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| President James K. Polk (Munsey's Magazine. January 1897) |
James
K. Polk was probably the most unsociable, drab, stick-in-the-mud ever elected
president. Fun was a four-letter word in his book. Sports, drinking, dancing,
and anything to do with being around people didn’t make his A-list. Instead, he
was short, scholarly, lived for his work, and avoided face-to-face
conversations and confrontations.
The
only thing Polk had going for him was his friendship with Andrew Jackson.
Jackson’s support pushed Polk into the White House. The general ensured Polk
understood his presidency’s two critical goals: annexing Texas and Oregon.
Four
years, a war, and several treaties later,
Polk would accomplish it all.
After
Texas won its independence from Mexico in 1836, most of the Lone Star State’s
citizens favored annexation by the United States. However, Americans weren’t as
sure about the idea. President Martin Van Buren worried the move could trigger
a war with Mexico. In addition, the Democrats and Whigs feared it could cause a
split in Congress over slavery in the new territory. As a result, annexation was a moot point until
President John Tyler raised the issue in 1844.
The
Senate voted annexation down in June 1844. Tyler brought the issue before
Congress again in early 1845. It passed on March 1, and Texas became a state on December 29.