Rare 1840s Photo Shows US Cavalry in Mexican City

A recently shared historic photograph depicts American soldiers on horseback in a Mexican city during the Mexican‑American War (1846‑1848). The conflict, driven by the United States' Manifest Destiny agenda and the annexation of Texas, led to U.S. forces capturing Mexico City and signing the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Under the treaty, Mexico ceded more than half of its territory—including present‑day California, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada—to the United States, reshaping North America and intensifying domestic debates over slavery.