EXAMPLES OF ESSAY QUESTIONS-Unit 7

1.  Texas declared its independence from Mexico in 1836. Why was it not annexed to the United States until 1845?

2.  Compare and contrast President Polk’s willingness to go to war against Mexico over Texas but not against Britain over Oregon?

3.  Given the great enthusiasm for territorial expansion, why did the “all of Mexico” movement fail?

4.  To what extent was the Mexican War a “limited” war?

5.  Was there any validity to the charge that the Texas annexation and Mexican War were attempts to expand slavery? Why or why not?

6.  Write your definition of national interest. Then use this definition to argue that the Webster-Ashburton Treaty or the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo did or did not serve the national interests of the United States.

7.  Write your definition of imperialism. Then use this definition to argue that the United States was or was not an imperialistic nation in the 1840s.

8.  List the following items in order of their importance as factors in the outbreak of war between the United States and Mexico: Slidell mission, Taylor’s troops on the Rio Grande, debt claims of American citizens, Manifest Destiny, Polk’s quest for California. Justify your ranking and explain how each item contributed to the outbreak of war.

9.  List the following items in order of their importance as contributors to American expansion to the Pacific: land hunger, trade opportunities, suspicion of British intentions, Manifest Destiny. Justify your ranking and explain how each item contributed to territorial expansion.

10.  Assess the validity of the following statement, “James K. Polk is one America’s near great presidents.” Do you agree that he should be so highly ranked? Why or why not?

11.  To what extent was the Mexican War inevitable? Was it necessary? Why or why not? What might either side have done to avoid war?

12.  Assess the validity of the following statement: “The Mexican War was a major cause of the American Civil War.”

13.  Analyze several factors that led to American expansion in the 1840s.

14.  To what extent did American expansionists achieve their goals between 1840 and 1848?