Should the Us Be Justified in Going to War with Mexico?

Amanda Herron

Period 4

Was The United States Justified In Going To War With Mexico?

I believe that the United States should not have been justified in going to war with Mexico. I believe that the United States was selfish, greedy, and unfair. I believe that what they did to Mexico was very wrong, and here are my reasons why.

To begin with, when I first began reading this DBQ, I was pro-American. I believed that what Mexico was said to have done to the U.S. should have been illegal and wrong. But I, just as any other American living in the U.S. at the time, was believing a lie. As I read further and made my way to Document C, my entire viewpoint on the situation was changed. In Document C, it mentions that the “Mexican force” that attacked Zachary Taylor’s troops when they arrived at the Rio Grande, is an entire different story than what we know. Or what we were blindsided to see. I learned that when the mobilization of the U.S. Army happened, in the eyes of Mexico, it was seen as an outright attack. Why? Because the land that Mexico and the U.S. are fighting over, was originally Mexico’s. So of course the Mexican Army is going to protect it. So as a punishment to the United States, Mexico changed the instruction to protect the border- the territory located between The Rio Grande and the Nueces River. So in conclusion to this document, the evidence is shown that even from Document B, President Polk was not just simply “ protecting the country and the people “. No, he was instead provoking the Mexican Government into going to war. Polk provoked the Mexican Army into taking the first shot. So that in the eyes of the U.S., it would be seen that they were protecting themselves.

My second piece of evidence as to why the United States should not have gone to war with Mexico is in Document D. In Document D it mentions a “ disgraceful robbery “ which in my eyes means that the United States robbed Texas from Mexico. In the article from the daily El Tiempo… stated “ The American Government acted like a bandit who came upon a traveler.” Because, even before the U.S. had invaded Texas, Mexico was already achieving her independence. The Mexican Government announced the elimination of slavery in Mexico, as well as embracing the new territory of Texas. So as you can see, Mexico did have their eyes on Texas first. Which later comes to the conclusion with the U.S. invading Texas, that if they did, Texas would become a slave state. The complete opposite of what Mexico was trying to achieve. Lastly, this document provide two reasons why the United States should not have gone to war with Mexico. 1.) it would result in the expansion of slavery in the U.S. and 2.) it was robbery to take another country’s land.

In conclusion,