Manifest Destiny

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Countries go to war all the time. Whether it be for resources, land, defense, strategic location, or religious reasonings, it is rarely about fighting for what’s right. The War with Mexico is no different. The war wasn’t in the least bit defensive, instead the war was without a doubt one of conquest. The American government saw their chance and took it using flimsy at best reasoning for war. At the time in American history before the conflict in question, was a time where the thought of “manifest destiny” ran rampant throughout the country. Manifest destiny, or the idea that the United
States had the divine right to expand to the Pacific Ocean, was very much commonplace at the time leading to the War. Americans thought god intended them to expand west. This led to an imperialistic style state of mind in many Americans, especially the government. When the Government wanted Mexican owned California and other disputed lands near Texas, things began to heat up. …show more content…
He sent American troops under future president Zachary Taylor into disputed territory between the modern-day border of the Rio Grande River and the Nueces River. This went as well as anyone could expect sending troops into a disputed area could go. Mexicans fought back and as a result when asking Congress to declare war on Mexico Polk claimed, “the Mexicans had shed blood upon American soil”. Which is misleading as the area that the skirmish had taken place had been disputed and thus arguably not
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