A Glorious Defeat

A concise yet comprehensive social history of the Mexican–American War as it was experienced by the people of Mexico. The war that was fought between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 was a major event in the history of both countries: it cost Mexico half of its national territory, opened western North America to US expansion, and magnified tensions that led to civil wars in both countries. Among generations of Latin Americans, it helped to cement the image of the United States as a