Editing Winfield Scott (section)

====Early war====
[[File:Mexican–American War (without Scott's Campaign)-en.svg|thumb|upright=1.6|Overview map of the war]]

Polk and Scott had never liked one another, and their distrust deepened after Polk became president, partly due to Scott's affiliation with the Whig Party.{{sfn|Eisenhower|1999|pp=218–219}} Polk came into office with two primary foreign policy goals: the acquisition of [[Oregon Country]], which was under joint American and British rule, and the acquisition of [[Alta California]], a Mexican province.{{sfn|Merry|2009|pp=131–132}} The United States nearly went to war with Britain over Oregon, but the two powers ultimately agreed to [[Oregon Treaty|partition]] Oregon Country at the 49th parallel north.{{sfn|Merry|2009|pp=170–171, 266–267}} The [[Mexican–American War]] broke out in April 1846 after U.S. forces under the command of Brigadier General [[Zachary Taylor]] clashed with Mexican forces north of the [[Rio Grande]] in a region claimed by both Mexico and Texas.{{sfn|Merry|2009|pp=244–245}}{{sfn|Eisenhower|1999|p=220}} Polk, Secretary of War [[William L. Marcy]], and Scott agreed on a strategy in which the U.S. would capture [[Northern Mexico]] and then pursue a favorable peace settlement.{{sfn|Merry|2009|pp=256–257}} While Taylor led the army in Northern Mexico, Scott presided over the expansion of the army, ensuring that new soldiers were properly supplied and organized.{{sfn|Eisenhower|1999|pp=223–225}}