Did+Polk+provoke+the+Mexican-American+war+to+expand+slavery+or+to+gain+California?

Manifest destiny was the idea in which people believed that America was "destined" to stretch across the continent. James K. Polk was a firm believer in manifest destiny, so much so that one of his four goals for his presidency was to gain California as a state. He accomplished this after much provoking and underhanded work. He provoked the Mexican-American war because he wanted to gain California and he foresaw the many new opportunities for the nation that would come along with the new state.

It was well-known that Polk wanted California as a state of the U.S. He wanted the vegetative valleys and the San Francisco Bay. Polk saw the San Francisco Bay as America's future gateway to the Pacific Ocean. He even tried to buy California before the war started. Since his offer for the land was turned down, he resorted to other methods; namely, unnecessary war.

If America stretched from coast to coast, Americans would not have to worry about other nations colonizing the same land as they did. By the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, Polk gained for America the following lands: California, and the land above the Rio Grande up until the Nueces river. This removed the Mexican threat to American lands, therefore supplementing the idea of Manifest Destiny.

After Fremont captured California, Polk ordered a cease fire. If Polk had had alterior motives, such as expanding slavery even more, for provoking Mexico into war, he would have continued the war until he accomplished them. Once he had accomplished what he truly wanted to accomplish (gaining California), he stopped the fighting. Obviously, acquiring California was his main priority in fighting the war.

What kind of nation would America be if it did not have California? There would have been no gold rush, and there would be no Hollywood. Maybe James K. Polk didn't forsee the total importance of his gaining California, but he did know that California was significant. He went to many lengths to obtain the land, even provoking a war with Mexico. His ardent belief in manifest destiny led to the expansion of American lands and opened up many opportunities.