Polk’s Declaration of War with Mexico Essay

Many 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 Lincolns Spot Resolutions and Thoreaus complaisant Disobedience stating that Polk deliberately proclaimed strugglefare in order to expand United States territory and slavery. Abraham Lincoln used his Spot Resolutions to persuade the House of Re pledgeatives to present Polk with queries about the veracity of his statements, particularly in regard to the actual spot where blood was initially shed. Lincolns questions were never answered but his resolutions convinced often of the public that Polk was not being straightfor contendd about his motives for war.In fact, Polk had a draft written to Congress asking to declare war on Mexico forward to having gained knowledge of U.S. casualties. Polks original justifications for war include Mexicos failure to pay U.S. damage claims and their refusal to meet with Slidell, yet later he stated that th e war was a defensive measure. Other oppositions to the war came from those who defended civil liberties, most prominently from Henry David Thoreau. Through Thoreaus eyes, the government was engaged in an unjust war with the sole objective to promote the westward expansion of slavery. As a protest, Thoreau refused to pay his poll tax to support an imperialistic war, resulting in a shadow 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 switch over his reasons for war depending on what the public hoped to hear, but he never wavered in his decision for the declaration of War on Mexico. This suggests that he was determined to reap 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, despite the repercussions of warfare. Thoreaus Civil Disobedience also gives evidence that Polk orchestrated the War with Mexico to reach slavery out west.