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• #Jame k.polk free#

Wheelan’s book sees Polk as the worst president our nation has ever had. Both these invasions were blamed on the Spanish, who were growing weak and wanted no fight. Polk began to be viewed in a better light as we invaded Cuba and the Philippines and stole them from the Spanish. That view of Polk changed somewhat in the 20th century as America began became more imperialistic. He was, to that date, America’s worst president. The country was glad he didn’t run again. The only promise he kept was to serve only one term. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century most books on Polk were negative. Before it was over Polk was being called all sorts of things. It was our first war with war correspondents.Īlong with press coverage, there was a peace movement against the war. For example, five New York newspapers, wanting to cover the war with the least expense, organized the Associated Press as a joint venture. Joe Wheelan’s book, Invading Mexico, tells the story of many of the war’s overlooked events. The Rio Grande became the border with Mexico. 2, 1848, ended the war and Polk paid $15 million to Mexico for California and other territories. He led his troops to push the Americans out of Mexico, but to no avail. Santa Anna went to Mexico, but instead of helping the U.S.A., he made himself president of Mexico again (I think for the fourth time). Polk sent down to Cuba for General Santa Anna to come out of retirement and help his cause in Mexico–the same Santa Anna, who 10 years earlier, lost Texas to Sam Houston. They were pretty well vanquished after their revolution and the war with Texas.

#Jame k.polk free#

Mexico had only been free of Spain for some 25 years. They responded with some strength and were not the pushover Polk and the war hawks thought they would be.įor such a strong nation to invade a weak and poor neighbor was not popular. This was not something the Mexicans wanted. President Polk sent troops to Corpus Christi to move the border to the Rio Grande. Arrogance has never been in short supply in our brief history. The great American attitude of “can do” was increasing in strength. Polk saw America as having a manifest destiny to control the entire continent. A young Congressman, Abraham Lincoln, began his move into the national limelight as an avowed opponent to the war. America had never invaded others (except the American Indians). There were debates in Congress that the invasion of Mexico was unconstitutional. New Mexico, Arizona, California along with other territory belonged to Mexico, having won them from Spain some 25 years earlier. Why invade a smaller, poorer neighbor just for land? Mexico’s border with the Republic of Texas was the Nueces River near Corpus Christi. The war was launched on questionable pretexts. Before and during that war, most Americans, including Congress, were not in favor of a war with Mexico.

Polk’s War was actually the Mexican War of 1846-48. He is often listed as the worst president we’ve ever had.

That appears to be what happened with Polk’s War.