1) ""Care has been taken - that all our military and naval movements shall be strictly defensive. - We will not be the aggressor upon Mexico; - but if her army shall cross the [Rio Grande] del Norte and invade Texas, we will if we can drive her army to her own territory. Less than this , in good faith to Texas, I think the government could not have done. We invite Texas to unite her destinies to ours. She has accepted the invitation, upon the terms proposed . . . . and if because she has done so, she is invaded by the Mexican army, surely we are bound to give her aid in her own defense." Source: Letter from President James K. Polk to Senator William H. Haywood (August 1845).
Answer the following questions based on this document:
1. What were the instructions given by Polk?
The instructions given by Polk were to becoming offensive in their military tactics with Mexico,rather Polk wanted to stay defensive unless Mexico invades Texas where in that case, Americans would push the Mexicans back to their own land and offer Texans a chance to join the union.
2. How do you think an American Citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1845?
An citizen from the North would respond to this document with outrage since Texas would most likely become a slave state and tilt the scale into the South's favor for legislation and by the same logic, the South would support this document.
3. How do you think a Mexican citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1854?
A Mexican Citizen respond to this document with outrage and anger at the idea that the Americans were planning on pushing Mexicans out of Texas since it was currently an extension of Mexican land.
2) " "At the time Mr. Slidell presented himself, the troops of the United States occupied our territory, their squadrons threatened our ports, and they prepared to occupy the peninsula of the Californias, of which the question of the Oregon with England is only a preliminary. Mr. Slidell was not received, because the dignity of the nation repelled this new insult. Meanwhile, the army of the United States encamped at Corpus Christi, and occupied the Isla del Padre; following this, they then moved to the point Santo Isabel, and their standard of the stars and stripes waved on the right bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte, opposite the city of Matamoros, blockading that river with their vessels of war. The village of Laredo was surprised by a part of their troops, and a small party of our men, reconnoitering there, were disarmed. Hostilities, then, have been commenced, by the United States of North America, beginning new conquests upon the frontier territories of the departments of Tamaulipas and New Leon, and progressing at such a rate that troops of the same United States threaten Monterey in Upper California. No one can doubt which of the two republics is responsible for this war: a war which any sense of equity and justice, and respect for the rights and laws of civilized nations, might have avoided...." Source: Proclamation of President Don Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga (April 23, 1846)"
1. What did President Don Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga say the United States has done?
The president said that the U.S. must begin to respect the rights of Mexico for a war to be avoided and the possibility of war could be gotten rid IF the US begins to respect "the rights and laws of civilized nations."
2. How do you think an American Citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1845?
The American citizen would probably think this was a lie and believe that the U.S. acted valiantly and without fault. They would also say that this is what should happen since Mexico was keeping territory that they believed should belong to the U.S. (idea from Manifest Destiny that all the land from "sea to sea" is rightfully American land.
3. How do you think a Mexican citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1854?
A Mexican Citizen would likely have been outraged by the American actions and agree with the president that the Americans are the aggressors and that war can definitely be avoided if the Americans began to respect Mexican laws and rights.
Answer the following questions based on this document:
1. What were the instructions given by Polk?
The instructions given by Polk were to becoming offensive in their military tactics with Mexico,rather Polk wanted to stay defensive unless Mexico invades Texas where in that case, Americans would push the Mexicans back to their own land and offer Texans a chance to join the union.
2. How do you think an American Citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1845?
An citizen from the North would respond to this document with outrage since Texas would most likely become a slave state and tilt the scale into the South's favor for legislation and by the same logic, the South would support this document.
3. How do you think a Mexican citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1854?
A Mexican Citizen respond to this document with outrage and anger at the idea that the Americans were planning on pushing Mexicans out of Texas since it was currently an extension of Mexican land.
2) " "At the time Mr. Slidell presented himself, the troops of the United States occupied our territory, their squadrons threatened our ports, and they prepared to occupy the peninsula of the Californias, of which the question of the Oregon with England is only a preliminary. Mr. Slidell was not received, because the dignity of the nation repelled this new insult. Meanwhile, the army of the United States encamped at Corpus Christi, and occupied the Isla del Padre; following this, they then moved to the point Santo Isabel, and their standard of the stars and stripes waved on the right bank of the Rio Bravo del Norte, opposite the city of Matamoros, blockading that river with their vessels of war. The village of Laredo was surprised by a part of their troops, and a small party of our men, reconnoitering there, were disarmed. Hostilities, then, have been commenced, by the United States of North America, beginning new conquests upon the frontier territories of the departments of Tamaulipas and New Leon, and progressing at such a rate that troops of the same United States threaten Monterey in Upper California. No one can doubt which of the two republics is responsible for this war: a war which any sense of equity and justice, and respect for the rights and laws of civilized nations, might have avoided...." Source: Proclamation of President Don Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga (April 23, 1846)"
1. What did President Don Mariano Paredes y Arrillaga say the United States has done?
The president said that the U.S. must begin to respect the rights of Mexico for a war to be avoided and the possibility of war could be gotten rid IF the US begins to respect "the rights and laws of civilized nations."
2. How do you think an American Citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1845?
The American citizen would probably think this was a lie and believe that the U.S. acted valiantly and without fault. They would also say that this is what should happen since Mexico was keeping territory that they believed should belong to the U.S. (idea from Manifest Destiny that all the land from "sea to sea" is rightfully American land.
3. How do you think a Mexican citizen would have reacted to reading this in 1854?
A Mexican Citizen would likely have been outraged by the American actions and agree with the president that the Americans are the aggressors and that war can definitely be avoided if the Americans began to respect Mexican laws and rights.