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Essay / The reasons for the war between America and Mexico
The Mexican-American War, one of the many controversial wars in the history of the United States. In a debate over where the Mexican-American border was and who owned none other than Texas. We never talk about it or hear much about a war like this compared to wars like the Civil War. The Mexican-American War is arguably one of the most significant wars in United States history. With its victory in this war, the United States acquired most of the present-day West, such as California, Arizona, and Nevada, to name a few. You always have to ask yourself a question before going to war: is it justified? Which in this case, yes. The United States was right to go to war with Mexico because, they invited us, it was going to happen anyway, and they started it. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay One of the reasons the United States was right to go to war with Mexico is because they were the ones who invited us to come. After Mexico gained independence from Spain, they began inviting American farmers to help prevent border violations and protect them from Native Americans. Eventually, Mexico offered land grants that attracted more and more settlers who wanted cheap land, all for the low cost of respecting Mexican laws and recognizing Roman Catholicism. A few years later we find out that there were more Americans than Mexicans living in the area of modern-day Texas. Now I understand that technically it's still the land of Mexico, but we offered to buy Texas TWICE. After refusing to sell, Mexico closed its borders and imposed heavy taxes on American products. High taxes equal angry Americans or angry citizens. Mexico thought it could provide a barrier against the expansive United States, when in reality it missed the opportunity to become strong allies with an even stronger nation. Another reason America was right to go to war with Mexico was because it was going to happen anyway. Gotta love 1840s America, Manifest Destiny, take what you want and go as far west as you can. John L. O'Sullivan writes: “All this (will happen) in the natural flow of events…” (Doc A). When he says this, he is referring to Manifest Destiny or the belief that the United States could continue to take all land west of the Mississippi because "God wants it." In the document, O'Sullivan talks about how everyone should accept that Texas is part of the United States and how Mexico will lose not only Texas, but California as well. “The Anglo-Saxon foot is already on the borders (of California)” (Doc A). He then mocks the Mexican government, going so far as to call them “imbeciles”. Honestly O'Sullivan is right, he recognizes how the US is, he knows the model and he clearly saw it before with Andrew Jackson pushing back the Native Americans. He views Mexico as a mere obstacle to the United States, just like the Native Americans. The final reason why the United States was right to go to war with Mexico was because it started it. As childish as it sounds, it's true. Mexican soldiers killed American soldiers, Polk confirms this by saying that "Mexico has crossed the border of the United States, invaded our territory.