The first battle of the Mexican-American War was fought northeast of what is now the junction of FM 511 and FM 1847. More than 8,000 American and Mexican soldiers fought at Palo Alto on May 8, 1846, on territory disputed by the two nations. The battlefield was later preserved to interpret the battle and the Mexican-American War from the perspectives of both the United States and Mexico, and it stands as a reminder that respect, understanding, and peace, not war, are the goals for which all nations must strive.