Genl. Taylor at the battle of Resaca de la Palma 1854

Here we have "Genl. Taylor at the battle of Resaca de la Palma," a lithograph made by Currier and Ives sometime between 1857 and 1907. This print throws us right into the theatrics of mid-19th century American militarism and patriotism. The image immortalizes General Taylor, later President Taylor, as a beacon of leadership amidst the chaos of battle. Yet, if we dig a bit deeper, we can’t ignore the realities glossed over here. It’s all too easy to read the narrative of American expansionism and its impact on Mexican territories as an inevitable ‘Manifest Destiny,’ but the print invites us to look closer. The fallen soldiers, the distant fires, the exoticized palm tree – all point to the costs and the constructed narratives around the Mexican-American War. This was a war, remember, fraught with debates about slavery and territorial expansion. Ultimately, the image pushes us to reflect on how narratives of heroism often mask more complex, and sometimes brutal, historical truths. It reminds us to consider whose stories are told and, crucially, whose are left out.