*Please make sure that you complete the other part of the portfolio first!

Question

In the first part of this portfolio, you learned about the historical context for the Mexican-American War, and how Americans at the time disagreed on whether or not the country was justified in going to war with Mexico.

In the second part of the portfolio, you will consider evidence about whether or not the war was justified and think about how you would organize information to write about this topic.

Question Imagine that you have been given this prompt for an essay:

"Evaluate the arguments for and against the Mexican-American war. Then, write an essay where you take a position on whether or not the Mexican-American war was justified."

Which two statements below would work best as a thesis statement for your essay?

A. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a conflict between the United States and Mexico that resulted in the U.S. acquisition of large parts of what is now the American Southwest. Evaluating the arguments for and against the war provides a nuanced understanding of its justifications and criticisms.
B. The United States had valid reasons for going to war against Mexico in 1846.
C. The Mexican-American War was not justified.
D. Some people would say the Mexican-American War was justified, but others would disagree.

Answer 1

The two statements that would work best as a thesis statement for your essay are:

A. The Mexican-American War (1846-1848) was a conflict between the United States and Mexico that resulted in the U.S. acquisition of large parts of what is now the American Southwest. Evaluating the arguments for and against the war provides a nuanced understanding of its justifications and criticisms.

B. The United States had valid reasons for going to war against Mexico in 1846.

Statement A sets up a balanced evaluation of both sides and indicates that you will analyze the complexity of the situation, while statement B clearly states a position in favor of the war's justification. Depending on which argument you develop, either of these could work effectively as the thesis for your essay.