from both sides of the conflict. What this book actually is, however, is more of a detailed account of WHY the particular war ever took place. So we read a lot about the reasons why the two nations went to war, but very little about the war itself. Fortunately, since my knowledge of “why” the conflict happened was very sparse, I was perfectly happy with this book and would still highly recommend it.

An interesting observation: The subtitle of this book is “Mexico and its war with the United States” NOT “The United States and its war with Mexico”. The word “Mexico” is also featured in big bold letters within the title on the actual book. To me, this is an observation that this book is more about Mexico during the time leading up to the conflict than it is the United States. Again, this was welcome to me as I know a lot of history of the United States during this time, yet very little of Mexico’s history. You could argue that this book could also serve as sort of a primer for the first fifty years of Mexico’s existence as an independent nation.

Sadly, this is not a very glorious nor productive time for the young country of Mexico. Unlike the United States, Mexico doesn’t have much to be proud of, and the author paints a very grim picture of the nation. The class division is far too wide a chasm, the infrastructure is faulty, the leadership corrupt, and the state ruled Catholic Church seems to do more harm than good.

When a basically ignored northern province known as Texas begins to be inhibited by people from the United States, they seem to function much better than their inhabited country. The proud Texans set up a system that works quite well, and we soon see the stranglehold of their (jealous?) parent nation of Mexico. Soon, the United States wants Texas. This book, however, is not a strict execration of the nation of Mexico, nor does it serve as an apologist defense for the United States. The author makes it very clear that the motives of the United States are far from altruistic, and one of the overall sentiments displayed by many is that the main reason the U.S. wants Texas is to balance the “slavery” issue; one more state added to the union where slavery exists can tilt the balance in the South’s favor.

Again, though, there’s not much within these pages about the War of Texas Independence. The famous story of The Alamo, for example, is briefly mentioned on one, maybe two pages. This is definitely more of a “behind the scenes” book rather than focusing on the actual events of the various conflicts.

We read an awful lot about Santa Ana. The man seems to be a cruel joke on humanity, yet he somehow manages to get elected to the presidency of the nation of Mexico no fewer than ten times. When someone who does such a poor job leading and yet manages to finagle his way into the prime role of leadership time after time, you can help but shake your head in disgust that a nation can really be that backwards.

This book is just short of 200 pages, and is ‘smaller’ than most hardbacks. This makes it rather a brief read, yet it really is packed with solid, noteworthy information. As I mentioned earlier, the actual “War with Mexico” doesn’t happen until late in this volume, and the details are only briefly described. So if you’re looking for a detailed account, I would suggest you look elsewhere, but this book does provide a very thorough understanding of the temperature of the two nations leading up to the conflict; with many of the repercussions – physical and emotional – still prevalent today.

[Will Wadas · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Glorious Defeat” tells the tale of Mexico's tumultuous political history during its early independence years, especially in relation to the country's relationship with the United States.

This book discusses several seminal events in U.S. history such as the Texas War of Independence and the Mexican-American War from the political perspective of Mexico. I think a lot of people in the United States make hasty judgements about Mexico and its people without understanding the history of our southern neighbors. I'd like not to be one of those people.

A few random revelations after reading this book:

1) Stephen F. Austin was as much a figure of Mexican history as American history. Before becoming the "Father of Texas" and the namesake of that state's capital city, he was a respected empresario whose personal motto was "Fidelity to Mexico."

2) During the early 1840s, there was almost as much a push for war in Mexico as there was in the United States.
War was controversial in both countries, but in both cases the pro-war factions were loudest and ultimately won out. American calls for war were rooted in expansionist rhetoric which were always opportunistic and often racially arrogant. Meanwhile Mexico's political elite had devolved an almost fanatical obsession with reconquering Texas, using the goal of building an army for that end to justify raising taxes that were never actually used for that purpose.

3) Antonio López de Santa Anna was as personally eccentric as he was politically innovative. He's a man whose personal ambitions singularly defined the fate of his country and even an entire continent in a way that can really only be compared to Napoleon. Considering that he was a political powerhouse in Mexico from 1819 to 1855 and served as the President and/or dictator of Mexico on eleven separate occasions throughout those years, I think it's super weird that Americans really only learn about him in the context of the Alamo— if at all.

[Porter Broyles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to reading this book. Having read "This Wicked War" which is about the US politics behind the war and "So Far From God" about the war itself, I was interested in reading about the Mexican perspective on the war.

This books is more of an "Introduction to Mexico History" in the 1800s. The book focuses on the period of 1820 to 1847. You only reach the Mexico-American War in the last chapter of the book. The rest is talking about the history of Mexico as seen by an American.

I think it provides an interesting perspective, but I was little disappointed. If you go into the book understanding that the book is really about the evolution of the conflict between Mexico and Texas as it lead up to the Mexico American War, I think you will enjoy it more. It's a matter of managing expectation.

As a person who lives in Texas and has read a fair amount of Texas History, I was familiar with the history of Santa Anna, Stephen Austin, and Sam Houston. I've read numerous histories on the Texas Independence and the Alamo. THAT is what the book is really about.

If you want a short history on the events leading up to the Texas Revolution, then this is a SHORT concise book on the subject.

The Mexico-American War is the last chapter of the book. As I was hoping for more about the Mexican point of view on that war, I was disappointed.

Still, if you are interested in a fairly quick synopsis of Mexican history through the Texas Revolution and Mexico-American war you could do a lot worse. It was interesting and well written.

[Jester · Rating 4 out of 5]

A history class on this topic would discuss the war and perhaps even try to frame it within the US political environment. This book provides more of the Mexican politics behind the relationship with Texas and the US. The author provides background and context for how some Mexicans viewed events and the direction that country should be taking. The fresh perspective enables one to approach Texas from south of the river, or perhaps a couple rivers depending on who delineates the boundary. The theme of Mexico's troubled past emanates from the writing and provides explanations not only for the many incarnations of Santa Anna, but also for the difficulties Mexico faces as a country as the US continued to grow stronger in the world. The US is faulted for many things in the book, so it is not a judgement of countries, rather an explanation of the differing challenges by lands so close to each other. The book adds high value to the conversation of how a land of intermingled peoples could be so divisive.

[Jack Ordway · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly fascinating history of the Mexican American war from the Mexican perspective. The book does a phenomenal job of explaining the dysfunctions, politics, and weaknesses within Mexico that lead to the war. This is one of the more interesting histories I’ve read and will certainly solidify my going down the rabbit hole of Mexican history during the war period. The book excels in giving just enough context to explain certain decision and institutions, while avoiding long excursions from the main topic. I found the role class and race played in mexicos defeat to particularly interesting, and well argued that they in fact played a major role in mexico losing. Santa Anna is also a very interesting character, and the social conditions and political maneuvering that allowed for his many comebacks is fascinating. Highly recommend.