When the quality of life did not improve by migrating to America, trouble began to brew between the colonists and the homeland, eventually leading to the American Revolution. According to chapter four, the trouble began in 1776, when the powerful colonists realized that by creating a new nation, they could take over land, profits and power from the British mainland. All in all, the colonists wanted complete freedom. They wanted freedom from Britain and freedom to govern independently as they please. A revolution against Britain would not only solve this issue, but it would also remedy the rebellious attitudes of the poor white settlers by redirecting the rebellion towards Britain. As Britain's policies became increasingly irritating and infringing, the colonists decided to take action towards their independence. They fought in the name of justice and constitutional rights. The problem with that statement is that it just does not make sense. Here lies the inconsistency; The colonists are fighting for their freedom while at the same time, impeding the freedom of others--their slaves. Everything they are fighting against happens to be everything that they are made of.
Next, the Mexican-American war struck the young nation. Simply put, this war was fought over border disagreements as well as Mexican resentment towards the annexation of Texas. As explained in chapter 8, after Texas became part of the union, the border between Texas and Mexico became unclear. The border confusion escalated when an American soldier was attacked at the border by a Mexican soldier. This led Polk to ask Congress for a declaration of war. Or at least that is what they want us to think. The information in newspapers and history books is inconsistent with what actually happened. We were all led to believe that this war was sparked when an innocent American soldier was attacked by a Mexican. The reality is that Polk's agenda since the day he took office was the acquisition of California.