“The jurisdiction of the United States…has passed the capes of Florida and been peacefully extended to the Del Norte.” That’s how U.S. President James K. Polk, in his December 1845 message to Congress, characterized the recent annexation of Texas by the United States, with a boundary along the Rio Grande (or Rio Bravo del Norte). He had campaigned for the Presidency with a pledge to extend the United States to the Pacific Ocean, and the addition of the Republic of Texas as the 28th state represented a major step toward that goal.
In the following pages you'll find an overview of the Mexican War and the events which led to the Battle of Palo Alto.
