⚔️📍 Washington D.C., USA1846
U.S. Declares War on Mexico — Mexican-American War
Congress declared war on Mexico by large margins — the Senate 40-2, the House 174-14 — after President Polk claimed Mexican forces had shed American blood on American soil. Ulysses Grant, who fought in the war, later called it 'one of the most unjust ever waged.'
The Mexican-American War resulted in the U.S. gaining half of Mexico's territory — California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado — transforming America into a continental power.
Outcome
War begins; U.S. gains 525,000 square miles of Mexican territory