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Since we read about Polk this week, I thought ya’ll might enjoy this song about his presidency:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTiCU_fqCg
I found the annexation of Texas to be an interesting story, particularly the variety of reasons supporting and opposing it. Annexation appealed to several groups of people for a variety of reasons. Manifest Destiny appeared as a means of spreading democracy and American ideals onto the rest of the continent, and the expansionists believed that democracy “was a universal value that should- and could- rule the world” (Wilentz 296). Additionally, bringing Texas into the Union could defend against Great Britain’s imperial powers. Houston was considering joining with England after the United States rejected annexing them the first time (298). People such as Upshur and Andrew Jackson supported annexation as “the only practical check on Britain’s ambitions” (295). Third, Southern slaveholders approved of this move because it would expand their influence. However, slavery also affected opposing arguments. The anti-slavery advocates feared that Texas would offer too much power to the South. Additionally, some of the eastern slaveholders also opposed Texas annexation because it would cause a westward diffusion of slaves and lessen the consolidation of power on the Southern east coast. Finally, others were opposed to Texas entering the union because it would bring on a war with Mexico.
On either side of the issue, slavery and war came into play. Some wanted to avoid the spread of slavery; others wanted to spread their slave influence. Some people wanted to avoid a war with Mexico; others wanted to combat English imperialism.
Polk aligned with those that saw Texas annexation as an important move to protect against Great Britain. Rather than associating himself with the spread of slavery and risking alienation from anti-slavery advocates, his pro-annexation stance was based on protecting the United States from the English and spreading democratic values westward. As a classmate mentioned in his post (spedwards), Polk did not have the intention of favoring one group over the other, but Texas unfortunately ended up becoming an issue about slavery.