GuitarHero
Caligula II
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2007
- Messages
- 1,486
How well do you think Polk did as President? Personally, I think he was one of the greatest Presidents America ever had, what with the HUGE expansion and humiliation of Mexico.
James K. Polk
- Thread starter GuitarHero
- Start date
sydhe
King of Kongs
I voted good, but not one of the best. Good because he was a good administrator who fulfilled his expansionist program, but he did provoke the war with Mexico, which is not good for relations with our southern neighbors, and the Oregon treaty was one of those compromises that is so obvious you wonder why it took so long. Besides, he was trying to make room for more slave states. I'd rank him about #8 among the presidents.
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
True, but considering what the American people at the time were asking for, his restraint in compromising Oregon at the 49th parallel instead of 54-40 (or fight!) and his settling with less Mexican territory than many hawks wanted, while compensating Mexico for it also showed himself as more of a moderate than his party would have asked for or expected. Granted, once his negotiator was in Mexico, he decided he wanted more land... luckily, it was too late for that.
Of course, since he didn't ruin our relations with Mexico forever and since we got California and one of the prettiest parts of our country out of the deal, it's tough to complain now at the way it was done.
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
After a discussion in a class this morning, it would seem that perhaps I am mistaken and it has ruined our relations with Mexico to this day.
Well, it f'd things up in that department. But, there was no other way to obtain California at that time, ultimately.
Just curious, what class?
Needs to be done:
In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Louis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our manifest destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the votes were cast the winner was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tarriffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second term
But precious few have mourned the passing of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump
In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Louis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our manifest destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the votes were cast the winner was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump
In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tarriffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second term
But precious few have mourned the passing of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
The American Civil War.
Interesting. What was the context which you were discussing the War w/ Mexico (or Polk) in relation to the CW?
Irish Caesar
Yellow Jacket
Basically as helping to set the scene for it.
The aftermath of the Mexican War bringing about the Free Soil Party, contributing to greater polarization between parts of the country, and I'm sure it'll be revisited when we see where the Civil War's military leaders took off their training wheels.
We're using McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom as a text, with a couple of other references.
Cheezy the Wiz
Socialist In A Hurry
I really love how everyone says that Polk was one of the best Presidents simply because he practically doubled the landmass of the United States. What's truly amazing is everyone's failure to realize that Polk did something comparable to Bush or Johnson (since everyone LOVES to make the comparison to the Bush Admin. these days) and basically created a reason to go to war with Mexico.
As then-Congressman Abraham Lincoln asked: "show me the spot [where Thorton was attacked."
As then-Congressman Abraham Lincoln asked: "show me the spot [where Thorton was attacked."
Figured something like that. In my class, I typically use the War w/ Mexico as the launching pad for a discussion of the Civil War and use the War's aftermath as a kind of "signpost" that the CW had become an inevitability.
@Cheezy, that comparison fails in many ways, if I have time/interest tomorrow, I'll elaborate. Also, your opening statement is a gross exaggeration. Only 25% said he was "one of the best". A greater % said he was OK or worse. I put him down as "good".
"Pity poor Mexico. So far from God and so close to the United States", quote from a Mexican General at the time of the Mexican-American War.
Polk is actually one of my favorite presidents, but I can understand why folks in the post-imperialist age would have major issues with him. Observed from a cold realpolitik view, definitely one of the great presidents. Incidentally, Winfield Scott's march on Mexico City is one of the most ovelooked and amazing feats of warfare in history. Truly phemomenal to lead an amphibious invasion, be grossly outnumbered, techonologically equal, extended supply lines, and still fight and win every battle. A shame he is not remembered as a true military genius (or at all).
Polk is actually one of my favorite presidents, but I can understand why folks in the post-imperialist age would have major issues with him. Observed from a cold realpolitik view, definitely one of the great presidents. Incidentally, Winfield Scott's march on Mexico City is one of the most ovelooked and amazing feats of warfare in history. Truly phemomenal to lead an amphibious invasion, be grossly outnumbered, techonologically equal, extended supply lines, and still fight and win every battle. A shame he is not remembered as a true military genius (or at all).
Well, in a broader sense it didn't hurt that the Mexican elite were too sh*t-scared of their own people to bother arming them against the invading armies. Mexico was in a pretty moribund state in 1848, the war mostly just exposed that. This is probably why Scott's campaign doesn't look as clever as it might have.
Fugitive Sisyphus
Escape Artist
Polk was a great President... for the United States. If Bush had decided to invade Iraq and make it a US colony, a century from now Bush might be considered a great President.
