Though few American historians have written on United States—Mexican relations of the early nineteenth century, Mexicans have frequently explored the era. The answer lies in their fascination with the Mexican War of 1846-1848, a cataclysmic episode for Mexico. Carlos Bosch García is the author of the latest study of this era.
His book departs from much that has been written before on the subject. Unlike some of the essays, articles, and books that precede his study, Bosch García’s piece is free of the nationalism that mars them. He has done this, as he points out, by relying exclusively on documents in the archives of the ministries of foreign affairs of Mexico and the United States. Objectivity aside, Bosch García has another reason for this reliance on primary sources. One of his purposes in writing the study is to evaluate the books and articles published by Mexican and United States historians. Only after he had concluded his archival research did he read the secondary works. His evaluation of the published materials are in a special chapter at the beginning of the Historia de las relaciones.. . . They are done carefully and represent a contribution to historiography, of prime interest to those interested in learning “the other side” of the story.
The strength of Bosch García’s method is also the weakness of his book. By focusing on the almost day-to-day diplomatic intercourse between the United States and Mexico, the author often overlooks the forest for the trees. A wider perspective and more interpretation would have helped. Despite this criticism, Bosch García has added greatly to the knowledge of this era, particularly since he casts much light on the Mexican reaction to Washington’s objectives and diplomacy. He does so in a scholarly, thoroughly documented fashion.
