From Wikipedia

The Mexican–American War was an armed military conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848 in the wake of the 1845 U.S. annexation of Texas. Mexico did not recognize the secession and subsequent military victory by Texas in 1836, and considered Texas a rebel province.

In the United States, the conflict was traditionally referred to simply as the Mexican War. In Mexico, it is referred to as La Intervención Norteamericana ("The North American Intervention"), La Invasión Estadounidense ("The United States Invasion"), La Guerra de Defensa ("The Defensive War"), or La Guerra del 47 ("The War of '47").

In the United States, the war was a partisan issue, with most Whigs opposing it and most southern Democrats, animated by a popular belief in the Manifest Destiny (and the opportunity to gain territory for the expansion of slavery), supporting it. In Mexico, the war was considered a matter of national pride.

The most important consequence of the war for the United States was the Mexican Cession, in which the Mexican territories of Alta California and Santa Fé de Nuevo México were ceded to the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. In Mexico, the enormous loss of territory following the war encouraged its government to enact policies to colonize its northern territories as a hedge against further losses.

Reconquista

In recent years, some Hispanic civil rights groups in the U.S. have advocated a "reconquista," or reconquest, of territory lost when Mexico signed the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican-American War.

Contrary to most media representations, men did not win the West alone. There were women involved as well. 

Old West occupations like cowboying and mining were almost exclusively male, but there were exceptions. There were also a few women whose circumstances or inclination led them to become professional gamblers and card sharks. 

Author and screenwriter Chris Enss introduces 15 colorful, independent, and exceptional women gamblers of the Old West in this collection of cardsharp profiles. 

"Throughout the history of the early gaming days of the Old West, women proved they were just as capable as men at dealing cards and throwing dice," Enss claims.  

Even so, professional women gamblers were a rarity and, according to Enss, "the most successful lady gamblers possessed stunning good looks, which helped disarm aggressive opponents and gave them something pretty to look at as they lost their moeny."

The women profiled are Alice Ivers, Eleanora Dumont, Lottie Deno, Kitty LeRoy, Belle Ryan Cora, Gertudis Maria Barcelo, Belle Siddons, Kate O'Leary,  Belle Starr, Minnie Smith, Martha Jane Canary, Jenny Rowe and Mary Hamlin.