Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
 US Capitol Visitor Center logo

E PLURIBUS UNUM —
OUT OF MANY, ONE

HISTORY OF CONGRESS
AND THE CAPITOL
U.S. Capitol Visitor Center
Exhibition Hall Floor Plan | My Library
Find Your Representative | Find Your Senators
Home > A More Perfect Union > Common Defense

The Annexation of Texas

H.R. 145, A bill providing for the prosecution of the war between the United States and Mexico, May 1846

H.R. 145, A bill providing for the prosecution of the war between the United States and Mexico, May 1846

 

H.R. 145, A bill providing for the prosecution of the war between the United States and Mexico, May 1846

Congress declared war against Mexico in 1846, claiming that a state of war existed “by the act of the Republic of Mexico.”  That “act”—Mexican forces wounding U.S. soldiers in a skirmish—occurred after President James K. Polk sent troops into a disputed border area. This printed House bill shows revisions by the Senate before passage.

Records of the U.S. Senate, National Archives and Records Administration
 
History of Congress and the Capitol