Discussion: Manifest Destiny and the Mexican War of 1846

How did the ideology of Manifest Destiny contribute to the Mexican War of 1846? Why did the Mexican War of 1846 take place? Was the war necessary? Was it beneficial to the United States? What does this war tell us about this period of American history? Was it God’s plan that the United States extend from the Atlantic to the Pacific, or were imperialists looking for a way to defend what they planned to do anyway? Elaborate.