4. How would you describe Polk's stated and unstated reasons for going to war? How do they differ? Are they legitimate reasons, in your opinion, for a country to go to war?

Polk's stated and unstated reasons for going to war was as a result of his conviction of the legitimacy of the war he was going to embark on. His convivtion was on the need to make others recognize the United States as a result of the actions like the Mexicans sheding American bloods on American soil and the refusal of Slidell to consider his unpaid debts to the U.S., and at the same time would not negotiate land issues.

These are legitimate reasons though there are hidden reasons that seems to overshadow this reason like the accusation of trying to acquire more land for slavery business in US. On the long run, I think there were legitimate reasons for him to go to war.

This is because, not going to war would have created the impression that USA is a toothless bull dog that only bark without biting anyone.

Explanation:

it provided for equal trade rights among nations in china.