Question

1. why did the mexican - american war of 1846 occur?

because mexico never recognized texas independence, and disputed its borders even after its annexation into the u.s.
because mexico expected high reparations for the 1836 war with texas
because the u.s. refused to acknowledge that it has won its independence from spain
because mexico insisted that its border with the u.s. was at the rio grande

Explanation:

To determine the cause of the Mexican - American War of 1846, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: Mexico never recognized Texas' independence (after the Texas Revolution of 1836) and disputed Texas' borders even after the U.S. annexed Texas. This was a major cause of the war as the border dispute (over whether the border was at the Nueces River or the Rio Grande) and the lack of recognition of Texas' status led to tensions that escalated into war.
• Option 2: Mexico's expectation of high reparations for the 1836 war with Texas was not a primary cause of the 1846 war. The main issues were border disputes and Texas' annexation.
• Option 3: The U.S. had nothing to do with not acknowledging Mexico's independence from Spain (Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821), so this option is incorrect.
• Option 4: Mexico actually claimed the border was at the Nueces River, while the U.S. (and Texas) claimed it was at the Rio Grande, so this option has the border claim reversed.

Answer:

A. Because Mexico never recognized Texas' independence, and disputed its borders even after its annexation into the U.S.