War between the United States and Mexico

War between the United States and Mexico

            The history of the United States becoming the nation it is today contains thousands of heavily debated twists and turns. One big decision made in the 1800’s was the incorporation of Texas to the United States of America. Both Mexico and the U.S. debated long and hard together until Mexico finally agreed to accept the offer of annexation in 1845. Normally this would seem an extremely good thing for the nation, after all America was filled with ambitious settlers eager to explore the new land. However the events that followed this great day are also considered some of the lowest moments in American History. The following year, 1846, the United States went to war against Mexico over the dispute of where the new set boundaries would lay. Many question whether the goal of this war was focused more on gaining power and territory for the U.S. instead of clearing up disputes between the neighboring countries. To come to a conclusion whether or not the United States was justified for going to war with Mexico, an individual must decide what a just war entails and find out whether the actions America took abide by these rules.

            During Andrew Jackson’s presidency, the Texas debate already began to take place. Many people from the South were extremely fond of the possibility of the U.S. welcoming in another slave state. The one reason that Andrew Jackson always gave to avoid making deals with Mexico for Texas was because he didn’t want to start a war. It wasn’t until the very end of his presidency that Jackson finally gave Mexico the option to annex Texas to the United States. Many people were excited to gain the new land, however when James K. Polk became president some questioned whether it was really a good idea. Polk reasoned that he was attempting to protect from an attack from Mexico when he sent troops to cross the Nueces River. However the area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande was heavily disputed territory. It wasn’t clear whether the land beyond the Nueces River was for the United States or Mexico. This strip of land between Mexico and the United States continued to be a topic of debate until 1846 when Polk first told Congress his decision to go to war with Mexico. To give reason to this war he stated to congress, “The Mexican Government not only refused to receive him or listen to his propositions, but after a long-continued series of menaces have at last invaded our territory and shed the blood of our fellow-citizens on our own soil.” These words suggest that Mexico had already made the first attempt at war by crossing the border and attacking Americans, thus making the war against Mexico a just one. Polk goes on to say that since the United States land and people has become threatened by Mexico, he must fight back with arms. As a result to the war against Mexico, the United States gained all of California, New Mexico, as well as claim land reaching to the Rio Grande in Texas, but was this attempt to gain land just?

            Although Polk might have sounded like his call to arms made a lot of sense, there was more to the picture than he proposed. Many citizens of the states were enraged by Polk’s decision about war. Titling it “Mr. Polk’s War,” many individuals from the Whig party protested against it. Years after the war, President Lincoln gave his opinion about it. He stated that Polk’s reasoning for war was full of lies and deceits. He argued that the land Polk considered soil of the U.S. likely never was. Polk stated that previous deals made, point to the Rio Grande as the border of this purchase. However, Lincoln wisely stated in response that “if I should claim your land, by word of mouth, that certainly would not make it mine.” The idea Polk had about this land belonging to the U.S. was not quite as simple as he made it sound. The debate of whose land this really was should have been debated with Mexico not decided by Polk in front of Congress. Because of this, many people considered Polk’s decision to go to war as more of an attempt to gain territory for the United States and not looking out for the U.S. citizens. The war took the lives of more than 12,000 Americans, and this fact infuriates all those who think Polk did all this to gain power.

            Weighing both the reasons that Polk gave for going to war, and the statements Lincoln gave to disagree, leads me to believe that the war against Mexico and the United States was not a just one. In my opinion there are a certain number of things necessary when declaring a just war. First off, the opposing country would have to make the first steps towards war. In my opinion the war would only be a just one had the U.S. been acting solely in self-defense. I don’t believe that Polk followed this, however, when he started the battle against Mexico. The original reason for conflict was Polk’s attempt to push the border. Secondly the war must be to gain a greater sense of peace between the two countries. The war between Mexico and the U.S. ended with a feeling very opposite to peace. Instead, people on both sides were enraged by the war that took place due to the border conflict. Thirdly I think it’s important for both sides to only come to war as a last resort. If the problem really was about finding who really owned the land between the U.S. and Mexico, debates would have been much more appropriate than starting a war to decide on the outcome.

Because the war against Mexico goes against all three of the requirements of a just war, I have concluded that Polk was wrong to call for arms. Many things suggest that Polk was so concerned about gaining territory for the United States under his name that he forgot about how important it is to only fight for justice. Although the United States ended up gaining a lot of land because of the war, they should have pursued it in ways other than force. I think that because of the war against Mexico, however, many leaders of future years have the opportunity to learn from Polk mistakes. Because of this war, America might become a better nation assuming that our society takes the time to consider what a just war really is. If America is able to learn from this war, in the future we hopefully won’t have to lose so many lives over an unjust war. 

Abraham Lincoln - The Leader

Abraham Lincoln
The Leader

            On the fourth of July when I was about ten years old, I memorized the Gettysburg Address and recited it for a local nursing home to help spread the joys of the great day. Even today, I still remember the first few famous lines of Lincoln’s great speech at Gettysburg. It’s ironic to notice that even though Lincoln didn’t believe his words would last over a hundred years, they still ring with the same great meaning as they did when he first read them in memory of the battle at Gettysburg. His great leadership when our nation was taking on the difficult times of the Civil War will always be remembered. Through his experience before presidency, his leadership, and actions as president of the United States, he is still thought of as one of the greatest presidents ever.

            Abraham Lincoln’s road to presidency is one thing that makes him such a memorable character of our nation’s history. Although he never had the financial advantage that his opponents often had he still worked hard and became a great leader. The famous stories of his life in the one-room log cabin tell of his humble beginnings. His humble attitude towards society made it easy for him relate with the public. In future years this humble attitude likely also gave him his views about the equality that black men should have. Some other qualities Abraham Lincoln had was his great ability to communicate and debate. Part of the reason he was able to do so well against opposing democrats like Stephen Douglas was because of his quick thinking and smooth debating abilities. He knew that his work in the Whitehouse wouldn’t be easy, but still he promised the American people that upon his election he would do everything he could for the good of the nation. Looking back at his presidency its clear he did just that.

            Abraham Lincoln is also thought of today as a great leader. When he was first elected president of the United States, the nation fell apart. South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas all seceded from the union and this is what Lincoln had to start with. It takes great leadership to lead a country in the first place, but even greater leadership to lead a broken nation back together. He originally did his best to compromise and solve problems offering southern states the promise of only going against the expansion of slavery not the slave states themselves. However as time went on, it became clear that something had to be done. Instead of denying the terrible situation the country was in, Lincoln accepted the facts and started the Civil War. This war was another important test to Lincoln’s leadership quality. Many important decisions were in his hands and he used his best abilities as well as resources from many other wise leaders to get the country back on its feet again. It proves how great a leader Lincoln really was when you notice that when he was first elected president the nation was broken, states were seceding from the union, and millions of blacks were enslaved, however by the end of his first term, enough people had the faith in Lincoln to elect him again for a second term. Lincoln’s leadership was an absolute necessary quality for our broken nation to get up and headed back in the right direction.

            In conclusion, it’s clear why Abraham Lincoln is remembered for his great work as president and as a great role model. The things he did could never be considered selfish or even favoring himself in the least. The battles he faced, and the states he attempted to lead together were all in attempt to build the United States as a whole. Had famous selfless people like Abraham Lincoln been more self-centered, the whole of society couldn’t have built together as strongly as it has over the years. Through Lincoln’s humble leadership our nation was able to make it through the Civil War as one union and unite under one government to this day.

1800's Market Economy Growth

This short article goes over some of the reason America shifted from a subsistence economy to a market economy...

1800's Market Economy Growth 

            During the nineteenth century many changes took place within the United States government. Looking back on its early years to the present day, it’s clear that America has been constantly working to better the American dream since its beginnings. Originally our nation was considered a subsistence economy. Many of the farmers grew what they needed to survive and bartered for the other necessities of life. It was not nearly as important to sell crops and become wealthy as it was to just grow what they needed. However as America strengthened and there became easy ways of transporting crops and goods over lots of land, suddenly a market economy sprung up. This economy gave the farmers a reason to grow as much crop as they could, so they could sell the surplus and become wealthier. This shift was the result of many things. First off, as America expanded more and more people came to the growing nation. The large amount of people caused an increased demand for products and food. As the government worked on the creation of roads, canals, and other forms of transportation, the farmers suddenly saw the advantage of selling their crops in the surrounding areas for cheaper than they would have years earlier. Americans also were starting to enjoy their self sustaining economy. Instead of relying on foreign trade, they were becoming more and more able to grow their own supplies. To top it all off, American inventors also were starting to work hard to make their farmers get the most out of their land and labor. Products such as the steam engine, power mills, more efficient plows, easy to make guns, and even machines to make 200,000 nails a day were just a few of the many inventions that made it inviting for America to start their own Market economy. One of the biggest creations that started it however was the easy transportation. Over these years America had improved their roads, and made advantage of waterways by the creation of steamboats. Canals also made it easier to get products needed in different areas there quickly and efficiently. With all these innovations, it’s no wonder that when farmers started to produce more and more surplus, the option of gaining wealth by selling it was very intriguing. As more and more people saw the advantages of a market economy, inventions sprang up and a market economy soon became a great transition for the American people.

Andrew Jackson's Presidency

This paper is a brief overview of Andrew Jackson's presidency, and some of the negative effects it brought to our nation...

 Andrew Jackson's Presidency

            Upon entering the White House in 1829 the seventh Andrew Jackson had become a very firm and experienced man. Being one of the most successful war heroes of the time and up to this day, Jackson had certainly seen many sides to the young nation. However, there were still many people questioning old Hickory’s ability to lead America as president. Although many Democrats were extremely happy to get one of their own into office, it was still unclear how this “Man of the People” would lead. To this day, people have split opinions whether Jackson was really able to benefit our nation through his leadership. Due to his strong opinions and uncompromising actions, I believe that he didn’t portray a democratic government as well as he should have. Although he may have made big decisions for our nation, he also made some big mistakes that are still remembered by many historians to this day.

            As Andrew Jackson was voted into office, many were surprised about how indifferent he was from the normal people of the area. He didn’t have an extremely large background for wealth or high ranking relatives, he was said to be just the average American fighting for each individuals rights in government. Some characteristics that  Jackson had as a  boy and through his time as president was a firm opinion on many matters. This comes out in a story which he was beaten by a British officer after refusing to clean his boots. Just like the scars of the British sword were present on his hands and face, his hatred of the British stayed deep in his thoughts. Also, being brought up in the south he encouraged slavery and southern expansion. Before becoming president Jackson was well known for his appearance as a war general. In the War of 1812 and many others he had fought long and hard against Indian natives as well as the British and French. With his extreme success as a leader, and bravery in these tough situations he had a good name when he ran for office against John Quincy Adams. Although he lost this election for possibly very unfair reasons, he still had his turn to run in the following election. His run for election against Adams was one of the steps to separating America into separate parties. He was a strong man, and it was clear he’d make many changes during his years of presidency.

            Unfortunately not all these changes were for the better. One of his first actions on becoming president was the spoils system. He told his followers that it was his attempt to make the government more open to the public instead of closed off by an elite few. However, this isn’t the only thing his new system did. By the end of his presidency he left roughly 9 percent of all government employees without work, and replaced them with his friends. Another big thing Andrew Jackson did was lead the national bank to its doom. He had never liked the national bank. He considered it a monster that only makes the rich grow richer and finally he decided to do something about it. Because its inability to spread the wealth to more than a select few citizens, its great control over the congress and government, and its favoritism of the northern states instead of southern, he vetoed the re-charter by congress and withdrew all the U.S. funds from it. It was a big decision, and angered many of his opponents. However, American people still voted him back into office in 1833. One final action that Jackson made in his presidency that personally irritated me, was his actions towards the Indians and there removal from western soil. He was in favor of forcefully moving the Indians from their home lands once again to help the growing nation seek westward land. These actions resulted in the death of many Indians and a hurtful relationship between those of the Americans and their neighboring natives. On the Trail of Tears alone roughly 4,000 Cherokee Indians died. It was forceful and inappropriate actions like these that Jackson is remembered for. Had he looked out for those Indians he could have gone about he situations more peacefully and saved many lives.  

            As you can see, Andrew Jackson was a very firm man. He stuck to what he believed, and  some of his actions were very hurtful to America and the Natives. This is why he got his nickname “King Andrew,” because many thought he acted like a ruler over the American people more so than a president. Although he might have done what he thought was best, part of being president is listening to the people and doing the best thing for others. I think that’s what Jackson failed to do during his presidency.

John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe

Overview of the four presidents following George Washington...

·         John Adams –

            In 1796 John Adams officially became the second president of the United States. Upon becoming president, he made it clear that he was dedicated to make a strong federal government, showing his federalist views.  He also made it clear that he did not want the young country to get into the European wars at the time. That’s why it was so troubling to him when the crisis with the French became a problem. They began beating up the young country and refused to make an peaceful agreement. That’s when the XYZ affairs took place. Under the threat that the French could attack at any time, Adams agreed that the army had to be built up, and stand prepared. The following years were used building up the Navy and Army, as to prepare for the war against the French. Luckily this war didn’t take place, but it was still extremely close, and lead to improvements to our protection from outside threats.

·         Thomas Jefferson –

            In the election of 1800 a great shift took place. The previous two presidents had both been federalists, but as Thomas Jefferson came in as the third president, the democratic-republicans took the stand for the first time. Jefferson made it clear by the way he acted, dressed, and lead, that he was greatly in favor of creating a small government with great democratic ideas. He dressed very normally and discussed with an even attention to each individual no matter their ranking. One foreign policy event that Jefferson saw as president was the Impressment and the Embargo act. During the Impressment British started seizing American ships that they saw crossing the ocean for trading. To stop these acts, Jefferson passed the Embargo Act that forbids the trading to Britain, in hopes that this punch to their economy would help peace between the two countries.  As a result to this act, foreign trade drop greatly, and American local farmers and merchants needed to step up to fit the demands of the growing country.

·         James Madison –

            Come 1809, America was once again searching for a new president. James Madison was the man who stepped into the fourth presidents position. America was under some difficult times when Madison took office, and something clearly had to be done. The British was a growing power in the world, and many Federalists were eager for war. They accused the British of urging Indian attacks, and many others longed for expansion into Canada.  When 1812 came, there was no option but to start the second war with Britain. It was a tough war for the Americas. Just like their original war with Britain, they had a natural disadvantage with their smaller army, but also home court advantage at the same time. Americans also had a tough time agreeing on whether or not they should actually be going into war again. Finally after two years, both countries stopped fighting and signed the Treaty of Ghent. This ended the war in a draw, no land gained or lost. Although the Americans had not taken the land from the British, they now had formed a peaceful way of ending future disputes.

·         James Monroe –

            Once Madison’s time was up as president, America voted for James Monroe to become the fifth president of the United States.  Monroe was another Democratic-Republican candidate, and was a very popular candidate in the 1817 election. All in all, the United States seemed to be flowing more smoothly than ever. Following the war, they had a boost in the economy, and had hopes to continue to be a great nation.  They called it the Era of Good Feelings. Although it was good times for many aspects of American life, there was also a few problems to the south in Florida. Spain had always owned the very southern point of the United States, and on the boarder there were occasional attacks that needed to be stopped. In attempt to expand the nation as well  as avoid possible future problems, Monroe set to work trying to gain this bit of land for America. Spain knew they had little control over their land in Florida and other parts of the continent, so they decided to strike a deal with America. They signed the Adams-Onis treaty which finally gave the United States ownership of Florida as well as land stretching all the way to the Pacific Ocean. For only 5 million dollars, America had finally gotten a lot of land stretching from sea to sea. Spain kept their Texas and Mexico, but it was with great joy that the Americans moved even further into the country.

Checks and Balances in the U.S. Constitution

Checks and Balances in the U.S. Constitution

                When the final separation of the United States and the British occurred in 1783, the Colonists rejoiced over their much deserved freedom. However, as time passed, maintaining this freedom proved much more difficult than some of the patriots might have originally thought. Looking at republics of years prior, James Madison was one man to find that many republics fail to keep their stand. With many other republics falling mercy to power hungry dictators or overwhelming surrounding forces, it became clear that in order for the United States to keep its independence, some solid guidelines must be put into place. That’s why, when the Continental Congress met to arrange the young nation’s future, Madison had already thought long and hard over a plan that could keep the United States a free republic. Many parts of his system still hold to this day, making the United States a free and independent nation. One key factor he included within his model of the Constitution was Checks and Balances. By keeping our government a free republic for over two hundred years the Checks and Balances have already proved their importance within our Constitution.

Checks and Balances were one main part of Madison’s model of the Constitution, because of how important he thought it was to spread the power out. He noticed that if other republics put too much power within a single aspect of the government, it often times started taking over. If the government gained too much power, the colonists would then live in a similar situation as they had in Britain. To make sure this didn’t happen again, Madison made Checks and Balances to save the colonists from an overpowering government. The way a Checks and Balances system works, is that instead of a single force choosing the actions a country takes, the power is spread among multiple units. Addition to their own work running the country, these single units would also have the responsibility of looking over the other units of government, to make sure all jobs are done right. Under this constant speculation, no single unit could grow too powerful, and every one of them could work together to make a more perfect union. This thought intrigued the Continental Congress, and in response, they put forward a plan to incorporate Checks and Balances in the Constitution. They set up a system that had three branches of the United States Government. These three branches include the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branch. With three units of government, the Congress could then split the powers evenly, and make sure each had the power to check one another. This system was taken timidly by the colonists at first, but proved to be a fool proof system to keep the power in balance.

There are many examples of Checks and Balances happening within our government today. One example is the Health Care regulations that are being heavily debated. The Executive (President) and Legislative (Congress) branch already voted for the Nationwide health care system, in which every person is required to have health care. However, the Judicial Branch isn’t sure this requirement is Constitutional. If the Judicial Branch finds reason to believe that this new law is unconstitutional, it has the power to reject the law. This shows that the Judicial Branch is in constant consideration of the people, making sure the other branches don’t take away any rights.

The Constitution has clearly proven how its well designed structure has lasted the test of time. The Constitutions many Checks and Balances have been able to retain the constitutional rights of each individual, as well as keep the United States running as a free republic. James Madison would be glad to see that the Constitution he helped design, didn’t fail like many other Republics he studied, but instead became one of the most successful governments in the world.

Ratifying the Constitution Editorial

This article goes over the reasons Colonists should ratify the constitution. It is written as an editorial, in 1788....

Ratifying the Constitution Editorial 

1788

There’s a fine line to the thing we call freedom, and over the past few years, the people of the United States have been wondering where the boundaries are to this independence. The ups and downs that freedom has brought to the Americas have been hard to handle. Many years of war and struggle were required to escape the tyranny of British government, and now that it’s all over, many people in the newborn republic are starting to wonder if they made the right decision. Fortunately, the founding fathers have not given up on this young country yet, and have spent long hours discussing the welfare of the present and future years of this nation. Over the past few weeks the Continental Congress put together a document that will totally change the life and lay down the law within the colonies, it is called the Constitution. Starting with the words, “We the People, of the United States of America,” the Constitution speaks of a government that links all the colonies as one union. However, the many people worry that these documents speaking of liberty will actually ruin the republic entirely. As states start to consider ratification, it’s important for all colonists to know what the Constitution implies.

James Madison was one man who definitely realized that we were in need of a vast change.  He was there when we fret about the Shays’ Rebellion, and finally decided it was time for him to make a difference. Looking over many past republics and democracy’s he made a plan. With the goal of making a free country that can work together, he threw out the old ideas in the Articles of Confederation, and presented a whole new plan to the Constitutional Convention. The men of the convention worked together over the course of long, stressful, and hot hours to form the country we all dream of. Now they’re urging each state to ratify the document, so we can once again, band together, and stay that way. Many people have feared that all this work on a national level will result in an all powerful king like they were used to in the past. However, the Constitution’s goal is just the opposite. When the convention took place, there was one main goal; to create a government that was for the good of all people. They formed the new Constitution around the idea that certain areas of government cannot over power others, and each person needs to have a voice. To do this, they made checks and balances. This made it so that no single part of government could get too powerful. The three parts of Government that would constantly be checking one another are called the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches. These checks and balances are a great way to pass things only for the good of each individual, and in the mean time make the United States even more united.

Many people wonder how their voice will be heard in the government, the last thing they want is a demanding government like they had in Britain. The way the Constitution respects each individual’s voice is by voting for the officials. People in each of the previously talked about branches would be put into office by the voting public. The public votes on who they feel believes the same way they do, and then in office the elected person can put the ideas into action. Each state would also receive representation within the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Great Compromise said that there would be two houses of Congress. The Senate, the upper house of congress would consist of two individuals from each state. The House of Representatives that would be put together based on population. This means that each state would be able to have their own feelings heard by the others, no matter how small they may be. One issue that came about with this proposal was how slaves would be counted, if the House of Representatives relied on total population. After a heated debate, there was another compromise that each slave would count as 3/5ths of a person. This means that in the southern states, they receive delegates based on the idea that each slave raises the population of the state by 3/5.

Another great reason the Constitution has to be put in place, is because of our National debt. America was unable to tax its population under the Articles of Confederation. Although this kept some colonists happy, the lack of a budget was playing very negative effects on the government. Because of this, the constitution stated that the public can be taxed, as long as it was accepted in the three branches of government. The American people should understand that this needs to be the case. When Britain first started taxing the colonies, the people shouted “No taxation without representation.” But now that America is putting together their own government, contributions for the good of all, must be put in place.

Although this new Constitution might hold some very good ideas, there are still some people around us that dislike the idea of becoming more of a union. Each of us must realize that the Constitution will in no way take away the rights we love. Through many checks and balences, the Constitution insures that we have people looking out for our freedom and the good of our country. This ends a lot of fears about the United States becoming too much of an overpowering National government instead of a Federal one. Most anti-federalists believe that since the Constitution included no Bill of Rights, their own rights would start to disappear. However, as we’ve seen, this is not the case, and if their concerned about having their voice heard in government, ratifying the Constitution is the best thing they could do. The Constitutional Convention decided that nine of the 13 colonies would have to ratify the constitution before it was put into place. If you feel that these ideas are all a necessary part of our government, I urge you to work toward ratification of your own state. If we can get this passed, our states will be able to work together to reap the benefits.

Only time can tell how the Constitution will fare in the United States. Many wonder whether our dreams of independence have started to come true. It seems however, that the Constitution is giving us all a light of hope that we possibly will be able to make it through as a republic, and follow the freedom we fought for. Ratifying the Constitution is one very beneficial action, and many believe it alone could give us a good start to making this country an even better one.