A Wicked War Analysis

Looking back to American history, some cringe with regret at events that were catastrophic and villainous. While in some instances we overwhelmed with pride for the right decisions our ancestors chose. But it is events like the US - mexican war that brings us the realization that in order for America to be the great nation it is, the war was a necessary act. Amy Greenberg’s A Wicked War captures the lives of five important people that left their legacy in American history. In A Wicked War Greenberg retells her readers in detail of the events that led and made up the U.S- Mexican War. Using sources such as articles and journal entries from the characters themselves Greenberg is well researched in this subject. She begins by bringing us back to 1844 on Valentine's day. Here Henry clay is introduced as a hopeful president. With her marvelous skill in storytelling she brings us deep into history. She writes how Clays running for president was vital. He was well known and liked by the Whig party. However, his belief in in the annexation concluded with his own party to side with democrats.
On the other hand Americans hold on to a belief that was popular with one candidate. John O’ Sullivan focused on a concept, manifest destiny. The idea of this concept was that Americans had a God given right to take the land in the west, eventually the land between the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. In the election of 1844 James K. Polk used manifest destiny to resolve the issue that many had to make Texas a part of the United States. He would later annex Oregon a s a free state so the their would be no strange dynamic between free and slave states. Unfortunately, this solution had a