US Congress Formally Declares War on Mexico

After Polk's war message, the House voted 174-14 and the Senate 40-2 to declare war, but debate was fierce. The bill included a preamble asserting that Mexico had 'shed American blood upon American soil.' Many Whigs, led by Henry Clay and including first-term Congressman Abraham Lincoln, voted for war funding but disputed the pretext, with Lincoln later demanding to know the exact 'spot' where blood was shed. John Quincy Adams and 13 other representatives voted against the war entirely.