Final answer:
President Polk's decision to go to war with Mexico was primarily for expansionist purposes. Evidence includes Polk's desire to annex Texas, sending troops to disputed territory, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, and Polk's own statements.
Step-by-step explanation:
President Polk's decision to go to war with Mexico was primarily for expansionist purposes. Polk believed in the concept of Manifest Destiny, the belief that the United States was destined to expand its territory from coast to coast. He saw the war with Mexico as an opportunity to acquire additional land and resources.
Evidence to support this includes:
- Polk's desire to annex Texas, which ultimately led to the war with Mexico.
- The fact that Polk sent troops to the disputed territory between the Rio Grande and Nueces River, which further escalated tensions with Mexico.
- The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war and resulted in the United States gaining a significant amount of territory, including California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming.
- Polk's own statements and speeches, in which he expressed his desire to expand the United States' territory.
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