A Study in Causation of the Mexican War

Webster's dictionary defines "war" as an open armed conflict between countries or between factions within the same country. It is a conflict often resulting in the death of many innocent civilians, the destruction of private property, and sometimes the unjust treatment of prisoners. Many would agree that war ought to be a last resort to settling a conflict, as was the case for James K. Polk in the Mexican-American war.
Some have argued that the American support for Texas independence, initially caused by the imperialistic and authoritarian rule of Mexico, was somewhat of a precursor to their eventual conquest of Mexico.…