James K. Polk Dbq

James K. Polk was elected President in 1844, taking office in March of 1845 as the youngest president in history at the time. His presidency was filled with much controversy, as he proved himself a vehement supporter of the manifest destiny ideology and constantly sought to increase the land controlled by the United States. His expansionist exploits were regarded in both positive and negative lights by Americans and foreigners alike, and many of these opinions were solidified in the minds of thousands when war was declared on Mexico in 1845 based on a claim President Polk could not prove. We may have entrusted President Polk with the highest position of leadership in our country, as well as the power to declare war which comes with the office, but does his ends justify his means, and was war truly the most favorable course of action for the United

States? If your values align with mine, than you would agree Polk’s wish to expand America’s power through war gave no reason to pervert the truth.
As previously mentioned, Polk felt very strongly about the principles of manifest destiny. He believed it was the right of Americans to settle all land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and as president he attempted to use his power and influence to achieve this goal. He tried to buy lands from Mexico, and when that failed he believed war was the next step. Furthermore, when the circumstances did not seem favorable for a pro-war scenario, Polk created the circumstances for Congress. His false claims of Mexican provocation and spilling of American blood only worsened the extremity of Polk’s expansionist actions. Polk twisted the truth in a successful attempt to persuade Congress to declare war on Mexico, which unsurprisingly led to the expansion of American owned land. While his motivations may have been pure, centered on the goal of expanding the land owned by the United States, his means were unethical and illegal, which I believe makes his entire declaration of war unjustifiable. By falsifying claims of spilt blood, Polk betrayed the trust of thousands of American citizens who looked to him for leadership and guidance. Trust is a fragile thing. It is the basis of all government, and by breaking that Polk threatened government itself.
After being elected the previous year, James K.

Polk took office in 1845. His youth and strong views proved difficult, and conflict filled his tenure as president. Seen both as a brilliant supporter of the manifest destiny ideology and as a incompetent president, the controversy of his presidency revolved around his expansionist dreams of conquering all land between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. These issues came to a head in 1845 after President Polk was able to use a false claim to convince Congress to declare war on Mexico. Polk could not prove his claim was completely true, but he was determined to expand America’s land and thus sought to forcibly take the land through war with Mexico after the country refused his offers to purchase the land. These extreme actions were within Polk’s power as president, which were entrusted to him by the people of the United States, but do his ends justify his unethical means? President Polk may have had the best interest of Americans in mind, but his warping of the truth has led me to view his actions, and consequently the entire Mexican-American War, as a pointless

conflict.