How Did The Mexican War Become President Polk?

Wars are waged for one reason and one reason only: land. The Mexican War was a war fought between America is its weaker neighbor Mexico. It is often said that the person who started the Mexican War was President Polk. Growing up in Mississippi during the latter years of Spain’s reign in the Southern states, Polk came to despise the Spanish. His contempt for the Spanish carried on over to the Mexicans, who had just won their independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico’s struggle to govern all of its territory worsened Polk’s contempt for them (Pletcher). When President Polk was campaigning to become president, his political campaign was straightforward. His strong belief in the concept of Manifest Destiny as well as his stubborn will was what will ultimately lead to the Mexican War.

During this time, over 13,000 lives were lost. As president, there were better ways for Polk to have handled the war. The best way would have been to avoid it completely. He knew from the beginning that purchasing California would be a hopeless bet. However, because he was so stubborn, he was willing to go to war to obtain it, thinking that the Mexicans would not put up much of a fight. Polk had, at first, hoped he could gain California from Mexico the same way he had gotten Oregon from Great Britain--with what is called “eyeball diplomacy,” staring at the opponent and expecting he would blink first. This tactic obviously did not work, which angered him. Economically, the United States was not fit for a war, especially a war in a foreign country. Though the Americans did win the war, their relationship with the Mexicans became poor. Many lives were lost in exchange for over twelve million square miles of land as well as the States’s new status as a great power. Also, with the acquisition of new territory came the problems of slavery in those new territories. This problem would eventually lead to the Civil War