James K. Polk

an early part of his life John Polk Senior was in prison. Sometime following his release when John was in the third grade his parents started going through a divorce. “That was probably the most significant thing to happen to me honestly, like that changed my whole life completely.” John said, “But even though I wasn’t old enough to really remember seeing my Dad in prison, talking to him and seeing how much his life changed from that taught me so much.” John Polk Senior was living a lavish…

In his book, Sleuthing The Alamo, James E. Crisp goes beyond the mere description of the historical events that took place during the Texas Revolution. Crisp’s passion to uncover why certain events of the Texas Revolution were remembered in a specific way, propelled him to closely examine and critically analyze the motive behind a number of writers and historians. It was this determination that forced Crisp to take no for an answer and to “attempt to separate Texas myth from Texas history”.…

In the 1840’s American expanded into the western part of the United States. One of the biggest factors that lured Americans westword was the Manifest Destiny. The United States felt that they were to control the entire contient because God wanted it that way. Manifest Destiny became so wildy know that it started to appear in newspapers, debates, paintings, and advertisements. It was used to further territorial expansion in the west. Many believed that God himself blessed the growth of the United…

Was the United States Justified in Going to War With Mexico? Mexicans and Americans are closer to war than ever before. When Texas gained its independence in 1836 there was a dispute in the borders. American troops were north of the Rio Grande when fired upon by a bigger force of Mexican troops. This event started the Mexican War. So should have the US have been able to go to war with Mexico. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because Mexicans are treating Texans…

Nechard Rajban Due: November 12, 15 Lecture 17 Summaries History of the U.S I The Mexican Colonization law of 1842 was passed in order for foreigners to be able to come to America and colonize Mexico. This allowed people to be able to gain ownership of land however citizens were granted the first preference and then foreigners had their pick. The Colonization Law also guaranteed to people land security and to be exempted from taxes for four years. This helped in protecting Mexico from the…

The Annexation of Texas caused great contempt and division among Americans, and arguments defending both sides were abundant. John O’Sullivan’s argument for the Annexation of Texas is superior compared to Thomas Corwin’s argument. O’Sullivan utilizes facts, the spirit of America, the antithesis, and the history of other foreign countries in America make a strong argument. O’Sullivan begins by declaring that Texas belongs to America. Texas is no longer a mere plot of land; it is American…

Was the United States Justified in Going to War with Mexico? As someone new to the world sets up something would it be right if someone just took it from them with force? This kind of event happened on April 25th, 1846 to Mexico, which where America took land from them through force. The event that triggered the beginning of the war was American troops patrolling an area North of the Rio Grande. American troops engaged a large body of Mexican soldiers that had just crossed the Rio Grande.…

Debate Opening Statement - Mexican War We believe that texas has absolutely no legal right to join the United States. President Polk has broken multiple laws on several different occasions, and action must be taken. President Polk took over texas first, then tried to negotiate. He clearly was to take advantage of Mexico's young and weak government by using his superior power. His actions were both illegal and immoral. It is impossible to legally justify taking land that does not belong to…

The Battle of Palo Alto took place on May 8, 1846 and lasted only 3 hours. The battle is marked as the first major engagement between Mexico and America during the Mexican-American war even though the battle took place days before America declared war on Mexico. The battle was short lived, proving the American artillery tactics and armament far superior to that of Mexico. The number of casualties Mexico took during this short battle was more than double that of America. Zachary Taylor, an…

Manifest Destiny was a term coined by John O’Sullivan in 1845 to describe the overwhelming notion that America wanted to expand exponentially. Most Americans during this time period felt it was a divine right to expand and settle the entire continent. This idea of expansion was not new, but an old view, that many great explorers and nations followed while establishing themselves. America was now no different, and looked to gain greater dominance over their own land. To do this, America took…