POLITICS IN THE 1840s, JAMES K. POLK,
& MANIFEST DESTINY
The Second Great Awakening swept through America’s
Protestant churches, transforming the place of religion in American
life and sending a generation of believers out on their missions to
perfect the world. As a result, “there was no other country in
the world where Christian religion retains a influence over the
souls of men than in America” argued Alexis de Tocqueville.
This was done because the Age of Reason and Deism challenged
Christian ethos.
Transcendentalism—a golden age in American literature
dawned in the second quarter of the 19th century. One of the
mainsprings of this literary movement was transcendentalism
which means “The Athens of America” (Boston) (Based on Puritan
ideology) As a result, American literature gained recognition from
European elites. (Moby Dick and The Scarlet Letter were written
in this period. Authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Walt
Whitman, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry David Thoreau
were all products of transcendentalism.
THE SOUTH AND THE SLAVERY CONTROVERSY:
The introduction of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin in 1793 erased
any possibility of slavery dying on its own. The cotton gin is
significant because it made possible the wide-scale cultivation of
short staple cotton. For example, the average human could
separate 1 lbs of cotton a day, but the gin could separate a
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1,000 lbs. This created a huge demand for more slaves to plant
cotton.
Cotton is King—The Cotton Kingdom developed into a huge
agricultural factory, pour out avalanches of cotton. It
drastically increased the number of plantations in the South and
factories in the North. Cotton accounted for half the value of all
American exports after 1840.
The Planter Aristocracy—Before the Civil War, the South was
similar to an oligarchy, a government by the few. In 1850 only
1,700 families owned more than 100 slaves, and these families
ruled the Southern political landscape and social apparatus.
(John C. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis were prime examples of this.)
Slaves and the Slave System—The economic structure of the
South became monopolistic. This is significant because it was
weary done the soil and severely limited the South’s revenue.
Another cancer to the South was the financial instability of the
plantation system. (what may or may not happen?)
Slaves represented a high investment of about $1,200/per slave.
This would plunge plantation owners in debt that may not be able
to repay. The fiscal solvency of the system was very volatile.
Southerners resented watching the North grow fat at their
expense.
(That’s just life!!) (The systems they chose—agriculture vs. industry.)
The White Majority—Most whites DID NOT own slaves. Poor
whites (a huge portion of society in the South) were scorned by
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slaves as “poor white trash,” “hillbillies,” “crackers,” or “clay
eaters.” All of these “Bubbas” were without slaves and had no
direct stake in its preservation, yet they were among the stoutest
defenders of the system. Why?
It can be summed up in two phrases: STATES’ RIGHTS and
social status!!!!! (PLEAS PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THIS)
Life Under the Lash—Southerners often romanticized about
the happy life of their singing, dancing, banjo-strumming
slaves.
Everywhere slavery meant hard, back-breaking work,
ignorance, and oppression. The worked from dawn till dusk and
were watched by a white overseer or black “driver.” They had
no civil or political rights from arbitrary cruel and murderous
punishment. Floggings were common because with whip was the
work incentive instead of raises.
By 1860, most slaves were concentrated in the Black Belt of the
Deep South.
Early Abolitionism—The inhumanity of the “Peculiar
Institution” gradually caused many antislavery societies to
come forth. Many of these societies wanted to relocate slaves
back to Africa, specifically countries like Liberia on the West
Coast. The capital of Liberia is Monrovia, after Pres. James
Monroe.
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Radical Abolitionism—William Lloyd Garrison and his paper
The Liberator were the two most prominent radical abolitionists.
Garrison triggered a 30-year war of words and essentially fired
one of the first barrages of the Civil War.
Frederick Douglass—was the greatest black abolitionist. He
escaped from slavery at 21 and in 1845 wrote the Narrative of the
Life of Frederick Douglass. Douglass was very pragmatic and
practical were Garrison was stubborn and principled.
Douglass looked to politics to end the plight of slavery. These
political abolitionists led the Free Soil Party of the 1840s, which
eventually became the Republican Party with the Whigs.
The South Lashes Back—Nat Turner, a preacher slave, led a
rebellion based on religion (SGA). Whites put the rebellion
down strongly and quickly. They argued that slaves were no
different than whites that worked in harsh factories in the North.
The South passed the Gag Resolution that required all
antislavery legislation to be tabled without a debate. John
Quincy Adams fought for eight years to get it repealed.
MANIFEST DESTINY AND JAMES K. POLK
More of 1840 Politics—“Tyler Too” and hard-ciderites dominated
the political landscape in 1840. Harrison, Tippecanoe, just died.
Tyler was the president. Tyler was not a Whig-hack that went
head to head with Daniel Webster and Henry Clay.
Tyler’s Administration—The Whig platform was a strong,
nationalistic program with a financial reform coming first. The
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Whigs wanted a “Fiscal Bank” to replace the BUS. It passed
Congress, but Tyler vetoed it. The Democrats were jubilant saying
Tyler saved us from another monster!
***Subnote: at this time Britain is picking a fight with us. They
want the Oregon territory.
The Lone Star of TX—Mexico refused to recognize TX
independence. Mexican officials threatened war if America got
involved with the status of TX.
Britain was greatly interested by TX. A puppet TX could be
used to turn against the Yankees. The US Gov’t strenuously
objected to British actions based on the Monroe Doctrine.
As a consequence, the Election of 1844 was centered on TX.
Northerners vehemently opposed TX because of the expansion of
slavery while Southerners cried “TX or disunion!”
The Proexpansion Democrats were led by James K. Polk and
the Whigs were led by Henry Clay. The continued existence of
TX as an independent nation threatened to involve the U.S. in a
series of costly wars in America and Europe.
Plus, Britain argued that they had claim over the OR Territory.
This was land on the West Coast that included land west of the
Rockies all the way to the Alaskan panhandle on the 54-40
longitude/latitude line. The slogan became 54-40 or fight.
Polk and A Mandate for Manifest Destiny—The Pro-TX South
was able to elect Polk, Young Hickory, because he was a protégé
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of Jackson. He made Manifest Destiny a central part of his
administration.
Manifest Destiny—a belief that America should extend its
domain from coast to coast.
Countless Americans believed that God had “manifestly” destined
the American people to control the hemisphere. Polk was
considered a “dark horse” candidate but his support of the
Manifest Destiny ideals carried him to a decisive victory over
Henry Clay and the Whig Party.
Polk’s Purposes as President: Polk was a methodical, hardworking, shrewd, narrow-minded and persistent but not brilliant.
Polk had four points he wanted to accomplish in four years and
not rerun. 1) reduce the tariff; 2) have an independent
treasury/not linked with the Fiscal Bank; 3 & 4) were to gain
Oregon and TX. He was a strong believer in Manifest Destiny
(54-40 or fight and TX)
Polk was eager to by CA from Mexico but relations with Mexico
City were embittered. The Mexican government recalled its
minister from Washington. As a result, Polk dispatched John
Slidell to Mexico City to work out a diplomatic solution in late
1845. Slidell was shunned.
As a result, Polk prepared for a showdown. He ordered 4,000
men under Zachary Taylor to march to the Rio Grande just in
case.
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As a consequence, Polk planned on asking Congress for a
Declaration of War based on two key factors: 1) unpaid
claims; 2) Slidell’s rejection.
These were flimsy causes for war and would feel better if Mexico
shot first.
That very evening Mexican troops crossed the Rio Grande and
fired on Taylor and killed 16 soldiers. This commenced the
MEXICAN WAR!!!!!!!!!!
**Note-Abe Lincoln likened Polk’s war message to “the half
insane mumbling of a fever-dream.”
The Mastering of Mexico: Polk wanted Manifest Destiny but not
war with Mexico or for that matter Britain. Polk was anxious to
end the shooting as soon as he accomplished his territorial goals.
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed on Feb. 2, 1848.
This ended the war and America now had TX, New Mexico,
Arizona, California, and resolved the OR Territory (NV + UT)
with Britain.
The political caveat, of this was the Wilmot Proviso that
prohibited slavery in the newly formed American territory. It
caused another political uproar. It passed several times in the
House but failed in the Southern dominated Senate. The W.P. is
significant because it brought slavery to the forefront yet again.
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MANIFEST DESTINY WAS ACHIEVED AND POLK DID
NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION. HE DIED SHORTLY
AFTER FROM CHOLERA.
First time he saw the ground get busted
He was 10, it was 1952
His daddy worked hard
From sun up til sundown
And the goin' got tough
Behind them old gray mules
The farm grew to be a money maker
And the house he lived in
Grew up room by room
The boy worked hard
But soon got tired of farmin'
So he slipped away one night
B'neath the harvest moon
His neck was red
As alabama clay
But the city's call
Pulled him away
He's got a factory job
And run's a big machine
He don't miss the farm
Or the fields of green
Now the city's just a prison
Without fences
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His job is just
A routine he can't stand
And at night he derams of wide open spaces
Gresh dirt tween his toes and on his hands
Then one day a picture came
Inside a letter
Of a young girl
With a baby in her arms
And the words she wrote
Would change his life forever
So he went to raise his family
On the farm
His neck was red
As alabama clay
Now he's going home
This time to stay
Where the roots run deep
On the family tree
And the tractor rolls
Through the fields of green
His neck was red
As alabama clay
Now he's going home
This time to stay
Where the roots run deep
On the family tree
And the tractor rolls
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Through the fields of green
His neck is red
As alababma clay
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