Polk’s America | Peter Guardino

Dr. Peter Guardino | Volunteer Soldiers and Jacksonian Democracy in Polk’s America

“The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War” – Peter Guardino, Harvard University Press

June 22, 2021 | 7PM Central

By sending troops to contested territory following the annexation of Texas, James Polk provoked an attack on American soldiers. Polk had his war, now he needed an army…

The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) reshaped the nations in conflict. The Mexican Cession following the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo granted the United States over 500,000 square miles of territory.

When the war broke the standing US Army was not large enough to execute Polk’s aggressive strategy.  Volunteer regiments formed full of young men from wide ranging backgrounds from across the states. To prepare for the defense of the nation, Mexico conscripted new soldiers into the army drawing from some of the most vulnerable populations in the country.

Peter Guardino, author of “The Dead March,” will share his research into the soldiers who fought in this pivotal North American conflict.

This edition of Polk’s America will be presented virtually, with a live Q&A component after the lecture.

Peter Guardino is Provost Professor at Indiana University. He has published more than twenty articles and the books Peasants, Politics and the Formation of Mexico’s National State: Guerrero, 1800-1857 (1996) The Time of Liberty: Popular Political Culture in Oaxaca, 1750-1850 (2005) and The Dead March: A History of the Mexican-American War (Harvard University Press 2017).  The latter won the Conference on Latin American History’s Bolton-Johnson Award for the best book on Latin American History, the Society for Military History’s Distinguished Book Award for the best book on non-United States Military History, and the Western History Association’s Robert Utley Award for the best book on frontier military history.  All three books have been translated and published in Mexico.  Guardino has received a number of prestigious fellowships, including three Fulbright awards and fellowships from the American Council of Learned Societies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Social Science Research Council.

How to Watch:

© 2024 President James K. Polk Home and Museum

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This