How did the mexican american war divide the north and south and led to the civil war?

California State University, Hayward

General Scott Entering Mexico City General Scott Entering Mexico City
Special Collections Division, The University of Texas at Arlington
What did the Mexican War mean to Americans in the mid-19th century? The answer reflects the nature and character of mid-century America itself. Americans were reaching out beyond their border. Advancements in transportation and communications technologies were dissolving the nation's geographic and cultural isolation. Commerce expanded and travel increased as interest in exploration carried Americans around the globe. The war was a "window" through which Americans saw a strange and exotic land of alien manners, customs, and attitudes. Many were convinced that America would never be the same.