the nineteenth century, fully blossoming during the twentieth century. "Mexicans had learned about.
dangerous Indian uprisings and about overthrowing oppressive political rulers. These lessons would be.
repeated often in Mexican history" (Suchlicki, 60).
Mexico emerged from the struggle for Independence destroyed politically, socially and economically. In.
1824, a constitution was created, partially modeled after the United States Constitution. However, for the.
next fifty years, much like today, laws and the constitution hardly mattered to the ruling elite. Violence.
was an integral part of the political process. Internal fighting and chaos in Mexico invited foreign.
intervention and led directly to conflicts with France and the United States. .
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was the dominant figure in Mexican politics during the time of the.
US-Mexican War. There were deep divisions within Mexican society at this time and the political.
structure of Mexico was still extremely weak. The wounds from the war of Independence had never.
totally healed in Mexico. However, Santa Anna chose to ignore this domestic situation and turn his.
attention to Texas. .
Many US citizens had been moving to Texas at the beginning of the nineteenth century. During the.
1830's, Mexico was attempting to gain control over Texas and stop further US immigration. Santa Anna's.
attempt to gain control over the Texas territory increased resentment among the Americans living there.
This resentment, and the ignorance of Santa Anna, led to a disastrous war with the United States in which.
Mexico lost Texas, as well as, the Northern most part of Mexico through the Treaty of.
Guadalupe-Hidalgo. This war, the War of Northern Invasion, infuriated the Mexican people, leaving a.
bitter taste in the mouths of most Mexicans regarding their Northern neighbors. The ambition and.
negligence of Santa Anna was, in a sense, " . . . the product of and cause of Mexican instability".