What+was+the+Mexican+War?++Polk+provoked+the+war+because+he+wanted+to+gain+California+or+he+wanted+to+expand+slavery.ka

Polk wanted California for many good reasons. He ended up getting a big conflict going over it and caused the Mexican War. Polk provoked the war in order to get California and continue the idea of Manifest Destiny. One reason Polk wanted California was because of its luxuriant valleys and the large bay of San Francisco. The harbor was said to be America's potential gateway to the Pacific Ocean. This would greatly help the American economy and would allow for sales with Japan and China. It would open up new relations with other countries. It would also allow for new trade routes so the westerners wouldn't have to ship their goods to the east coast. They could ship them to Japan and China instead and get other goods from them. Polk was very eager to get the land. He sent an envoy named John Slidell to Mexico to purchase California for $25 million. However, Mexico refused to see him and Slidell went home empty handed. The country was angry. Zachary Taylor marched his troops to the Rio Grande, where America believed the border of Texas was. The Mexicans shot at us and the war began with Congress declaring war. Another reason Polk wanted California was because of the idea of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny was the belief that America was to expand all the way to the Pacific Ocean and conquer or control everything. Polk really only wanted California at the time, but when he finally was able to buy the Mexican Cession land he got a whole lot more. The Mexican Cession land stretched from the Pacific Coast to somewhere along the Rocky Mountains and from the 42 ̊ parallel to about where the border between America and Mexico is today. Polk really just wanted California but he ended up getting more than he had bargained for. He paid a little more than half of what he originally was going to pay for California before the war. Polk ended up getting what he wanted at the expense of $18,250,000. America was ready to thrive and become a big power.