How did the idea of Manifest Destiny influence the United States decision to annex Texas and consequently provoke a war with Mexico?
1 Answer
The idea of Manifest Destiny was one of the main motivators for annexing Texas and provoking a war with Mexico
Explanation:
The United States had tried to purchase the southwest territory from Mexico. Mexico had turned the US down flat. Mexico regarded Texas as part of Mexico that was in rebellion from the federal government of Mexico. Mexico had never recognized Texas's right to be an independent nation.
Under a pro slavery administration Texas was admitted as a slave state, opening the possibility of slavery extending westward through New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and California. The prohibition of slavery in 1820 north of the Mason Dixie line made the southwest the only option for the expansion of slavery.
The dispute over where the border between Texas and Mexico was used by the United States to provoke a war with Mexico. The goal of the war was to force Mexico to cede or sell the southwest territories to the United States.
The vision of the United States stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific making room for more slave states that motivated the United States to annex Texas and start a war with Mexico.
