On May 13, 1846, the United States President, President James K. Polk’s declared war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas (Smith, 1991). President Polk was an expansionist and believed in manifest destiny; due to this, he wanted to acquire more territories. The shedding of the American blood and Mexico’s refusal to admit to the United States Standards made Polk go to war with Mexico. Additionally, after the United States acquired the Texas, President Polk wanted Mexico to sell him California and New Mexico; Polk also wanted to settle the dispute about border on the Mexican Texas border. In return the Mexican refused his offers and the Mexican army crossed the Rio Grande and killed eleven Americans something that devastated Polk and declared war on Mexico. Another thing that made President Polk go into war with Mexico is that he believed that the Mexicans were weak and incapable of ruling themselves while Americans were superior thus going into war with Mexicans meant that the Americans would come out victorious and acquire what they want from Mexicans.
The U.S president, President Polk did not expect the war to last long as he thought the Mexicans would give in easily and thus the end of the war; the war lasted longer and became divisive in congress and country. The war became divisive because some members of the Congress and country did not support the declaration of the war by President Polk over the Mexicans. The war becomes divisive in Congress because some members of the Congress feared that getting more land would cause more disputes about slavery rather than solving the problems. The war was also divisive in the country because some citizens feared that more lives will be lost during the war and preferred the president to use other diplomatic ways to solve the problems rather than entering into war with Mexico.
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References
Smith, Franklin. (1991). The Mexican War Journal . University Press of Mississippi.
