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President James K. Polk
1845-1849
“IT IS A SOURCE OF DEEP REGRET THAT IN SOME SECTIONS OF OUR
COUNTRY MISGUIDED PERSONS HAVE OCCASIONALLY INDULGED IN
SCHEMES AND AGITATIONS WHOSE OBJECT IS THE DESTRUCTION OF
DOMESTIC INSTITUTIONS EXISTING IN OTHER SECTIONS—INSTITUTIONS
WHICH EXISTED AT THE ADOPTION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND WERE
RECOGNIZED AND PROTECTED BY IT. ALL MUST SEE THAT IF IT WERE
POSSIBLE FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ATTAINING THEIR OBJECT THE
DISSOLUTION OF THE UNION AND THE CONSEQUENT DESTRUCTION OF
OUR HAPPY FORM OF GOVERNMENT MUST SPEEDILY FOLLOW.” MARCH
4, 1845 INAUGURAL ADDRESS
HTTP://WWW.BARTLEBY.COM/124/PRES27.HTML
James K. Polk Bio
• Born Nov. 2, 1795 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Died June
15, 1849
• Left N.C. with his father west to Tennessee where he lived on a
prosperous farm
• Attended Presbyterian schools and ultimately graduated from U. of
North Carolina and studied law back in Nashville, Tenn.
• Won a seat on the Tenn. House of Representatives and then
nominated to U.S. House then became speaker of the House and held
it until 1839
• Polk, a staunch Jacksonian follower, he won governorship of
Tennessee and tried introducing bank reform but due to the economic
crisis and Panic in 1839/40, he lost a bid for reelection
• Married Sarah Childress in 1824, she was well educated and well to do
and brought influence into the Polk household along with a social gift
for gab.
• Until being nominated for president and after serving as governor, he
went back to plantation farming
Election of 1844
•
Democratic convention in
Baltimore took several times to
nominate ticket
•
Lewis Cass vs. Martin Van Buren
caused infighting as Van Buren
did not support Texas
annexation and had northern
support while Cass had southern
support but none had enough
delegates
•
Van Buren, knowing he would
not win supported James K. Polk
and running partner George M.
Dallas as V.P. after ninth ballot
•
Thorn to Democrats, Henry Clay
of the Whigs narrowly lost the
election
•
Liberty Party (antislavery)
nominated James G. Birney
•
Clay was against Texas
annexation and Polk firmly for it
•
Democrats called Clay an
abolitionist why the Whigs
asked “Who is James K. Polk” do
to his little involvement with
Politics
•
Polk won by a historically slim
margin defeating Clay to take
the presidency
Polk’s Cabinet
• James Buchanan Sec. Of State a pick independent of John C. Calhoun and
Martin Van Buren, Democratic Party leaders
• Atty. General: John Y. Mason (1856-46), Nathan Clifford (1856-48), Isaac
Toucey (1848-49)
• Postmaster General: Cave Johnson (1845-49)
• Sec. of Treasury: Robert J. Walker (1845-49) an expansionist
• Sec. of War: William L. Marcy (1845-49) a political opponent of Van Buren
• Sec. of Navy: George Bancraft (1845-46) and John Y. Mason (1846-1849)
Foreign Affairs of Polk Presidency
• Annexation of Texas and slavery issues begin to take strong hold of political problems in U.S.
• Texas allowed to become the 15th slave state after resolution passed by Congress in 1845
• Texas Militia moved south to Rio Grande as boundary for Texas thus creating a Diplomatic
nightmare and start of war with Mexico
• Polk promised resolution to Canadian border with British and thus began another diplomatic
compromise
• Polk agreed to a boundary at the 49th parallel, giving the United States present-day Oregon,
Idaho, and Washington, as well as control of the Columbia River.
(http://millercenter.org/president/biography/polk-foreign-affairs)
• Boundary also began a fight for free vs. slave state agendas as John Niven wrote “David
Wilmot, a Democratic congressman from Pennsylvania, moved an amendment to an
appropriation bill that would exclude slavery from any territory that might be gained in a peace
treaty with Mexico”(The Coming of the Civil War: 1837-1861) creating infighting and section
frustrations.
Mexican War 1846
• Discussions between Britain
and Mexico about buying
California caused U.S. to send
John Slidell to negotiate
purchase of Cali. And Texas
boundaries
• Revolt of Mexican army
against President of Mexico
resulted in Mexican troops
crossing over Rio Grande and
killing 11 U.S. soldiers
• Polk asked for Congress to
Declare war and May 13,
1846 the U.S. was officially at
War with Mexico
• Abraham Lincoln, a Whig U.S.
Senator called the War
unconstitutional and voted
against the War (interesting
side note)
Mexican War cont.… 1846-48
• With Texas annexed and the Wilmot Proviso fresh in the minds of political leaders, War was
made and Gen. Zachary Taylor would go from War Hero to the White House in 1848 election
• “Old Rough and Ready” Gen. Taylor led the U.S. to major victories in Northern Mexico and the
capture of Monterey
• General Kearny led an army from Santa Fe, N. Mexico to meet with Gen. Taylor in Monterey
• Gen. Santa Ana of the Mexican army was granted safe passage back to Mexico and to Mexico
City he went where the new government named him supreme commander and he went back
to fight the U.S. and General Taylor defeated the Mexican army in 1847
• Gen. Winfield Scott led an army and took Mexico City, Mexico’s capital on Sept. 14, 1847
resulting in renewed diplomatic relations between the two governments
• Expansionism caused treaty talks to become complicated but in 1848, the Treaty of Guadalupe
Hildalgo was signed giving Texas a Rio Grande River border along with 15 Million dollar
payment for California and New Mexico resulting in a ocean to ocean border for the U.S.
The United States after the Mexican War and Border With
Canada
Domestic Policy during Polk’s Term
• During Inaugural address, Polk stated “In the earlier stages of our national
existence the opinion prevailed with some that our system of confederated
States could not operate successfully over an extended territory, and
serious objections have at different times been made to the enlargement
of our boundaries.” Here he discussed Expansionism and Manifest Destiny
cementing his ideas of western and southwestern lands thus resulting in
Treaties with Britain and Mexico
• Discussing Laws designed for one part of the country or industry that hurts
the other will not be tolerated in this administration
• Discussed sectionalism and the idea that all confederate and union states
are needed to make this country strong
Domestic Policy cont.….
•
Polk commissioned survey of tariffs across country after running on tariff
reduction
•
Walker Tariff of 1846: moved rates downward towards revenue-only levels and
dropped the policy of an ad valorem rate (a percent of the value of the goods) in
favor of a set rate regardless of the value.
http://millercenter.org/president/biography/polk-domestic-affairs
•
Independent Treasury Act of 1846:entrusted the federal government with the
exclusive management of government funds and required that disbursements be
made in hard specie, such as gold or silver, or in paper backed by gold or silver.
http://millercenter.org/president/biography/polk-domestic-affairs
•
Wilmot Proviso: asserted that "neither slavery not involuntary servitude shall
ever exist in any part of" the territory acquired from Mexico.”
http://millercenter.org/president/biography/polk-domestic-affairs
•
Proviso created sectional rift in both parties as norther Whigs and Democrats
agreed with Wilmot Proviso while most southern Democrats and Whigs where
against thus creating a hot bed issue of slavery that would eventually lead to the
Civil War.
•
Although Polk’s policy would expand the United States and provide what we
know now as the 48 continental states, it would also further the sectional
arguments of slavery and states rights as John C. Calhoun continued to argue for
the south’s slavery rights.