Option 1 (1)

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Feb 20, 2024

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Option 1 “[The House is] desirous to obtain a full knowledge of all the facts which go to establish whether the particular spot on which the blood of our citizens was so shed was or was not at that time our own soil… (First resolution) Whether the spot on which the blood of our citizens was shed, as in his messages declared, was or was not within the territory of Spain, at least after the treaty of 1819, until the Mexican revolution… (Second resolution) Whether that spot is or is not within the territory which was wrested from Spain by the revolutionary Government of Mexico.” — From Abraham Lincoln’s “Spot Resolutions,” 1847 Using the excerpt, answer a, b, and c. a. Briefly describe the point of view about the Mexican-American War expressed by the writer. b. Briefly explain how the concept of Manifest Destiny relates to the events or views expressed in the document. c. Briefly explain ONE event or idea from the period 1844–1877 that could be used to support or refute the views expressed in the document. Your responses: a. Abraham Lincoln's point of view about the Mexican-American War, as shown in the passage, is doubtful and a need for clarity regarding the situation leading to Americans dying. He was looking for whether the place where the battle happened was really within the US or it was in the territory of Mexico. Lincoln's resolution was a concern for the justification of the war, showing his suspicion that the US may have overstepped its boundaries. b. The concept of Manifest Destiny is relevant to the events and views shown in the document, by the belief that it was the destiny and duty of the United States to expand its territory across North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. This idea played a huge role in motivating westward expansion and territorial expansion, including the Mexican-American War. The "Spot Resolutions" can be seen as a challenge to the Manifest Destiny, questioning the territorial expansion and the conduct of the war. c. One event from the period 1844–1877 that could be used to support Lincoln's views, is the Wilmot Proviso of 1846. This proposal wanted to stop the extension of slavery into any territory acquired from Mexico as a result of the Mexican-American War. The Wilmot Proviso reflected problems about the real reasons behind the war and the expansion of slavery into newly acquired territories. If one supports Lincoln's skepticism about the situation of the war, they might also use the Wilmot Proviso to prevent the spread of slavery into territories obtained from Mexico.
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