Polks Declaration of War with Mexico Essay Example for Free

Polks Declaration of War with Mexico seekMany believe that James K. Polks declaration of War with Mexico was a justifiable action. On the contrary, a more sound argument can be made using capital of Nebraskas site Resolutions and Thoreaus Civil Disobedience stating that Polk deliberately proclaimed war in order to expand linked States territory and slavery. Abraham Lincoln used his Spot Resolutions to persuade the House of Representatives to present Polk with queries ab out(a) the veracity of his statements, peculiarly in regard to the actual spot where blood was initially shed. Lincolns questions were never solvinged just now his resolutions convinced much of the public that Polk was not being straightforward about his motives for war.In fact, Polk had a muster written to Congress asking to declare war on Mexico prior to having gained knowledge of U.S. casualties. Polks real justifications for war include Mexicos failure to pay U.S. damage claims and their refusal to me et with Slidell, yet later he give tongue to that the war was a defensive measure. Other oppositions to the war came from those who defended civil liberties, most prominently from Henry David Thoreau. by dint of Thoreaus eyes, the government was engaged in an unjust war with the sole objective to promote the western United States expansion of slavery. As a protest, Thoreau refused to pay his poll tax to support an imperialistic war, resulting in a night in jail.Thoreau condoned breaking the law if the law was perceived unethical. Thoreau believed that people have the duty to answer to a higher law than of our government, their own set of morals. Polk seemed to change his reasons for war depending on what the public hoped to hear, still he never wavered in his decision for the declaration of War on Mexico. This suggests that he was determined to harvest the rewards from a war that he declared over the opposition from both the public and the legislature. The analysis of Lincolns Spot Resolutions infer that James K. Polk declared war to gain western lands, especially California, disrespect the repercussions of warfare. Thoreaus Civil Disobedience also gives evidence that Polk orchestrated the War with Mexico to reach slavery out west.