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Primary Sources on the Mexican-American War
1.
Questions to think about:
1. What did Mexico do that Polk says prompted him to ask Congress for a
declaration of war? What aspect of Polk’s argument does Abraham
Lincoln attack?
2. Why does Calhoun oppose the incorporation of Mexico into the United
States?
3. What differences does Calhoun see between previous US expansion and
the proposed incorporation of Mexico?
4. According to Calhoun, where can democracy thrive? In what other
source have we encountered a similar argument?
5. How has the attitude of the US government towards Native Americans
(such as the Cherokee), as evidenced by Calhoun’s statements, changed
since Andrew Jackson announced the policy of Indian Removal in
1830?
6. And finally: if, as Lincoln asserts, the declaration of war on Mexico by
the US was unjustified, why, from these sources and Ch. 14 of Out of
Many, do you think President Polk and others wanted war?
Note: President Polk and Congressman Lincoln refer to the Del Norte River.
That is another name for the Rio Grande. Refer to the map on p. 379 of Out of
Many when reading these sources.
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2.
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Polk and Lincoln excerpts from D. Yancey, Retrieving the American Past (2007), pp. 250–53.
3.
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