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

 James K. Polk came out of nowhere to capture the American presidency in the election of 1844. One issue that Polk stood strongly for was the expansion of America. Polk believed in manifest destiny, the belief that Americans were destined to stretch their country according to the will of God. By winning the election, Polk felt that the American people were issuing a mandate for manifest destiny. Polk would make this a focal point of his presidency. Polk's main goal in provoking a war with Mexico was to gain control of California, although he knew that there was the potential for the expansion of slavery.  Polk was going to get California by any means necessary. He knew that foreign powers were interested in both Texas and California and knew that if he didn't snatch them up quickly, these two pieces of land could have foreign influences pushing them away from America and causing domestic conflict. To gain control of California, Polk would have to act quickly and effectively.  Before the war, Polk began to put his take-over plan of California into motion. He tried to obtain it peacefully by offering to purchase it from the Mexican government. However, the Mexicans were still bitter over the loss of Texas and had recalled their minister from Washington upon America's annexation of Texas. Polk dispatched John Slidell as a envoy to Mexico City late in 1845. He was instructed to offer up to $25 million for California and additional territory to the east. The Mexican government was insulted by the proposition and refused to even grant Slidell an audience.  Upon the war's eruption, Polk fought quickly for an end. He had no desire to fight the war, but would do so if it meant that America would obtain control of California. Unruly southwestern Texan expansionists were hard to control, and fought to retaliate against the "aggressive" Mexicans. American operations in the Southwest and California were completely successful, leading to a quick end to the war. When war broke out, American Captain John C. Fremont "happened" to be in California with troops speedily overthrew Mexican occupation in California. Upon seizure of California, America issued a ceasefire and brought in Santa Anna to speedily turn things over to us. The reason fighting flared up again was because Santa Anna double-crossed the Americans and fighting had to continue to subdue the Mexican government. With more fighting came more spoils of war, which explains how the Americans gained the land known as the Mexican Cession.  Polk had never really wanted a war with Mexico. However, his desire for California outweighed his opposition to the expansion of slavery and war. Having extended a peaceful offer to Mexico for California before the eruption of the war, Polk had no remorse for taking California by force because he had given Mexico a chance for peace. A quick war gave Polk control of California, the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande Rivers, and all the Mexican Cession lands.