Final answer:
The cause of the Mexican-American War was a territorial dispute over the boundary between Texas and Mexico.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cause of the Mexican-American War can be best explained by option 1: A territorial dispute over the boundary between Texas and Mexico. Tensions arose between the United States and Mexico over the border between Texas and Mexico. The United States claimed the Rio Grande as the border, while Mexico claimed the Nueces River as the border. This territorial dispute was deeply linked to the expansionist desires of the United States, as claiming the Rio Grande as the border would lay claim to a substantial portion of Mexico outside of Texas.