What+caused+the+Mexican+War?+JS

President Polk provoked the War with Mexico over the disputed lands in Texas in order to gain California as a state. When Polk came into office he had a four point plan on what he wished to accomplish as president and one of them was to gain California for "Manifest Destiny". There was also opportunity to trade with China. As the war slowed down, Polk gambled by negotiating with Santa Anna. But he tricked Polk causing more fighting. Polk's presidency plan was rather basic and to the point. He wanted to lower the tariff, restore an independent treasury, clear up the Oregon boundary, and gain California. His first actions taken to gain California were to purchase it outright. But after failing to make a deal Polk resorted to sparking a war. He moved Taylor's troops from the Mexican claimed boarder to the border where America believe the border was at the Rio Grande. Seeing this as an intrusion, Mexican troops attacked the "intruders". Immediately, Polk claimed the Mexicans attacked our soldiers on American soil and asked the Congress to declare war. But why should America get California? In this time in America, people had the belief that America should stretch from the horizon in the east to the horizon in the west, "Manifest Destiny" stated that God wanted Americans to accomplish this feet. If America wanted this coast to coast domination they needed California, so Polk was merely intending to complete "Manifest Destiny" in America. Another gain for owning California, would be the open door trade with Asia, mostly China and later Japan. China was looking to get an edge up on Britain in world trade. With the port of San Francisco, trade with Asia would flourish. to be continued...