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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.