The war with Mexico was a controversial event in U.S. History: Not only Mexico but some Americans protested it. On the one hand, the U.S.’s commitment to the ideology of Manifest Destiny encouraged the nation to claim its so-called divinely ordained right over much of the North American continent, which meant assuming control over substantial parts of Mexico. On the other hand, Mexico refused to sell any portion of its territory to the U.S. and instead vowed to protect its territory from foreign conquest. The loss of over 50% of Mexico’s land to the more powerful U.S. has caused resentment to persist even to this day in Mexico. From the Mexican point of view, this war is known as the “dismemberment” of their nation. Based on your knowledge of the U.S.-Mexico War, should President Polk have declared war on Mexico to take the New Mexico and California territories? Why or why not? Use the two primary sources below to help you support your stance and to acknowledge counter arguments. As long as you support your answer with strategic quotes from the documents, any answer you give will be respected.
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