What+caused+the+Mexican+War?+Did+Polk+provoke+the+Texas-boundary+conflict+in+order+to+gain+California,+or+expand+slavery?++AML

In 1846 there was still confusion on the border between the Mexico and Texans. The Mexicans thought the border was the Nueces River, but the Rio Grande was considered the border to the Texans/Americans. The motivation that led to, why President Polk went to war with Mexico was to gain California and make it apart of the United States. Polk wanted California to be apart of the U.S. because he wished to expand the United states, and he was angry because the Mexicans would not sell California to Polk.  President Polk wished to expand the United States of America, because it would grant the citizens more land to grow and harvest food, especially cotton because it was shipped to Great Britain to be made into customary clothing, and it was an enormous way to make a good business with a vast profit. President Polk not only wanted California for the land.  Polk also wanted to go to war with Mexico because, Polk was mad that the Mexicans didn't sell California to him; so on May 9, 1846 Polk proposed, to Congress, to declare war, on Mexico, on the basis of that Mexico had unpaid claims and the Slidell's rejection. Two people of the Cabinet pointed out that this was not enough to declare war on Mexico; they said it would be better if the Mexicans shot first. As a result of this discussion President Polk sent General Zachary Taylor down to the "American's" border, at the Rio Grande. The Mexican thought this was an invasion and started to shoot at General Taylor's men, 16 were killed or wounded. President Polk saw that this was the opportunity he was waiting for and the war began. Polk's major plan was just to fight the Mexican just enough so they would back out of California, so he could take it over, and to help defend the Texas border. There were 9 major wars and out of all of them Mexico only had won one of them. At the end of the war Polk had gotten what he had wanted; he help defend the Texas boundary and received California to make part of the United States.