which 2 following quotes most clearly support the idea that the mexican american war was not worth the cost?
but the addition of a new territory upset the fragile balance of power that kept free and slave states bound together in an uneasy union. in 1861, the tensions over the expansion of slavery into the west led to the u.s civil war
Historians estimate that 25,000 mexican soldiers died , as well as 15,000 american soldiers
for the united states the acquisition of western lands proved both a blessing and a curse
Their rich resources including the gold discovered in california just weeks before the end of the war contributed to growing american economic power
The first and third quotes most clearly support the idea that the Mexican-American War was not worth the cost:
1. "But the addition of a new territory upset the fragile balance of power that kept free and slave states bound together in an uneasy union. In 1861, the tensions over the expansion of slavery into the west led to the U.S Civil War."
This quote highlights the significant consequence of the war—the exacerbation of tensions between free and slave states owing to the introduction of new territories. It implies that the cost of the war was not just in terms of immediate casualties or financial expenditures, but in terms of its contribution to the divisions that ultimately led to the Civil War. The loss of lives and the long-term impacts on the country's unity support the idea that the Mexican-American War might not have been worth the cost.
2. "For the United States, the acquisition of western lands proved both a blessing and a curse."
This quote suggests that while there were clear benefits to gaining new territories, there were also negative consequences that came with them, thus the use of "curse." It implies that the costs associated with the war (in terms of lives, political struggle, or other unmentioned factors) were significant enough to reconsider whether the war was truly beneficial as a whole. The acknowledgment of a "curse" implies that undesirable results followed the war, which supports the idea that the war may not have been worth those costs.
The second quote, while it provides the stark numbers of casualties, does not itself include an assessment of whether those losses were justified; it is more neutral and factual. The fourth quote focuses on the positive economic impact and doesn't directly address the idea of worth or cost.