Why Was the U.S. Unjustified to Go to War With Mexico? Essay Sample

“The American government acted like a bandit who came upon a traveler.” In 1821, after winning its independence from Spain, Mexico offered land for American settlers to immigrants with the hope that settlement would help increase the country’s population. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a bad idea; the American settlers then wanted to get rid of the Mexican government and war broke out. In 1836, Texas declared independence from Mexico. Ten years later, Texas became a part of the U.S. The term “Manifest Destiny” was popular in the 1840s; many people followed this belief - including James K. Polk, the President of the United States at the time. He wanted to expand the country westward. However, Mexico was standing in the way. Furthermore, Polk not only wanted Texas, but he also wanted California. After reading the war message written by Polk in 1846, Congress decided to declare war, but was this war reasonable? There can be many reasons to say that the U.S. was not unjustified in going to war with Mexico. I believe there are three main reasons that made the war unreasonable: President Polk provoked Mexico, slavery expansion, and the Manifest Destiny.

Foremost, President Polk provoked Mexico to start the war. There is a disagreement about Texas' borders. President Polk and Texans believed that Texas was up to the Rio Grande, while Mexicans believed that the border was the Nueces River. In 1845, Polk sent troops into the disputed territory with the reason to protect Texas, which triggered Mexican troops to shoot sixteen Americans (Doc B). Therefore, President Polk had a reason to convince Congress to declare war. In fact, as a Mexican, Jesus Velasco-Marquez’s point of view was different; he said that the American’s protection of Texas was an invasion (Doc C). Since the U.S. government and Mexican government hadn’t come to an agreement about the border, I believe that the Mexican government was the one who had a better understanding about Texas’s border, because Texas was once Mexico’s. So I believe that the disputed territory was still Mexico’s. For that reason, Mexican troops had a right to fire. It was Americans, who actually invaded the land.

As a result of Mexico’s land annexation, slavery will expand. After gaining its independence, Texas asked to join the U.S. twice, but both times, Congress rejected them. They rejected them for two main reasons: Congressmen didn’t want to anger the Mexican government, and they didn’t want a slave territory to be added (Background Essay). If Congress annexes Texas, there will be more slave states than non-slave states. Slavery expanded in the U.S., meaning that Americans themselves were against their great truths of freedom (Doc D). I believe that they should treat each other equally, because in the Constitution, they stated “Men are created equal”. Americans might be the one who have to understand how their slaves feel the most. A slave owner and a slave, is just like England and the colonists; they both have no freedom.

President Polk did all the things like invasion, stealing Mexico’s land, and convincing Congress to declare war, just for one thing: Manifest Destiny. According to John L. O’Sullivan, people believed that it was God’s will for them to go west, and expand the nation. They believed the Mexican government didn't have enough power to govern themselves, and Americans could use the land more efficiently (Doc A). God would not want people to steal land and resources, fight and kill each other over anything, not to mention that the American government had more experience in handling situations or governing than the Mexican government.

In fact, the land the U.S. gained from going to war with Mexico makes the U.S. one of the greatest countries in the world. It brings America resources and land, which helped them achieve Manifest Destiny. Although the war had a positive impact on U.S. history, we shouldn’t forget the fact that the Americans invaded Mexico's land, and tried to make Mexico look bad.