Document A: John O’Sullivan “Annexation” Speech Document B: War Message of President James Polk Document C: “A Mexican Viewpoint on the War with the United States” Document D: Charles Sumner: “Objection to the MexicanAmerican War” Document E: 1847 U.S. Army Recruitment Poster Document F: Speech by Abraham Lincoln to the U.S. House of Representatives, 1848 Document G: Stephen Kearney’s Speech to the People of New Mexico, August 1846 Hook Exercise Document E Source: http://www-tc.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/images/primary_sources/poster_toarms_xl.jpg Document Analysis 1. Why do you think there is an eagle included directly beneath the phrase “To Arms! To Arms” on the recruitment poster? 2. What does the phrase “Promptly ordered on to the seat of war without the possible intervention of any authority” by President Polk mean to possible Army recruits? 3. What is meant by the phrase “...and the ark of American rights will move gloriously forward”? Why would this be included in a recruitment poster? 4. How does this document help answer the question: Was the U.S. justified in going to war with Mexico? Document F Speech by Abraham Lincoln to the US House of Representatives January, 1848 “The President, in his first war message of May 1846, declares that the soil was ours on which hostilities were commenced by Mexico, and he repeats that declaration almost in the same language in each successive annual message, thus showing that he deems that point a highly essential one. In the importance of that point I entirely agree with the President… “Let the President answer the [questions] I proposed…And, if, so answering, he can show that the soil was ours where the first blood of war was shed – that it was not within [another] country … then I am with him…But if he can not or will not do this…then I shall be fully convinced of what I more than suspect already – that he is deeply conscious of being in the wrong; that he feels the blood of this war…is crying to Heaven against him…” Document Analysis 1. According to Lincoln, why did President Polk believe he was justified in going to war with Mexico? 2. For Lincoln, what was the essential question that had to be answered regarding the outbreak of war with Mexico? Why do you think this mattered so much to Lincoln? 3. How does this document help to answer the question: Was the United States justified in going to war with Mexico? Document G Stephen Kearney’s Speech to the People of New Mexico, August 1846 **Stephen Kearney was the American general sent to take New Mexico and California for the United States during the Mexican War. “Mr. Alcalde and the People of New Mexico: I have come amongst you by orders of my government, to take possession of your country and extend over it the laws of the United States. We consider it, and have done so for some time, a part of the territory of the United States. We come amongst you as friends, not as conquerors. We come among you for your benefit, not for your injury… “From the Mexican government you have never received protection. The Apaches and Navajos [southwest Native American tribes] come down from the mountains and carry off your sheep, and even your women, whenever they please. My government will correct all of this. It will keep off the Indians, protect you in your persons and your property; and I repeat, will protect you in your religion…My government respects your religion as much as the Protestant religion and allows each man to worship his Creator as his heart tells him is best. Its laws protect the Catholic as well as the Protestant; the weak as well as the strong, the poor as well as the rich…” Document Analysis 1. Who is Stephen Kearney and why was he sent to New Mexico? 2. What challenges are the people of New Mexico facing? Be specific 3. What will the United States government do for the people living in New Mexico? Be specific. 4. How does this document help to answer the question, “Was the United States Justified in going to war with Mexico?” DBQ Scoring Rubric 1. Intro paragraph effectively grabs the reader’s attention and provides historical context/background for the essay. 0 1 2 3 2. Claim/Thesis statement directly responds to the prompt and provides three distinct, clear reasons for argument. 0 1 2 3 4 5 3. Each paragraph contains a topic sentence that directly relates to the thesis. 0 1 2 3 4 5 4. Each body paragraph references and cites at least 2 (TWO) specific pieces of documentary evidence that are relevant to the topic. 0 1 2 3 4 5 5. Documentary evidence is accurately and thoroughly explained. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6. Explanation of evidence shows reasoning that supports an argument clearly linked to thesis/topic sentence. 0 1 2 3 4 5 **This score will be multiplied by 2 in the final grade** 7. Essay reflects overall accurate and thorough understanding of the historical period addressed in the DBQ prompt. 0 1 2 3 4 5 8. Concluding paragraph summarizes main points and effectively closes the argument. 0 1 2 9. Essay shows evidence of proofreading with minimal grammar and spelling errors. 0 1 2 3 4 5 TOTAL: __________/45 points