In this Book
- Remembering the Forgotten War: The Enduring Legacies of the U.S.-Mexican War
- Book
- 2012
- Published by: University of Massachusetts Press
- Series: Public History in Historical Perspective
summary
On February 2, 1848, representatives of the United States and Mexico signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ending hostilities between the two countries and ceding over one-half million square miles of land to the northern victors. In Mexico, this defeat has gradually moved from the periphery of dishonor to the forefront of national consciousness. In the United States, the war has taken an opposite trajectory, falling from its once-celebrated prominence into the shadowy margins of forgetfulness and denial.
Why is the U.S.–Mexican War so clearly etched in the minds of Mexicans and so easily overlooked by Americans? This book investigates that issue through a transnational, comparative analysis of how the tools of collective memory—books, popular culture, historic sites, heritage groups, commemorations, and museums—have shaped the war's multifaceted meaning in the 160 years since it ended. Michael Van Wagenen explores how regional, ethnic, and religious differences influence Americans and Mexicans in their choices of what to remember and what to forget. He further documents what happens when competing memories clash in a quest for dominance and control.
In the end, Remembering the Forgotten War addresses the deeper question of how remembrance of the U.S.–Mexican War has influenced the complex relationship between these former enemies now turned friends. It thus provides a new lens through which to view today's cross-border rivalries, resentments, and diplomatic pitfalls.
Why is the U.S.–Mexican War so clearly etched in the minds of Mexicans and so easily overlooked by Americans? This book investigates that issue through a transnational, comparative analysis of how the tools of collective memory—books, popular culture, historic sites, heritage groups, commemorations, and museums—have shaped the war's multifaceted meaning in the 160 years since it ended. Michael Van Wagenen explores how regional, ethnic, and religious differences influence Americans and Mexicans in their choices of what to remember and what to forget. He further documents what happens when competing memories clash in a quest for dominance and control.
In the end, Remembering the Forgotten War addresses the deeper question of how remembrance of the U.S.–Mexican War has influenced the complex relationship between these former enemies now turned friends. It thus provides a new lens through which to view today's cross-border rivalries, resentments, and diplomatic pitfalls.
Table of Contents
Download Full Book
- Acknowledgments
- pp. xi-xiv
- A Note on Perspectives
- pp. xv-xviii
- 4. Creating Heroes: Mexico, 1867–1920
- pp. 81-100
- 6. Rituals of the State: Mexico, 1921–1952
- pp. 128-152
- 8. Resisting the Gringos: Mexico, 1953–1989
- pp. 174-191
- Conclusion: Putting the Skeletons to Rest
- pp. 240-246
- About the Author, Back Cover
- pp. 369-370
Additional Information
ISBN
9781613762134
Related ISBN(s)
9781558499294, 9781558499300
MARC Record
OCLC
830023583
Pages
352
Launched on MUSE
2012-11-02
Language
English
Open Access
No