Remind us why did Polk win Why did

Remind us, why did Polk win? Why did Clay lose?

Polk took the oath of office in March 1845 and put a four part agenda into action.

1. Polk convinced Congress to pass the Walker Tariff in 1846. This act reduced tariff rates from 32% to 25%, one of the lowest protective tariffs in American history. This helped to increase trade, especially with Britain, as predicted by Treasury Sec. Robert J. Walker.

2. He also got Congress to formalize Martin Van Buren’s approach to solving America’s banking problems with the creation of an “independent treasury. ”

3. He hoped to quickly resolve the growing border issues in the Oregon Country.

During the campaign of 1844, proexpansionists repeated the cry of “ 54 -40’ or Fight!” At the end of the day Polk settled for the 49 th parallel. Why?

This did NOT sit with people in Northern states, especially the conscience Whigs. Why? Hint: Think Texas

4. Polk then turned his attention to expanding into his most coveted piece of real estate……

To that end, Polk dispatched John Slidell to Mexico City in November 1845.

Polk instructed Slidell to negotiate the following points with the Mexican Government: - Mexican recognition of the Rio Grande river as the southern border of Texas. - Texas would give up demands for Mexico to compensate them due to losses in the Texas war for independence.

Polk instructed Slidell to negotiate the following points with the Mexican Government: - The U. S. would purchase the area of New Mexico for $5 million. (Roughly $100 million today) - The U. S. would purchase California for up to $25 million. (Roughly $500 million today) - How did Mexico respond? Why?

Following Mexico’s rejection of the Slidell Mission, Polk moved toward war. Members of his cabinet suggested that Americans and Congress would be more supportive of a war if Mexico shot first. How did Polk make that happen?

Many of the “Conscience” Whigs, most famously Abraham Lincoln, began to demand a report identifying the exact “spot” on the map were American soldiers had been attacked by Mexico.

Why was this exact spot such an important issue for the Conscience Whigs?

Despite the protests of some Whigs, Congress officially declared war on Mexico May 13, 1846.

Anti-slavery Whigs were very concerned that the peculiar institution would spread into any land taken from Mexico. To prevent that from happening, Rep. David Wilmot (PA) immediately introduced the Wilmot Proviso. What did it say?

When the Mexican-American war broke out, settlers in California took things into their own hands securing independence from Mexico through the leadership of John C. Freemont and the U. S. military.

The war in Mexico itself was led by these two. Winfield Scott Zachary Taylor

- Negotiated by Nicholas Trist - Mexico gave up claims to Texas above the Rio Grande River. - Mexico gave the U. S. the land known as the “Mexican Cession. ” - U. S. gave Mexico $15 million and agreed to pay the$3. 25 million claims of the Texas settlers against Mexico. (Roughly $500 Million today)

We can view the Mexican Cession in two ways. 1. Great for the United States. 2. Terrible for the United States. Explain.

Following the stunning success of the Mexican American War, people were further stunned when President Polk refused to run for re-election in 1848. Why did he make this choice?

Diarrhea!!!

The question thus became, who was going to replace him?

Martin Van Buren Zachary Taylor Lewis Cass Free Soil Party Whigs Democrats

The two major parties, Democrats and Whigs, refused to openly take a stand on the issue of slavery. Why?

What then were the issues of the campaign?

As voters were making up their minds about the candidates, most Americans asked an increasingly problematic question.

Should slavery be allowed in the territory of the Mexican Cession?

This question had four basic answers.

1. The Wilmot Proviso

Slavery should be prohibited from any land acquired from Mexico.

Some Americans, especially in the South, began to question whether Congress had the authority to regulate slavery in the territories?

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 said yes. Congress, under the Articles, had voted to exclude slavery from the old Northwest Territory. No one questioned the legitimacy of this action.

As such, Wilmot firmly believed Congress had the authority and that such power should be used to stop the spread of slavery.

2. Extend the Missouri Compromise

The original compromise of 1820 only dealt with the land of the Louisiana Purchase.

It had effectively settled the issue of slavery’s expansion for 30 years.

It left no ambiguity as to where slavery would exist. The line was very clear.

While some would support such a clear division, why would others not be so fond of it? Why might they not support such a solution?

This solution was supported by President Polk.

3. Popular Sovereignty

The expansion of slavery should be left up to the people of the territories.

Once a territory was ready to write a constitution, a popular election would be held on whether to permit slavery or to ban it. Continued the American tradition of self government. Congress might not have the power to regulate slavery in the territories, but no one would argue that the people did not have that power.

For most politicians, this was an attractive option. Both the Whig and Democratic parties were starting to split over the issue of slavery. Northerners were starting to grow uneasy about slavery and abolition had begun to grow in popularity. Southerners increasingly feared any limitation on the expansion of slavery and the Southern way of life.

Popular Sovereignty seemed to pacify both sections. Explain.

This solution was pushed for initially by Democrat Lewis Cass, and eventually embraced by Democrat Stephen Douglas.

4. Pro-Slave Position

Congress did not have the power to prohibit slavery in the territories.

Under the Constitution, citizens could not be denied their right to private property by act of Congress.

Slaves were property. Thus, Congress could make no law limiting the rights of people to own slaves.

This argument was most clearly supported by John C. Calhoun and the Fire Eaters.

The question of the Mexican Cession was only one of five problems that Americans were forced to confront in 1850.