Manifest Destiny: the early American settlers believed in moving, the American settlers believed it was their birthright, their god given right to move to The West. Many wanted to go to The West, to start new lives, to get rich or just to start over. President Polk the President of the United States at the time of the dispute with Mexico. Polk wanted the land that is now Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. President Polk, first tried to get that land for the U.S by offering Mexican money for the land. The Mexican government said no. President Polk tried to provoke a war with Mexico. He finally got congress to declare war with Mexico in 1836. When he talked about “Shedding American blood on American soil.” This quote made congress change its mind. Even though it was technically not on American soil. …show more content…
The Northerners were against the war because a lot of the North was against slavery, and the result of the war would lead to the U.S getting Texas from the war which was a slave state. The Northerners did not want another slave state. The Northerners may have been against the war but others were not. The Southerners and the Westerners supported the war the strongest. They believed when the war was over the U.S would try to vote in Texas, and Texas was a slave state which meant there would be another slave state. Congressman Abraham Lincoln did not support the war. He did not want there to be another slave state. General Zachary Taylor on the other hand was the General who led the U.S into the disputed area. He also led the U.S troops across the Rio Grande in Mexico. He would later become President of the United States of America. The disputed land was the land which Mexico thought was theirs but which America thought was theirs. President Polk got Congress to declare war on Mexico by saying the term “American blood on American soil.” Even though it was not “American