I believe that there is political and economical reasons behind that.. Britain is a much stronger enemy and I do not think it was a good idea to go to war with them because it might end badly for the U.S while Mexico that just got its freedom it was an “easy target” I believe and it kinda was the case because the United States one the war and got Texas and more.
A second reason will be that Polk; being from the Jacksonian party which stood for slavery; wanted to get Texas and make it a slave state which will give more power to the slave states while if they got Oregon it would have been a free state which is not what Jacksonian democrat would want.
Those were the political reasons now with the economical reasons, getting Texas would open a gateway to California and therefor the trade with Southern America which will be very profitable for the United States of America.
2-what are the reason that American settlers were so eager to go west in this time period? Discuss the hardships they would have faced on their journey West.
American settlers moving West was motivated by different ideas like that the settlers were responsible of spreading Christianity and that the United States was meant to spread in the continent making a “making a new heaven on earth” and it was documented and it became the practical document “ Manifest Destiny which was used by democrats to explain their expansions “ the War with Mexico etc..
3-Asses the validity of the following statement”although Americans percieved manifest destiny as a benevolent movement, it was in fact an aggressive imperialism pursued at the expense of others”
I believe what was said is very true, the Manifest Disteny was a way to explain the unexplainable which is going to war and taking over lands by killing its native habitants like in the