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One War, Two Accounts is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on comparing accounts of why the Mexican-American War began, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.His.10.3-5. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 11 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

One War, Two Accounts

D2.His.10.3-5

NameDate

Read both sources, then answer the questions. Compare what each one says.

1.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

How Mexico Saw the Border

An information text written for this worksheet. Texas broke away from Mexico in 1836, but Mexico never agreed that Texas was independent. When the United States annexed Texas in 1845, Mexico's government saw it as taking Mexican land. Mexico said that, even so, Texas ended at the Nueces River. The United States claimed Texas reached all the way south to the Rio Grande. In 1846 President Polk sent US soldiers into the land between the two rivers. Mexican soldiers attacked a US patrol there in April 1846. To many people in Mexico, the war began because American soldiers had marched onto Mexican soil.

  1. 1. Why does this text explain the land between the two rivers?
  2. 2. Why would Mexico see the attack on the US patrol differently from the United States?
  3. 3. Would many people in Mexico agree with President Polk about where the war began? Why?
2.Look at the source, then answer the questions.

Lincoln's Spot Resolutions

From the "Spot Resolutions" that Representative Abraham Lincoln, a member of Congress, put forward on December 22, 1847. The word help line was added for this worksheet. First. Whether the particular spot of soil on which the blood of our citizens was so shed, was, or was not, within the territories of Spain, at least from the treaty of 1819 until the Mexican revolution. Word help: the "Mexican revolution" here means Mexico's fight for independence from Spain, which Mexico won in 1821.

  1. 1. What happened on that spot of soil, according to Lincoln?
  2. 2. What does Lincoln want to know about the spot of soil?
  3. 3. Does Lincoln seem sure that the spot was American soil? How can you tell?

LessonPrint · D2.His.10.3-5 · Set 11 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — One War, Two Accounts

Set 11. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. To show that both countries claimed the land where the fighting started. 2. Mexico believed the land between the rivers was Mexican soil, so the American soldiers had marched in. 3. No, because to them the soldiers had marched onto Mexican soil.
  2. 2.1. The blood of our citizens was shed there. 2. Whether it was within the territories of Spain from the treaty of 1819 until the Mexican revolution. 3. No, because he asks whether it was, or was not, within the territories of Spain.

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.His.10.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.