President Polk's War Message Primary Source Analysis

Students will read excerpts from President Polk's speech to Congress requesting a declaration of war against Mexico prior to the start of the Mexican-American War in 1846. They will answer 29 questions and complete an extension task. The answers are included where appropriate and this would be great for a sub! 

Sample questions include:
--Identify 3 events from the historical record that led to the existing state of relations as referenced by Polk.
--Were initial US attempts at diplomacy successful, why or why not?
--For what reason did Polk send military forces to the area between the Nueces and Del Norte? Why was that the chosen location?
--Using context clues and outside knowledge, what was Polk referencing when he said that area had been included in America’s “revenue system?”
--Summarize the main points of the last paragraph on the first page to demonstrate understanding.
--Write a contextually appropriate synonym or definition for, “unredressed.”
--Why were the sentiments in that paragraph necessary?
--Where in this speech was Polk most presidential and why? Where in this speech was Polk most convincing for his purpose and why?

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