Question

president polks message to congress (1846)
\the grievous wrong perpetrated by mexico upon our citizens throughout a long period of years remain undressed, and solemn claims treaties pledging her public faith for his redress have been disregarded... upon the pretext that texas, a nation as independent as herself, thought proper to unite its destinies with our own, she has affected to believe that we have severed her rightful territory, and in official proclamations and manifestos has repeatedly threatened to make war upon us for the purpose of reconquering texas. in the meantime, we have tried every effort at reconciliation.
the cup of forbearance had been exhausted even before the recent information from the frontier of the rio grande del norte. but now, after reintegrated menaces, mexico has passed the boundary of the us, has invaded our territory, and shed american blood upon american soil. she has proclaimed the hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are now at war.\
butler, steven r. a documentary history of the mexican war. richardson, tx: descendants of mexican war veterans, 1995. print.
congressional resolution drafted by charles sumner (1847)

esolved, that the present war with mexico has its primary origin in the unconstitutional annexation to the united states of the foreign state of texas while the same was still at war with mexico; that it was unconstitutionally commenced by the order of the president, to general taylor, to take military possession of territory in dispute between the united states and mexico, and in the occupation of mexico, and that it is now waged ingloriously by a powerful nation against a weak neighbor
according to both passages above, which of the following most directly led to the war with mexico?
select one answer
a mexican invasion of the united states.

b the annexation of texas by the united states.

c invasion of mexico by the united states.

d the discovery of gold.

copyright 2025 learn by doing, inc.
no answer saved.
submit answer next →

Explanation:

The first passage states Mexico viewed U.S. annexation of Texas as seizing its territory and threatened war. The second passage explicitly identifies the "unconstitutional annexation to the United States of the foreign state of Texas" as the primary origin of the war. Both passages link the annexation of Texas to the war's cause.

Answer:

B. The annexation of Texas by the United States.