Mexican War As In Manifest Destiny And Mission In American History

Studying American history allows students to understand society and citizenship as well as their own identity. As students emerge into adulthood, their education from elementary to secondary schools influence their contribution to American culture, politics, and economy. Thus, the knowledge attained from history courses must be precise in order to produce well-rounded, educated citizens. Unfortunately, American history textbooks lack the truth that could alter a student’s perception tremendously, such as becoming a republican or democrat. It is essential for history textbooks to provide students with the basic knowledge that will, in return, shape their American identity. This essay will use the misconceptions surrounding the Mexican War as

He explains how the Polk government formulated three methods to acquire California without purchasing, which consisted of the O’Sullivan method, Buchanan and Bancroft method, and dragging California into the union. The O’Sullivan method of Manifest Destiny involved waiting for California to follow Texas’ destiny and apply for admission while the Buchanan and Bancroft method insisted on using the Texas Constitution as a bait to persuade admittance. The last method, dragging California into the union, was not politically desirable due to it being an act of compulsion on a neighboring country; however, this was the chosen method after the annexation of Texas due to Mexico’s president threatening war upon the U.S. As a result, Mexico eliminated diplomatic relations with the U.S. and a dispute over territory

Greenberg emphasizes Polk’s territorial goals, to expand shore to shore, as a major cause of the war. Before Polk was elected as president, the Whig party predicted Polk’s election would lead to war. Polk pursued the Whig’s prediction and deliberately moved American troops into the disputed territory to acquire California and New Mexico. If the root of the war was in fact over disputed territory, Greenberg suggests the war should have ended after the capture of Monterrey in September of 1846, which secured Texas. This was not the case though. Greenberg states how “Polk’s ambitious involved more than Texas alone, and they were growing larger with each U.S. victory.” Polk was almost certain that a few battles would cause Mexico to capitulate, but Mexico was not losing without a