Yes, I’ve always assumed we took the prime latitudes of the continent, and Mexico and Canada were simply what we didn’t bother taking. Now, we are reconsidering and realizing we want more control of those areas, even if only to make sure they are serving their purpose as a buffer. In retrospect, we probably should have claimed everything as territories at the earliest opportunity.
Certainly, it was not wise to win our independence from England and then leave such a large neighbor to the north still beholden to the crown.
Mexico needs to be a territory for a different reason - the crime there is infecting us.
None if them should become states - just territories.
I agree...territories.
Jefferson wanted the States to have two degrees of latitude..remember there were only 13 at the time.
“Certainly, it was not wise to win our independence from England and then leave such a large neighbor to the north still beholden to the crown.”
We tried to take it, twice.
“Mexico needs to be a territory for a different reason - the crime there is infecting us.”
There was a lot of talk and movements to annex more of Mexico but the controversy over the expansion of slavery killed it.