President James K. Polk Dbq Essay

“With me it is exceptionally true that the Presidency is no bed of roses.” These were the words of former President James K. Polk. Elected in 1844, Polk was president during the prominent dispute between Mexico and the US, and perhaps that tension between the two countries was what led him to state those words about his presidential term. The dispute started in the years preceding Polk’s term. The US Congress refrained from annexing Texas, which had gained independence from Mexico, because some Congressmen believed that doing so would anger the Mexican officials who still regarded Texas as part of their country. Others did not want to add a large slave territory to the US. Polk strongly believed in “manifest destiny”- that it was God’s plan

John O’Sullivan stated very clearly that this was the belief of Americans. He said, “Imbecile and distracted, Mexico never can exert any real governmental authority over such a country…” (Document A). The US believed that Mexico couldn’t control their land and didn’t have a strong government so it felt the need to barge in and take the land. On the opposite side of O’Sullivan’s words, who was an American, are the words of Jesus Velasco-Marquez, who was Mexican. He said that, “From Mexico’s point of view, the annexation of Texas to the United States was inadmissible for both legal and security reasons.” He then went on to say that, “Thus, when the Mexican government learned of the treaty signed between Texas and the United States in April 1844, it… would consider such an act “a declaration of war”” (Document C). Velasco-Marquez brought up the point that even though Mexico clearly should have been involved between the US and Texas, that wasn’t the case. The US and Texas signed the treaty without consent from Mexico and when the Mexicans heard of this, they were upset and had the right to be so. The US assumed that Mexico had no control whatsoever over its own foreign affairs, so they proceeded without any input from Mexicans. This proves that the US shouldn’t have gone to war with Mexico without clarifying the existing situation between the nations and discussing the terms of

As mentioned earlier, Polk was a strong supporter of “manifest destiny”, but the concept was merely a belief that stemmed from religion. It wasn’t strong enough to act as a foundation of international decisions. In addition to its lack of strength, it increased the gap between the two nations because Mexico was Catholic and the US was Protestant. The religious and personal beliefs of Polk caused the US to become egoistic. To prove this point, John L. O’Sullivan stated, “Other nations have undertaken… hostile interference against us,… hampering our power, limiting our greatness and checking the fulfillment of our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence (God)...” (Document A). By saying that other nations are interfering with the US and that they are stepping in the way of God’s decisions, it seems as if he didn’t approve of other countries. This thought of superiority in the Americans is also shown in the words of General Kearney. He said, “We come to you as protectors, not conquerors” (Document E). The US was not superior to Mexico in a way that they should have felt the need to “protect” Mexico. This egoistic mind of the US was another reason why the US was unjustified to go to war with Mexico. Polk should not have made decisions with the weak belief of “manifest destiny” which,