On the Banks Opposite of Matamoros: Using Modern Archeological Techniques to Understand and Manage the Opening Battles of the U.S.-Mexican War 1846-1848
Author(s): Rolando Garza; John Cornelison; michael seibert
Year: 2016
Summary
In the spring of 1846 General Zachary Taylor led half of the U.S. Army to the northern banks of the Rio Grande to occupy the territory claimed by both Mexico and the recently annexed state of Texas. This show of force was intended to pressure Mexico into peacefully releasing these lands to the United States. However, by early May Taylor’s troops would defeat the Mexican Army at the battles of Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and the Siege of Fort Brown and occupy Matamoros. These opening battles would set the tone for the two-year conflict that would end with U.S. occupation of the Mexican capital and the ceding of over half of the Mexican national territory to the United States. Over the past decade the National Park Service has utilized geo-archeological and geophysical archeological techniques to provide critical information for the understanding, management, and preservation of the opening battles.
Cite this Record
On the Banks Opposite of Matamoros: Using Modern Archeological Techniques to Understand and Manage the Opening Battles of the U.S.-Mexican War 1846-1848. Rolando Garza, John Cornelison, michael seibert. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434467)
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
General
Geo-Archeology
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Geophysics
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Preservation
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
Nineteenth Century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 198