Mexican American War Dbq Analysis

According to James Polk’s War Message,Washington, May 11, 1846, he states “I had ordered an efficient military to take position between the Nueces and the Del Norte.” This quote proves that between the Nueces and the Del Norte was Mexico’s land, that Mexico was just trying to protect. According to Jesus Velasco-Marquez from “A Mexican Viewpoint on the War With the United States”, Jesus states, “In the eyes of the [Mexican] government, the mobilization of the US army was an outright attack on Mexico.” This evidence shows that Mexico viewed the mobilization of the U.S army as an attack on them, and that Mexico wasn’t trying to escalate things, they were just trying to protect their

The U.S was not justified in going to war with Mexico. One reason is because the United States was demonstrating imperialism, and was greedy for land. In document A it says “ Mexico never can exert any real government over such a country….The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on [California's] borders....armed with the plough and the rifle.”This shows how the U.S is power hungry. They just won Texas and now they already they want to take even more from Mexico. They are even talking bad about Mexico saying “Mexico never can exert any real government authority over such a country.” This is trying to make the United States look good, and Mexico looks like they cannot govern.

In 1846 Americans stepped foot on undisputed land, leading to war. The war itself happened on April 25, 1846, north of the Rio Grande River. Americans and Mexicans (after the annexation of Texas) both thought that they had the right of land between the Rio Grande and the Nueces River. With that information, was it right for America to go to war with Mexico? My answer is no, it was not justified because before that war, Americans had already taken land from Mexico, invaded land owned by Mexico, and that there was a misunderstanding with the land disputes.

Overall, the United States was not justified in going to war with Mexico because they believed in and used slavery while it was against Mexico’s authority. America was extremely rude toward Mexico even though America started it. “Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real government authority over such a country” (Document A).This quote shows how great America’s rudeness toward Mexico was. America was not only rude but also not sensible for saying that about Mexico. “The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on [California’s] borders.

John L. O’Sullivan wrote,”The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on California's borders….armed with the plough and the rifle.”(Doc A Paragraph 3). Even before gaining Texas from Mexico, America already was preparing to take California away as well. President Polk sent a man named John Slidell to Mexico to try and buy California. At that same time he has sent troops into southern Texas, this combination of events angered the Mexican government and therefore they asked Slidell to leave Mexico City.

The first reason the United States was justified in going to war with Mexico is because we had rights. “Polk was a strong supporter of manifest destiny.” This shows that Polk would have agreed to what people had to say about gaining land. “When word arrived

The Mexican-American War was incorrectly named; it was not simply Americans vs Mexicans, but a war between opinions. America’s war with Mexico: a war for land, for the sake of Manifest Destiny, or perhaps, a war to be started and ended in victory by… a thief. This war was supported and criticized by Americans and Mexicans alike. Manifest Destiny was a belief that it was God’s Plan to for America to expand to the Pacific Ocean, and a very controversial belief, at that. Before this war of opinions, the US already created a tense relationship with its neighbor by providing aid to the Texas Rebellion, and later annexing Texas. The United States was not Justified in going to war with Mexico because Texas was signed over, with no extra land, America was obviously itching to go to war, and settlers agreed to become Mexican citizens in the first place

The Mexican War of 1846-1848 was one of major importance to U.S. history, but has since fallen into annals of obscurity. It was the nation’s first war fought on foreign soil: a war that advocated the concept of “manifest destiny”, the United States God-given right to claim territory for the establishment of a free democratic society (Stevenson 2009). Even though many historians claim the war was forced on Mexico by slaveholders greedy for new territory, President John Polk viewed the war as an opportunity to defend the annexation of Texas, establish the Rio Grande as its border, and to acquire the Mexican territories of California and New Mexico (Stevenson 2009).

The Mexican American war was greatly beneficial to the U.S., but was it worth the cost of nearly 38,000 lives? The war lasted two years, with America emerging victorious and taking more than half of Mexico’s land. Although the conflict resulted in the U.S. gaining her most valuable land, nevertheless the war itself was unjust due to a multitude of reasons, such as the unwarranted Texas revolution, the selfish belief of Manifest Destiny, and the illegitimate intentions of President Polk.

How the United States stretched from sea to shining sea by being fair and unfair sometimes. The Mexican war started on April 25, 1846 when Captain Seth Thornton of the United States Army and his 70 sailors were attacked by greater Mexican force. This happened in the disputed territory north of the Rio grande, reports say that 16 Americans were killed and the number of Mexican soldiers that were killed it unknown. Was the United States justified in going to war with Mexico? The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because of manifest destiny, border distributes, and annexation of Texas.

     The factors that started the Mexican War lay heavily on American shoulders. Whether if the factors were created by social, political or economical needs, they have all become the center of attention for the question of being a national interest or disgrace. However, the Americans felt that they existed for “…spreading the blessings of peace.” according to Andrew Jackson. There will always be controversy between the two sides of this matter, the Americans who feel that it had to be done, to the Mexicans who felt that it was an injustice done to their nation.

The war with Mexico is long remembered as an episode, and by no means is it an unimportant one. With the events that led up to its happening, from the Manifest Destiny to the disputes on territory, it has severely marked the United States. American historians regard the Mexican-American war as “the foulest blot on our national honor”. (sfmuseum.org) Unethical actions were taken gain Mexican territory. Polk and his hunger for land drove him to find some devious way to fight a war with Mexico. His belligerent attitude in regard to this war was the “foulest blot on our national honor.” However, as one studies the events that led to it, was it an unprovoked act of aggression? Or did the US unjustifiably lure Mexico into one of the bloodiest wars on American soil?

The Mexican War was viewed as one of the most controversial wars in United States history. Originating from the annexation of Texas, or the lack thereof in Mexico’s eyes, the final spark to cause the war was an incident between soldiers of both countries in disputed land. Both Mexico and the US claimed to have been provoked by the other, and that they were only protecting their country. Many US citizens argued the war, as it appeared President Polk was using it for reasons other than self defense. By going to war with Mexico, the US faced the possibility of gaining much more of Mexico’s land and extending slavery in the country. The United States' decision to go to war with Mexico was based on a desire to extend slavery, to gain land they had

The United States of America was justified in going to war with Mexico. Throughout history, it has always been exceedingly dangerous to occupy the same land as another nation. Such close borders contribute to invasions or prompt a significant decrease of commerce with other foreign nations. These fears were proven to be legitimate when American soldiers investigated Mexican military near the Rio Del Norte territorial boundary. The group was attacked by Mexican soldiers, resulting in an estimated 16 Americans killed or wounded on U.S soil. Mexican soldiers ignored the boundaries of the newly annexed Texas, and then engaged American military, it provided a more than sufficient reason to claim that Mexico had supplied the means to declare war.

The United States of America has been through many wars, wars concerning many things such as land oil, pride and respect. However, when the United States went to war with Mexico, it was planned over greed. The Mexican- American war was a war provoked by the United States, in efforts to expand the coasts of the country. Mexico was a small under privileged country who had previously to the war had already lost part of their country (Texas). Needless to say this war was cut throat and violent, it was however one of the smartest business decisions America has ever made.