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Johnson Vs Zinn Essay

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Both Johnson and Zinn had interesting views on the topics and they also had similar points. However, Johnson stated that Americans wanted more land and they were not satisfied after the Louisiana Purchase. This is where the Manifest Destiny came about to continue expansion. They wanted to take over the whole western portion of the continent, in order to spread the ideologies of Democracy and Republicanism. The South especially wanted to the expansion because they wanted to extend to slavery to maintain their power and balance in Congress (pg. 372). Americans in search of land cooperated with Mexican Authorities to gain lands. But Jackson despised Mexicans he still wanted Texas apart of the Union. Texas remained independent for years and it …show more content…

He ordered General Taylor to make was with Mexica because he was an expansionist (150). Zinn wrote the Whig Party was allegedly against the war against Mexico, but they still wanted America to expand. The Whig Party joined the Democrats and voted to resolve the war. Several antislavery Congressmen voted against the war against Mexico because they knew this was a means to extend slavery (pg. 154). Zinn focused his argument around the killing of the Mexicans and Americans as well, in order to acquire land. Most individuals did not speak up against the war except Congregational, Quaker, and Unitarian churches, even though they were all for expansion, they did not want the war that came with it.
In addition, Zinn argument was a debate between individuals who opposed war and expanding slavery and those who supported it.
2. What do you think about the concept of Manifest Destiny?
I think the Manifest Destiney was inevitable because whether or not the war occurred, America would have expanded one way or the other.
3. Was the Mexican-American War (as Polk argued) a defense against Mexican aggression, or (as the Massachusetts Legislature claimed) “a War to Strengthen Slave Power”?
4. In my opinion, in a sense the Mexican-American War was a defense against Mexican aggression because there were anti-American Mexicans who fought against Americans. However, the War was centered on the Strengthen

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