Westward Expansion Mexican American War

The United States in the years leading to the Mexican-American War was a generously peaceful country. Expansion into the westward land was seen as one of the greatest opportunity for economic growth. It allowed families who had never been able to own land the opportunity of home ownership. The westward expansion was acquired through many forms ranging from the peaceful settlements in Oregon, to the discovery of gold in California. Yet, much of the expansion came from the dispute of bounders with Mexico that lead to the Mexican American War. The gained territories offered many benefits but at the same time it divided the country. The united states by 1840 and less than 60 years after obtain its independence, the majority of the residents lived west of the initial 13 states. As Americans became more restless in wanting to expand on to unorganized land, they began utilizing their belief of “manifest destiny” (339). As John O’Sullivan, a newspaperman, wrote “our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions” (qut. In Out of Many). They believe that God had granted them the right to expand as far as they liked …show more content…
They feared that expansion would raise the contentious issue of the extension of slavery to new territories” (339). These concerns were valid as the expansion onto new territories brought forth the question of slavery. In 1844, John Tyler brought up the question of annexation to the Congress Secretary of State John Calhoun. This action brought up the fear that connected Texas with the critical need to expand slavery (345). After much debate, on December 1845, congressman allowed Texas to become part of the union and therefore, making it the fifteenth slave