President James K. Polk's Justification for the Mexican-American War

Often referred to as the first “dark horse,” James K. Polk was the 11th President of the United States from 1845 to 1849, the last strong President until the U.S. Congress votes in favor of President James K. Polk's request to declare war on Mexico in a dispute over Texas, kicking off the Mexican-American War in 1846.

President James Polk began to prepare a war message to Congress on May 9, 1846, justifying hostilities with Mexico. The Mexicans, Polk noted, had shed American blood on American soil, referring to a clash between Mexican and American troops in a disputed area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande.

Tension has existed between the legislative and the executive branches of the U.S. government over war powers since the Constitution simultaneously vested. This power in Congress while also making the President the Commander in Chief of the armed forces.

Zachary Taylor, a general and national hero in the United States Army from the time of the Mexican-American War and the War of 1812, was elected the 12th President of the United States in 1848 on a platform of no expansion of slavery.

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has prompted questions about what lessons our country will learn from this protracted conflict and how it will shape future foreign policy decisions.

On this day in 1846, Congress voted overwhelmingly to approve a declaration of war against Mexico sought by President James Polk, leading to the Mexican-American War.

Many states (or territories) that are now part of the U.S.A. were once independent, even if not recognized as such by other countries. This includes Texas, which had previously been an independent republic before joining the United States in 1845.