Swenson, Benjamin J. America and the Mexican War of Independence

Insurgents, Patriots, and Brethren in Arms, 1810-1821

In 1810, the Atlantic world was embroiled in revolutions, piracy, proxy wars, and covert operations. Napoleon had invaded Spain, the Louisiana Territory was in crisis, and Americans were preparing to declare war on the British. Beset at home, the Spanish struggled to maintain their colonial empire, while U.S. officials and agents secretly worked toward their withdrawal from Texas and Floridaan outcome ultimately brought about by General Andrew Jacksons victory at New Orleans in 1815, as well as by a British shift in policy regarding Spanish possessions following Napoleons final defeat in Europe. Although Americans may have officially declared neutrality in the bloody Mexican civil war, their actions told a different story. The first book to establish a link between America and the Mexican struggle for independence, this volume examines guerrilla warfare and the Royalist response in Mexico; the common cause made by Mexican and American "patriots" in expelling the Spanish; American covert efforts to funnel insurgents and arms into the revolutionary zone; and the impact of the war and its aftermath on the destiny of an entire continent.