04 Aug Why did the United States refuse to annex all of Mexico following the Mexican-American War

For your final essay you have a choice between the following topics. Why did the United States refuse to annex all of Mexico following the Mexican-American War? Or you may chose to answer – Did the rapid movement of the United States westward accelerate the outbreak of the Civil War? 

Your essay needs to be four to five pages.  This does not include the heading or any bibliographic content. You will be graded on content and proper writing form. Your essay is worth one hundred seventy (175) points towards your final grade. Type needs to be double-spaced and at 10 or 12 point font, Arial or Times New Roman.

Should you chose the slavery option you are to look at least two of the following questions. Could the U.S. have grown as quickly during this time without expanding the institution of slavery? Was the western movement/settlement of the United States and the continuation of slavery in the U.S. dependent on each other?  Did the western expansion and all the attempts to address slavery at the federal level in the new western areas insure the outbreak of the Civil War? Was the movement west a factor in the growth of the abolition movement? Was the movement west instrumental in stregthening the resolve of pro slave forces? These are just a few of the questions you can use as your thesis when looking at western expansion and slavery. Once you decide which two questions you want to look at, show how the ideas are related and support each other.

If you chose the Mexican-American option you are to look at the following questions. Did the United States instigate the Mexican – American War simply for taking the land, including Texas and lands further west? Once the United States won the war and could have annexed the entire nation of Mexico, why did our leaders decide against doing so? Show how the ideas are related and support each other.