considered themselves Americans. After the annexation of Texas, Texas also wanted to expand. Texas claimed that New Mexico and California were part of Texas. The boundary with Mexico was also disputed. The United States claimed that the Texas border was at the Rio Grande. Mexico disagreed, Mexico stated the border was at Nueces River. The United States did try to settle matters diplomatically. The United States sent inexperienced diplomat John Slidell. Slidell tried to buy area known as the U.S. Southwest. Slidell, being an inexperienced diplomat, was rejected. Not only was he not successful in buying the land, he aroused Mexican fears. This set the stage for the Mexican-American War. The United States also had no written policy of expansion, but the government quietly supported it. The United States has always had troops the region, even though they held no land in the region The United States kept ships off the coast of California. In 1842 the U.S. commander in the region, Commodore Thomas Jones, attacked and took the city of Monterrey in California. He falsely believed that Texas and Mexico were at war. Once he realized his mistake he withdrew his forces and apologized to the Mexican government for his action and claimed that he did not act with orders from the U.S. government. Although Jones claimed that he did not act with orders from the U.S.government, clearly the government did not stop the practice. Anotherexample of the United State’s expansion goals was the Mexican-American War. This is the first time America has fought a war with land expansion as its main goal. The war started on April 25 1846 with the attack from Mexican troops and the counter attack from General Taylor of the U.S. Army. Taylor sent a message to President Polk that hostilities have started. President Polk, with a pre-drafted declaration of war, asked Congress to declare war against Mexico. President Polk knew that Mexico would lose the war...
