Mexico Miscalulates!

President Polk knew that Mexico wanted war, and he also knew many in Congress didn't, so he made moves to insure that Mexico would strike first, insuring his support in Congress. 

First he sent General Zachery Taylor with 4000 men into the disputed area between the Nueces  and Rio Grande Rivers.  He had the American consul in Monterey arouse the American Californians in the patriotic love of liberty and independence.  Polk also advised U.S. Pacific fleet commander, John D. Sloan to possess and blockade California ports as he saw fit.  Meanwhile, Captain John Charles Fremont who was on a supposedly scientific mission, moved into California armed with 60 men. 

Mexican officials felt that their army was more than a match for the American forces and that the United States was too divided in their opinion of war to be effective.  These proved fatal miscalculations! 

On April 25, 1846, Mexican troops moved into the disputed Texas border and opened fire on Taylor's forces.  This gave Polk what he wanted and in his war message to Congress, he said, "Mexico has invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil."  Congress agreed and war was declared.

There were dissenting opinions, however, as the South was eager for war which many antislavery forces thought proved that they didn't want to extend democracy as much as they wanted to extend "slavocracy" all the way to the Pacific Coast.  Nevertheless, we were at war with Mexico and time and other forces would solve the slavery question in the West.

Next time...The Conquest of California
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On This Day in Pioneer History:  "On April 13, 1866, Butch Cassidy, the last of the great western train-robbers, is born in Beaver, Utah Territory.Born Robert Leroy Parker, he was the son of Mormon parents who had answered Brigham Young’s call for young couples to help build communities of Latter Day Saints on the Utah frontier.