Summarize Polk's War Message
In the war address, Polk identifies the causes of the war between the United States and Mexico. He was originally working to find a diplomatic solution to the numerous issues revolving around the border disputes and the injustices of the Mexican government against the United States settlers in the southern regions of the country. Polk sent an ambassador to negotiate peace with the head of the Mexican government, General Herrera. However, a revolution occurred in Mexico which caused a change in power and therefore a change in mindset regarding its diplomatic relations with the United States. Mexico chose to neither accept nor delegate with the American ambassador, John Slidell, and didn't make any proposals or even accepted any to establish peace between the two nations. Instead, Mexico engaged in conflict with American troops that were stationed between the rivers of Texas, Rio del Norte and Nueces, which had officially become a part of the Union when Texas was annexed by the U.S. in 1836. Uncertainty about the actions of the two military groups resulted in American casualties, and Polk saw it as justification of war against a nation that had a longstanding history of civilian hostility towards the U.S.
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