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Mexican American War Dbq Essay

708 Words3 Pages

In the year 1846 America went to war with Mexico over a simple land dispute. Quite like children they fought over boundaries and borders. The land in dispute in the beginning was Texas, but then it grew to include much much more land, enough to double the size of America and basically half Mexico. America made claims, Mexico refuted them and the United States took charge anyway, attempting underhandedly to get Mexico to act against the political bullying, making war justifiable. All in all a rather undignified encounter. The United States was not justified in going to war with Mexico. In Document A John L. O’Sullivan said, “..our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence (God)...” During this time period America was …show more content…

Sullivan also said, “Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real government authority over such a country...The Anglo-Saxon...marking its trail…” (Document A). Many Americans believed all other races and nations were subpar and had no right to North American lands. They assumed that any non-anglo-saxon, or non-American was unintelligent and unable to keep control of any substantial responsibility. This incredibly selfish mental state caused not only the Mexican-American War but also several much smaller indian wars, they thought white Americans were the only ones with rights or intelligence, they saw color of skin as a mental and character …show more content…

Polk’s flowery language and fake solemn tone, after he started a fight, and did not believe in manifest destiny. Polk made a beautiful speech assuaging America of any guilt in the matter and blaming Mexico for everything, but people like Charles Sumner in Document D were not taken in and did not agree with this forcible theft of land and the noncompliance to Mexican laws that eventually led to the first hostilities. In Document D he rebukes Polk’s war address that denies American guilt and states, “...defiance of the Mexican ordinance…[and]...the lust of territorial robbery...in seeking extension of slavery, (our own citizens denied) the great truths of American freedom…” (Document D). He is explaining that America is in fact at fault for this war and the Mexican people were only protecting their laws. America was in such a hurry to get more slave land that it trampled the rights of other countries as given in the Monroe Doctrine. American people broke laws and stole land when

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