Graded Assignment HST303A/304A: U.S.

History | Unit 5 | Lesson 8: War and Riches

Name: Date:

Graded Assignment
A Just War?
(100 points)

Score

Write an essay that answers the following question: Was the United States justified in going to war against Mexico
in 1846?
Answer:
The United States was not justified in going to war against Mexico, as many accused Polk of,
the goal of the Mexican-American war was to obtain more land and add more slave slates to the Union.
According to many the tactics used to get an official declaration of war werent the best to say the least.
Many believe Polk was in the wrong even before the official declaration of the war and that these wrong
doings eventually led to allow the war to begin. The Mexican-American war was not justified because
of the shady tactics used to declare the war, and the real underlying reasons for why it was fought in
the first place.
James K. Polk was very clear for what he wanted from his presidency from the start, he wanted
to gain as much land as possible for the US and in doing this he did what ever he had to. Even before
declaring war on Mexico Polk sent controversial troops into the recently annexed Texas to patrol
against a possible Mexican attack. The border between Mexico had been disputed ever since it was
changed in a treaty by Santa Anna where the border change from the Nueces to the Rio Grande. When
Polk sent troops in they got into a skirmish in the disputed area between Mexico and Texas, later Polk
used this incident as a main reason to start a war with Mexico even though they werent exactly sure if
the first blood was spilt on US or Mexican soil. A U.S. Army Officer talks about this skirmish saying,
We have not one particle of right to be here. It looks as if the government sent a small force on
purpose to bring a war, so as to have a pretext for taking California and as much of this country as it
chooses. This quote shows how Polk took the information with a grain of salt, only including the pieces
that showed that the Mexicans attacked on US soil giving us a reason to go to war. Even the army
officers working for him didnt think that their presence was justified which shows how truly corrupt this
war was from the start and the lack of justification for it.
The other reasons show the true nature of what Polk was try8ing to achieve by starting this war.
It was clear to all that the purpose of the war was to gain territory, but more specifically territory to be
annexed as slave states. Polk was trying to assist his partys agenda by adding more land to be turned
into slave states. He was already unpleased that President Tyler signed the measure to annex Texas as
it was Polks main goal while running for office. He was so focused on getting land one of his campaign
slogans was Fifty-four Forty or Fight regarding the section of Oregon county he wanted to get from
Britain. Polk was focused on getting land and expanding the country to benefit his party. By annexing
several more slave states they would easily win any votes regarding issues that might hurt the
institution of slavery. Polks goals as a president were very biased towards the Democratic party and
with this in mind it is very feasible that he would do anything and everything to obtain new land. This

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 Graded Assignment HST303A/304A: U.S. History | Unit 5 | Lesson 8: War and Riches

need for land for new slave states puts into perspective that he probably did start the Mexican-
American war under false pretenses to assure that they would gain more land.
The Mexican-American war was not justified and Polk should not have asked Congress for a
formal declaration of war. The reasons the war was started for do not justify the fighting that ensued. It
is clear that Polks goal was to get land however he needed, even if it cost the lives of many. From
before the war and the suspected reasons for fighting to the actual confrontation that may or may not
have been on American soil, the reasons for the Mexican-American war were not justifiable and the war
should not have been fought.

Your Score ___ of 100

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