In May of 1846, US President James K. Polk sent a letter to Congress asking for a declaration of war with Mexico. Polk an ardent expansionist saw an opportunity to secure Texas for the United States of America. At this point in time Texas had seceded from Mexico and was offered statehood by the US Congress. Mexico disagreed and was instigating war in an attempt to win Texas back. ( Polk, 374). President Polk is interested in expanding the borders of the US by means of war with Mexico.
There are three points made in Polk’s message to Congress to justify the US going to war with Mexico. The first was Mexico’s refusal to peacefully negotiate the Texas border dispute with a US envoy. (Polk, 375). The second was Mexico refusal to live up to its responsibilities it committed to in signing treaties between the two countries. (Polk, 377). Lastly, Mexico was attacking US citizens on US soil and in her own words we are now at war. (Polk, 377).
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On November 30th President Polk sent Mr. John Slidell as a special envoy to negotiate with Mexico the dispute over the Texas border. Mr. Slidell was given full power and authority to negotiate the terms of this proposed deal. The Mexican government refused to see Mr Slidell, “This minister in his reply under date of 12th of March, reiterated the arguments of his predecessor, and in terms that may be considered as giving just grounds of offense to the Government and people of the United States denied the application of Mr. Slidell…”(Polk, 376). Prior to congressional approval President Polk ordered troops to move into position just in case Mexico decided to invade. They were told to abstain from all aggressive acts as not to provoke war. (Polk, 376) President Polk is making the argument that there is no other choice but to prepare to go to war with Mexico because they refuse to negotiate and that they have done everything possible to avoid war. (Polk,
Americans were outraged over the border dispute at the Nueces and the Rio Grande rivers, and Mexicans were irate with America’s annexation of Texas. President James K. Polk availed in the atmosphere of animosity, hurrying to place troops on conflicted land. On May 9, 1846, he found his cause for war. Mexican and American troops had engaged in combat on April 24, which led American blood spilt on contended soil. However, through all their fighting spirit, the Americans faithfully ignored their own mistreatment of the Mexicans.
With presidents Martin Van Buren and William Henry Harrison both during these time periods we would see diplomatic ties with the US by Sir Andrew Jackson. This motive will later lead to a war with Mexico if political individuals proceed to try to achieve power of Texas. Which in result from the text we learn that Mexico tries to take over Texas and the US would respond with aggressive actions forcing the US and Mexico to declare war at the time for the annex of Texas. When the United States pushed to purchase Texas and Mexican California, we see that their attempt did not prevail whilst Mexico views this as an insult. Polk would act and ordered men to “take a bold, firm course towards Mexico.”
Because of this, Mexico has thrusted war upon us. We believe what James K. Polk said, “The constitution, public treaties and the laws oblige the President to regard Texas as an independent state, and its territory
The Mexican American War started in 1846 because of Mexican resentment caused by the 1836 loss of Texas and the American’s desire for Mexico’s more northern territory. “On September 9, 1847 after two years of fighting, the Mexican American war essentially ended when the American Army captured Mexico City after the Battle of Chapultepec”( 6). The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war. United States leaders then acted morally superior in their negotiations of the treaty 1. During negotiations, United States officials viewed the “forcible incorporations” (1) of almost one half of Mexico’s land as an “event foreordained by providence and Manifest Destiny” (1).
However, their other possible reasons why the U.S. declared war on May 13, 1846, despite no official declaration of war from Mexico. According to Jennings, “If the war against Mexico demonstrated the potential for the Army to lead multifaceted teams to decisively win on distant and unfamiliar terrain, future endeavors in far-flung theaters will surely provide the opposite, and ultimately crucible, to do so once again” (48). If the U.S. were to be victorious in this campaign, then they would feel confident in future war endeavors. During this campaign, even though the U.S. was winning over the ill-prepared Mexican army, President Polk was blindsided by exiled General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana who claimed that he was able to make peaceful negotiations with Mexico; if he was able to return.
Therefor, the U.S. was not justified in going to war with Mexico. U.S. historians refer to this event in particular as “ The Mexican War”; while in Mexico, the refer to it as “ the U.S. Invasion.” (Doc.C, Par.1) Troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor arrived at the Rio Grande across from the city of Matamoros President Polk’s orders in early 1846. Thus, occupying the territory in dispute and increasing the possibilities of battle. In the eyes of the Mexican Government,the mobilization of the U.S. Army was an outright attack on Mexico.
As a Democrat, I believe that President Polk was justified in starting the Mexican-American War. Also, as a strong supporter of Manifest Destiny, also known as Western expansion, I furthermore find reason to believe Polk was justified in initiating war with the Mexican people; being that the Mexican government refused peaceful negotiation. The Americans were the just owners of this western land, and we intended to get it. The Mexican government refused a meeting with our representative to establish the border between Texas and Mexico, along with an offer of 30 million dollars for Western territory. These western territories would provide substantial economic growth for the United States, as well as the obvious: making our nation larger as
Exemplified in John O’Sullivan’s concept of Manifest Destiny, President Polk believed that it was America’s duty to spread American Exceptionalism throughout the entire North American continent. Resultantly, Polk sought to acquire California through peaceful methods at first, and later through more deceptive means. Ultimately, Polk moved troops to a disputed region between the Nueces and Rio Grande rivers in order to provoke a war with Mexico, consequently expediting America’s Manifest Destiny. A justifiable war is one which is undertaken for defensive purposes only, and although misguided by the nationalistic, expansionist precepts of Manifest Destiny, and although he first attempted to acquire southwestern territory peacefully, President Polk failed to satisfy this burden, instead choosing to sacrifice “American blood” for the offensive expansion of his
The major conflict of President James Polk's term was the Mexican War that began during his presidency on 1846, and ended in 1848. May 13, 1846 is when congress officially declared war on Mexico, but previously to the U.S. declaring war the United States had already won two battles. This war was popular among young men and men, many people wanted to enlist in the army that recruiting stations had to turn away a large amount of people. During the war president James Polk sent a diplomat by the name of Nicholas Trist to try and settle peace with the Mexicans, but had an unsuccessful arrangement with Santa Anna president of Mexico. Therefore the war continued but ended shortly after when the United States won the battle of Mexico
Have you ever been so hungry for land that you accidently set of a war with Mexico when you were just trying to buy their land in the first place? Land in the eighteen hundreds was very valuable and so when you're the president of a country you want your followers to be happy. So with president J Polk being in charge, he sets foot and says a whole speech about “manifest destiny”, which later on results in many things like, Mexico rejecting 30 million dollars for land, General Zachary Taylor leading troops up to the Rio Grande, the Mexican - American war taking place, and the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. So president James k Polk always did believe in this thing called Manifest Destiny which stood for, let's head westward across the north american continents. By doing so it would allow his american people to expand in a less crowded area.
and Mexican forces had taken place in U.S. territory.” “Further, legislators were at odds over whether Polk had the right to unilaterally declare that a state of war
In Document B, President Polk said, “I had ordered and efficient military force to take a position...to meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the Mexican forces….invasion was threatened solely because Texas had determined….to annex herself to our Union,... it was plainly our duty to extend our protection over her citizens and soil.” President Polk then mentioned the attack at the Rio del Norte, where the invasion in Texas happened. This evidence shows the US was justified in going to war with Mexico because Texas was invaded by Mexico, meaning that the U.S. should protect Texas by fighting
Was the United States Justified in Going to War With Mexico? Who started the Mexican-American War? Firstly, The United States went to Mexico in 1846. Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. Certainly, Americans were being extremely greedy and wanted more and more land.
As stated before, the US was justified in going to war with Mexico because of three reasons, Americans were killed, Texas was already annexed, and Manifest Destiny allows it. The United states had many superb reasons for going to war with Mexico. This essay is significant because it helps explain the United States’ choice to go to war with
The United States war with Mexico continues to be a divisive topic among many people because of its background. The Mexican-American war was a fight between Mexico and America for land. America’s belief at the time was Manifest Destiny, which meant that they believed that America should extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific ocean. In the end, America benefited from the war and got the land. The United States expanded its size, achieving their dream of Manifest Destiny.