Mexican American War Dbq

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President James K Polk massively believed in the Manifest Destiny, the belief that the American people had a duty to expand westward across North America. This idea sparked a fire that believe it or not most didn’t want. The result: The Mexican-America war. While the war gained America five different states and was one of the largest territorial expansions in United States history, many critics believed that America was headed down a bad path. That we were going to end up like most great conquerors in the world, dead or with innocent blood on our hands that God will never forgive us for. Critics such as Henry Clay, Fredrick Douglass, Ulysses S. Grant all believed this war wasn’t going to do anyone any good. To really understand why this war …show more content…

Being a critic, he spoke about the war with Mexico and how he believed that his country was involved in an “unnatural” war that could have been prevented. Clay states “If General Taylor had permitted to remain… at the point of Corpus Christi; and if a negotiation had been opened with Mexico, in a true spirit of amity and conciliation, War possibly might have been prevented.” (University of Texas, 1846). The citizens were told that there still wasn’t peace between Mexico and Texas, and if the annexation of Texas were to happen a war would occur. Yet the government denied this statement and ensured that no war would take place. Clay believed that America was headed down a warlike and destructive path that would lead us all fatal consequences much like past conquerors. He compares the cities of Greece, Rome, and France lands of Alexander the Great, Caesar, and Napoleon. Asking the listeners “Do you believe that the people of… were benefited by the triumphs of their Captains?” answering no “Their sad lot was immense sacrifice of life, heavy and intolerable burdens, and the ultimate loss of liberty itself.” (University of Texas, 1846). He ends his speech with a reference to Christendom, which leads to my next critic who argued that this war was going to cost than currency but our

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