Question

prior to the outbreak of the mexican american war, the polk administration tried to purchase california through the what

Answer 1

Polk was very anxious to purchase California from Mexico, and he knew that Mexico would refuse to give it up. He thought there was no time to be lost, as he feared that England would seize it as a strong point on the Pacific, the wisest course was what we would now call "eyeball" diplomacy — staring hard at the opponent and expecting him to blink first. This technique was beginning to work with England, and Polk had no doubt that it would also work with Mexico.