Part 11 of My Presidential Review Series
First of all, sorry for the delay, I've been busy. Anyway, now is James Knox Polk. Polk is the most expansionist president we ever had. He acquired almost the entire West and some of the Midwest. He is also the first nominee to be nominated unexpectedly, which is known as a dark horse candidate. He was also the first president to only run once. He served March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849.
Both Great Britain and the U.S. had a claim on the Oregon Territory. At first, Polk would settle for nothing less than the whole territory. The Democrats' cry was "49 50 or fight!" But eventually, he agreed to the compromise that fixed the boundary at the 49th parallel, granting the U.S. the present-day states of Washington and Oregon. Vancouver Island, including the part below the 49th parallel, was granted to Britain.
Manifest Destiny had swept the nation by the time Polk took office, and he wholeheartedly supported the concept. The Texas Annexation worsened relations with Mexico, and the border remained in dispute. The U.S. claimed the border at the Rio Grande, but the Mexicans fixed it at the Nueces River. Polk sent John Slidell to end the dispute peaceably by offering compensation to the Mexican government for acceptance of the Rio Grande border, and to attempt to purchase New Mexico and California. When the Mexicans refused, Polk prepared for war. He ordered American forces under Zachary Taylor to the disputed area.
In April 1846, Mexican forces engaged Taylor's forces in the disputed region. Polk used this as an act of aggression when he asked Congress for a declaration of war. Congress voted to declare war two days later by a vote of 174-14 in the house and 40-2 in the Senate. Democrats completely supported the war, but Whigs were divided. Northern "Conscience" Whigs denounced it as an act of U.S. aggression. Southern and Western "Cotton" Whigs supported the war. The Wilmot Proviso, which barred slavery from all territory acquired from the war, was passed in the House twice and defeated in the Senate twice.
Although the Mexicans had numerical superiority and fought on familiar territory, the Americans used more sophisticated artillery and superior military skills to win the war. Taylor pressed south, defeating the Mexicans at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma in May 1846 and captured the stronghold of Monterrey in September. In February 1847 he defeated Mexican forces under Santa Anna at Buena Vista. American forces led by Winfield Scott took Veracruz in March 1847, routed Santa Anna at Cerro Gordo in April, and occupied Mexico City in September. Meanwhile, to the north, Commodore John D. Sloat seized Monterey and San Francisco. Troops under Stephen W. Kearney had captured Santa Fe and marched towards California. There with naval forces under Commodore Robert F. Stockton and aided by an American insurrection against Mexican rule, Kearney crushed the Mexicans. With the victory at San Gabriel in January 1847, California fell into American hands.
The war was ended under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Under its terms, the border between Mexico and America was fixed at the Rio Grande; Mexicans residing in the ceded territory were free to remain or to move to Mexico without loss of any real or personal property; the U.S. was to pay Mexico $15 million for the ceded territory; America assumed all claims lodged against Mexico by American citizens, an estimated $3 million. Nicholas P. Trist negotiated the treaty for the United States after Polk ordered his recall, but Polk still accepted its terms. It was ratified in the Senate 38-14 in March 1848, and took effect in July.
The U.S. acquired more than 500,000 square miles in the Southwest, the largest single annexation since the Louisiana Purchase. Mexico was reduced to half of its size. Resentment of the United States for what it regarded as a blatant land seizure still lingers in Mexico. In the U.S., whether or not to allow slavery in the territories became national debate.
An advocate of free trade, Polk signed into law a significant reduction in the tariff rates drawn up by Secretary of the Treasury Robert J. Walker. The law instituted the practice of storing imported goods in warehouses pending payment of duties.
Polk supported the Independent Treasury Act of 1846, which restored the system of independent subtreasuries created by Martin Van Buren in 1840 and repealed in 1841. It required that all federal funds be deposited in treasuries independent of private banks and that all debts due to the government be paid in gold or silver coin or in federal Treasury notes.
Polk died on June 15, 1849, just 3 months after he left office.
I have always considered Polk's method of starting the war U.S. aggression, not Mexican. But what is done is done. He acquired much of the West, and all in all, it wasn't that bad a deal for Mexico: in reality, they lost little of their population, and Polk resisted cries to annex all of Mexico. Despite resentment and cries of aggression, Polk will be remembered as a nearly great president.
Overall Ranking: 8
"Public Opinion: May it always perform one of its appropriate offices, by teaching the public functionaries of the State and of the Federal Government, that neither shall assume the exercise of powers entrusted by the Constitution to the other."