Question

what did emerson mean when he said, \mexico will poison us.\

Explanation:

Ralph Waldo Emerson made this statement in the context of the Mexican - American War (1846 - 1848) and the idea of manifest destiny. He was concerned about the moral and cultural implications of annexing Mexican territory. He believed that incorporating the Mexican people and the land (which he may have seen as having different cultural, social, and moral values from the United States at that time) would corrupt or "poison" the United States' ideals, such as democracy and the purported moral high - ground, and also be a stain on the nation's moral character due to the unjust nature of the war and the subsequent annexation.

Answer:

Emerson meant that annexing Mexican territory (in the context of the Mexican - American War and manifest destiny) would corrupt the US's moral, cultural, and democratic ideals, as he viewed the war and annexation as unjust, and incorporating Mexican people/land with different values would "poison" the US's moral character.