Polk started out by trying to buy the land. He sent an American diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico City to offer $30 million for it. But the Mexican government refused to even meet with Slidell. Polk grew frustrated. Determined to acquire the land, he sent American troops to Texas in January of 1846 to provoke the Mexicans into war. When the Mexicans fired on American troops in April 25, 1846, Palk...declared, "[Mexico] has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soll, and sent the order for war to Congress on May 11. The act was a questionable one. Many Northerners believed that Polk, a Southerner, was trying to gain land for the slaveholding South. Other Americans simply thought it was wrong to use war to take land from Mexico. ...Ulysses S. Grant...would later call the war 'one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering jessice in their desire to acquire additional territory."

Question

Polk started out by trying to buy the land. He sent an American diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico City to offer $30 million for it. But the Mexican government refused to even meet with Slidell. Polk grew frustrated. Determined to acquire the land, he sent American troops to Texas in January of 1846 to provoke the Mexicans into war. When the Mexicans fired on American troops in April 25, 1846, Palk...declared, "[Mexico] has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soll, and sent the order for war to Congress on May 11. The act was a questionable one. Many Northerners believed that Polk, a Southerner, was trying to gain land for the slaveholding South. Other Americans simply thought it was wrong to use war to take land from Mexico. ...Ulysses S. Grant...would later call the war 'one of the most unjust ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation. It was an instance of a republic following the bad example of European monarchies, in not considering jessice in their desire to acquire additional territory."

Which 2 quotes from the text BEST help support the idea that the United States had good reasons for fighting the Mexican-American War? (2 points)

Polk started out by trying to buy the land. He sent an American diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico City to offer $30 million for it. But the Mexican government refused to even meet with Slidell.

Polk...declared, "[Mexico] has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil, and sent the order for war to Congress on May 11.

Determined to acquire the land. [Polk] sent American troops to Texas in January of 1846 to provoke the Mexicans into war.

Other Americans simply thought it was wrong to use war to take land from Mexico.

Answer 1

To support the idea that the United States had good reasons for fighting the Mexican-American War, the selection of quotes would need to provide justification from the perspective of the U.S. government for the conflict. The two quotes from the text that could best serve this purpose are:

1. "Polk started out by trying to buy the land. He sent an American diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico City to offer $30 million for it. But the Mexican government refused to even meet with Slidell."

2. "Polk...declared, '[Mexico] has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon American soil,' and sent the order for war to Congress on May 11."

The first quote could be used to argue that the United States initially pursued a peaceful and diplomatic approach to acquire the land from Mexico and only turned to war after diplomatic efforts were rebuffed.

The second quote signals an appeal to the concept of self-defense or response to aggression, suggesting that the U.S. acted after an alleged violation of their territory, which could be seen as a legitimate reason for a conflict.