Rodeos to your left and cowboys to your right, Texas makes America a whole, but the history of its annexation is often discarded. In 1821, Mexico was freed from Spain, Mexican leaders welcomed Americans into Texas. Different views caused revolt, and in 1836, Texas won their independence from Mexico. America marched into the Rio Grande in an attempt to buy Texas. At the scene, Mexico fired shots. After this, President Polk declared war on May 9, 1846. Was going to war a sensible decision made by the United States? No, the United States was not justified because of the U.S. trying to expand slavery, the fact that they knew about the annexation, and they made manifest destiny. To begin, the United States wanted to expand slavery into Texas if …show more content…
At that same time, Mexico was declaring slavery illegal. Also, Mexico had already declared slaves illegal. According to Charles Summer, “...decreed the abolition of human slavery within her dominions...” (Document D, 1). As the author explains, Texas being part of Mexico would lead to not having slaves. However, the United States still wanted to go to war with Mexico, which would obviously make it unjust. As American slaveholders moved to Texas, they angered Mexico even after knowing what it would do. Secondly, the United States knew all along that they were going to annex Texas, even after Mexico had been so kind to them. An example of the United States knowing is when Polk sent troops to Mexico in 1845 in the disputed area of Texas. Mexico fired a way to defend.Delighted, Polk finally had a reason to go to war. Background essay on the topic. The way Polk had sent the troops angered the Mexican government, most likely to the knowledge of Polk. Based on the wording, Polk had been waiting for a moment in time where he could finally declare war on Mexico while making it seem like it was their …show more content…
Mexico’s ordinance of freedom clearly states that slaves were declared illegal, but America needed a way to provoke Mexico. Some people may believe that Manifest Destiny was a credible reason for the United States to go to war with Mexico, since it was God’s plan everyone around them had to comply with. It was clearly never real and was made up by the United States in order to gain more land. This can be seen by the sheer definition of Manifest Destiny, “...God’s Plan that America extends its territory all the way to the Pacific Ocean.” (Background Essay, 5). By definition, it is said that God encouraged Americans to extend their territory; however, this statement raises questions such as who did God send as an envoy, or why would God encourage the country’s extension. An answer to any of these arising questions would be that it never happened and was never factual in the first place. Using the logic of Manifest Destiny would signify that God wanted to extend slavery, as that was the United States' plan all along. Furthermore, Polk was a supporter of this “He [Polk] was a strong supporter of Manifest
James K. Polk was one of many that felt extremely strong about Texas joining the Union. Silbey uses direct quotes from politicians gives a deeper outlook into Texas annexation. “That there is a large majority who would be glad to see Texas, in some way or another, united to this country, there can be no doubt.” (Silbey 81) Shortly after this widespread idea of Texas joining the country Congress was overwhelmed with bills to make Texas’s entry accomplished.
was not justified to declare war with Mexico because of the ignorance of Mexican authority, the robbery of disputed/Mexican-owned land, and the order from Polk which provoked the war. The U.S. were allowed by Mexican government to settle into the provenance of Texas. After settling in the nutritious and fertile farmland, the U.S. settlers rebelled against Mexican law and established slavery in Texas. The U.S. robbed disputed/Mexican-owned land, which led to confusion spreading into Mexico and the U.S. because of unofficial borders. Polk provoked a Mexican attack by ordering soldiers onto Mexican borders, which led to the Mexicans attacking out of pressure.
Later they wanted to annex it but Mexico said that any attempts to annex Texas would be an act of war. The Mexican War started in 1846, when Mexicans attacked a group of United States soldiers, under the command of Zachary Taylor, in a disputed zone on the border of United States and Mexico, killing about a dozen American soldiers. President Polk told the U.S. Congress that the “cup of forbearance has been exhausted” which means the Mexicans hit the last straw and it is time for war. President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to Nueces River vs. Rio Grande to poke the Mexicans to shoot and they did. The Mexicans have shed “American blood upon American soil.” The United States wanted war with Mexico now they have a reason to declare war ( History.com
Was the U.S. Justified in going to war with Mexico? The war between the United States and Mexico was brutal, but yet very interesting. “Today, we stand as a united country and are much closer to the ideals set forth in our Constitution that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” The first sentence of this quote is a perfect example of the Mexican American War, the war we were supposed to be united. Manifest Destiny states that we as the United States are bound to have all the land, God wants them to.
In President James Polk’s War Message to Congress, he states that the Congress of Texas had declared the Rio Grande to be the official boundary between Mexico and Texas. James Polk said, “Sixty-three men and officers, were … dispatched from the American camp up the Rio del Norte, on its [North] bank, to ascertain whether the Mexican troops had crosse, or were preparing to cross, the river…. [They] became engaged with a large body of these [Mexican] troops, and, after a short affair, in which some sixteen [Americans] were killed and wounded, appear to have been surrounded and compelled to surrender….” The invasion was almost like a ticket to declare war against Mexico for James Polk. He began to say that America had given its best efforts to mend the relationship between the countries, but even before the small battle, peace was not an option. “Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil.” This evidence shows that the United States was justified in declaring war against Mexico because they were trying to protect their own country. In trying to protect their own country and its borders, they were engaged in an attack from Mexico. Mexico threatened America first, this gives a reason for America to declare war against
Through Manifest Destiny, the U.S. conquered many new territories. Ever since the U.S. became its own country, they always wanted more land. They thought that the Manifest Destiny gave them the right to expand and conquer more land. The United States were offered a deal known as the Louisiana Purchase which doubled their size. Even after they received this land, they were thirsty for more. They wanted to have Texas as their own. After Texas got their independence from Mexico, President Polk annexed it. Polk had his eye set on California next. But before he could get California, he had to deal with border dispute in Texas, leading to the war with Mexico. So, did the United States have a good reason to go to war with Mexico? The answer is simple, the U.S. was not justified into going to war with Mexico. This is proven through the Manifest Destiny, border disputes, and an American viewpoint on the war.
John Sullivan founded the manifest destiny movement (Doc A). This idea of God leading the U.S. westward into new territory spread, reaching the president, James K. Polk. He liked this idea, for he wanted to gain more land, especially from Mexico. James Polk was greedy for more territory, as he was a Democrat, who supported annexing Texas and Oregon. Using manifest destiny to obtain this land for the U.S. meant more Americans would support the westward expansion. Therefore, Polk was able to send Americans, particularly farmers, westward, which would soon cause great conflict with Mexico, leading to war. Polk sent multiple representatives to Mexico, wanting to make deals for land in Mexico’s possession (Doc E). One specific person Polk sent was WIlliam Emory. He went to offer a friendship with Mexico and to state reasoning for the U.S. invading Mexican territory. James Polk knew the Mexican Republic was angry at America for invading Texas. So, logically, he sent one of many “ambassadors” to create a peace treaty, and offer a friendship supplying benefits, such as protection for Mexico. Although, Mexico declared the U.S. as “invaders” and rejected the proposed treaties. Though it may seem former president James Polk was pro-manifest destiny, and genuinely wanted a national agreement of peace with Mexico, he was really eyeing their land, where he could obtain the territory, and
Just before Polk's presidency Texas had freed itself from Mexican rule and desired American annexation. This desire came from thousands of former American citizens that settled in Texas in the 1820s. This was due to the Mexican government supplying huge land grants to entice new settlers to Texas and secure its northern border from America. The Mexican government failed to realize the true impact that their persuasion of Americans for settlement would cause. In 1830, Mexico finally put a freeze on all American immigration due to the large number of American settlers and their certain revolution. In 1836, The Republic of Texas was est...
Rodolfo Acuña and Norman A. Graebner take opposing standpoints on this topic. Acuña takes the standpoint that the Americans took advantage of the Mexican government, which was young and unstable at the time. He argued that the United States waged an unjust war solely for the acquisition of new lands. His excerpt from Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, 3rd Edition provided the basis for his argument. On the other hand, Graebner took the standpoint that President James Polk pushed a policy, enforced by a stronger nation, to force Mexico to sell New Mexico and California and recognize the annexation of Texas to the United States without starting a war. His argument was taken from his article “The Mexican War: A Study in Causation”. Both sides of the American Imperialism argument contain their own strengths. However, after the examination of the articles, Graebner proposes a more convincing
Annexing Texas was the dumbest mistake we ever made; it upset our balance of beliefs. Even though Mexico is our adversary, so is England, what if one day we want to trade with Mexico? Do you think they would want to trade with us? No, we will become the country that pushed them down when they were already weak enough as it is, and the war will terminate ever having Mexico as an ally. If we fight Mexico then we are being hypocrites, of what we fought for when we went against England.
So a major reason for Texas to be annexed into the United States was that the overwhelming majority of the population was former Americans. From the very time of winning independence, annexation of Texas to the United States was at the top of the list of things to do. But as soon as the Texas minister was sent to Washington to negotiate for an annexation, the Martin Van Buren administration said that the proposition could not be entertained. The reasons given were constitutional scruples and fear of war with Mexico. The real reason behind Washington’s excuses is slavery....
In 1845 the U.S attempted to Annex Texas. Basically America wanted Texas to become one of the states rather then and independent nation by itself. At this time Texas was an independent nation that was not a part of America or Mexico. Mexico wanted to keep Texas neutral if not a part of its own country. When the U.S attempted to annex Texas Mexico became outraged, " In November 1843 Mexico had warned that if the United States should commit the 'unheard-of aggression' of seizing an integral part of 'Mexican territory' Mexico would declare war " (Bound for the Rio Grande, 62). Despite the warning the U.S attempted to annex Texas. In doing so Mexico retaliated by breaking off all diplomatic relations with the U.S. Mexico felt that the U.S was insulting them by not taking them seriously when they threatened with war. So at this point America showed a very large interest in possessing Texas. America was very close to actually acquiring Texas when they made their first mistake in the war.
The underlying tension before the skirmish was also a land issue and I think that Mexico was being unreasonable when it came to the annexation of Texas, as Texas had declared its own independence. Mexico had signed a peace treaty with Texas in 1844, and there was no reason not to consider Texas an independent nation. Overall, I think that the war could have been avoided had both countries been more willing to
(Doc. A) In other words, other nations were interfering with America’s destiny to spread to the Pacific. Rather than allowing this, they were going to expand their territory by annexing Texas. Finally, the U.S. was justified in going to war with Mexico because Mexico fired first.
In this paper, I will argue that killing is better than letting die if, in general, the intention is compassion rather than gratification. In other words, it is morally permissible to deliberately take action that results in another’s death if the motivation is out of compassion rather than gratification, and that this is significantly better than deliberately failing to take steps which are available and which would have saved another’s life – merely allowing someone to die.(definitions –cite NESBITT) ................