Review of James K. Polk and the Expansionist Impulse
History 020
Rachel Chow
1 January 2011
A REVIEW OF JAMES K. POLK AND THE EXPANSIONIST IMPULSE
James Knox Polk, a candidate of the Democratic Party in 1844, became the US president between 1845 and1849; however, he remains largely forgotten today, in the popular US imagination, because memories concerning his presidency had been overcome by memories of the most famous presidents like Abraham Lincoln. Remembrance of Polk as the 11th U.S president can be more despised than loved by many, because, as a leader, he resorted to expand the US territory by all means. His presidency deserves scrutiny, since he oversaw an era of intense internal agreement in the nation that led to the outbreak of the Civil War in the 19th century. He served a one-term presidency, and his predecessor was John Tyler.
Polk became one of the most aggressive and productive men to hold the U.S presidency. During his reign, a major event in his administration was the Mexican war that fit neatly with his expansionist policies. He was considered the last strong pre-Civil war president. Polk is widely noted for his successes in the foreign policy. Furthermore, he threatened Britain with war over an issue, in which the US owned the Oregon Country, after backing away over ownership of the Oregon region with Britain. Hence, during his tenure, the Oregon issue was solved between the US and Britain in which both states agreed to do partitioning of the Pacific Northwest at the 49th parallel. Eventually, the territory of the US extended to the Pacific Ocean.
During his presidency, Polk added many acres to the American territory. For instance, the most famous is Texas, which originally had been part of Mexico. A critical review of his controversial actions, as well as the philosophy of Manifest Destiny, attempts to present a review of his presidency, whose leadership led to various changes in the US topography. Thus, the memory of Polk’s
Rachel Chow
1 January 2011
A REVIEW OF JAMES K. POLK AND THE EXPANSIONIST IMPULSE
James Knox Polk, a candidate of the Democratic Party in 1844, became the US president between 1845 and1849; however, he remains largely forgotten today, in the popular US imagination, because memories concerning his presidency had been overcome by memories of the most famous presidents like Abraham Lincoln. Remembrance of Polk as the 11th U.S president can be more despised than loved by many, because, as a leader, he resorted to expand the US territory by all means. His presidency deserves scrutiny, since he oversaw an era of intense internal agreement in the nation that led to the outbreak of the Civil War in the 19th century. He served a one-term presidency, and his predecessor was John Tyler.
Polk became one of the most aggressive and productive men to hold the U.S presidency. During his reign, a major event in his administration was the Mexican war that fit neatly with his expansionist policies. He was considered the last strong pre-Civil war president. Polk is widely noted for his successes in the foreign policy. Furthermore, he threatened Britain with war over an issue, in which the US owned the Oregon Country, after backing away over ownership of the Oregon region with Britain. Hence, during his tenure, the Oregon issue was solved between the US and Britain in which both states agreed to do partitioning of the Pacific Northwest at the 49th parallel. Eventually, the territory of the US extended to the Pacific Ocean.
During his presidency, Polk added many acres to the American territory. For instance, the most famous is Texas, which originally had been part of Mexico. A critical review of his controversial actions, as well as the philosophy of Manifest Destiny, attempts to present a review of his presidency, whose leadership led to various changes in the US topography. Thus, the memory of Polk’s