Territorial Expansion and Sectional Crisis

Territorial Expansion and Sectional Crisis

Assess the impact of the following on the decision of the United States to go to war with Mexico.

Manifest Destiny, The Rio Grande boundary dispute, The annexation of Texas, Slidell's mission (pick 3)

There was an abundance of factors that played into the decisions of the United States to go to war with Mexico. Events such as Manifest Destiny, The annexation of Texas and The Rio Grande boundary dispute all played major parts in the decision in going to war with Mexico. But the Manifest Destiny played the most important role in the making of the decision because it helped cause The Rio Grande boundary dispute and The annexation of Texas. All three events were involved with one another, giving them more reason to urge one another. But without all three of these events, the war with Mexico never would have happened. Therefore all playing a major role in the decision for the United States to go to war with Mexico.

Manifest Destiny was different because it wasn’t one event, it was an idea that helped support many actions done by the Americans at the time. It played a very relevant part in almost everything that happened leading up to, during and even after the war had happened. It acted as an underlying driving factor for the violence the American had toward the land they claimed to be theirs. The thought of Manifest destiny was the thought that is was God’s intent that the United States of America should have the territory from coast to coast. This was because there were no natural boundaries past the Mississippi. The people of the United States felt entitled to all of the land, and felt the need to own it and even have to fight for it. Even the presidential candidate James K. Polk fully embraced the idea of the manifest destiny and used it to his advantage. With even running on the campaign slogan "54'40" or Fight," which was in reference to the northern latitude line. James K. Polk strongly supported and believed in Manifest Destiny and that it should be fulfilled. This helped fuel the Americans to fight against Mexico and support the war against Mexico because they did not only feel that they were helping themselves anymore, but that it was a “burden” they had to take on to help everyone else. While it truly just helped the Americans and only justified what they did in order to obtain all the land. In this mindset the Americans, they saw two only things in the way of completing Manifest Destiny. One is the “Oregon Territory” which was owned by Great Britain and the United States and Mexico’s territory as “in the way” and that it should belong to the United States instead. Later in 1846, the issue between the United States and Great Britain with the border on Oregon territory was settled at the 49th parallel, which greatly benefited the Americans. But Mexico was tougher to deal with and wanted to keep the stronghold they have over the land the United States said they wanted. In the tension, America took in Texas even as a slave state just to officially own the territory, which is also known as the annexation of Texas. This caused anger to the Mexicans because even though Mexico lost control over the land they felt just as entitled to it was the Americans. This proving how Manifest Density played a major role in the decision to go to war with Mexico.

The annexation of Texas, was when the United States incorporated the Republic of Texas as it’s 28th state in 1845.The Americans felt entitled not only because of Manifest Destiny, but because Moses Austin had gotten a land grant to go to Texas back in 1821 and his son, Stephen Austin lead three hundred settlers into Texas, so to them even if the people currently living the Republic of Texas were independent people, they were still American on that land. While the Americans, especially Santa Anna, dictator of Mexico in 1833, saw that the Americans weren’t following through on their promises, which had rules for them to become “more Mexican” so it would be easier for the people who lived there to become a part of Mexico instead. This included three things, for them to speak Spanish, become Roman Catholic and to bring no slaves. Despite these attempts, they still failed which is an important factor into why the annex of Texas was too important. If Texas wasn’t filled with Americans from only twenty to thirty years ago or was filled with people that fit the “Mexican” type, it would’ve been easier for Mexico to take back control, but it wasn’t even an American who wanted Texas to become a part of America. Texas wasn’t annexed by force. They voluntarily tried to become apart of America, and they were even originally turned down because Mexico had warned America that if they did take over the land Mexico would start a war with