Westward Expansion Dbq

Americans settled to the east of the Mississippi River establishing different states and growing as a nation but it wasn’t enough. The Americans increased their population, economy and grew a confidence feeding the need to expand their civilization and beliefs to the west. America is developing as a country that believes in manifest destiny in which the U.S. would stretch from coast to coast allowing full western settlement. This expansion led Americans to believe the western territories was filled with opportunities as well as the land being beneficial to them. This westward expansion also meant migrating to the southwest in Texas, Mexico government allowed Americans up to the Bravos River. However, when Americans found out about cheaper land in Austin they crossed the border soon causing a quarrel between the Mexican government and the Americans. Shortly after the Americans would take the Texas land by …show more content…
President James K. Polk insisted that Mexican government had no control over the safety of their people and land but can be known as a greedy land grab. As Ramon Eduardo Ruiz states “President Polk and his allies had to pay conscience money to justify a ‘greedy land-grab from a neighbor too weak to defend herself.” Polk sought out to buy the northern lands of Texas but Mexico refused to sell it. Polk would not give up on his aggressive approach to advancement. Ordering General Zachary Taylor to move across the north provinces battling Mexican armies while General Winfield Scott marched his way to the Gulf of Mexico. Scott made his way into Mexico City fighting a brutal war but in September 14, 1847 walked away in triumph. In February 2, 1848 Mexican officials officially signed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico gave up all claims to anything north of the Rio Grande and in return the U.S. paid 15