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James K. Polk: A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny
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James K. Polk: A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny Hardcover - 2000

by Thomas M. Leonard


From the publisher

When he was elected President in 1845, James K. Polk was only 49 years old-at that time the youngest president ever to be elected. He faced a conflicted nation on the verge of tremendous territorial expansion.

James K. Polk's four years in office marked the greatest period of territorial acquisition in the history of the country-what New York journalist John O'Sullivan termed as the 'Manifest Destiny' of the United States to expand across the continent. By the end of Polk's presidency in 1849, U.S. possessions included the California, Oregon, and New Mexico territories. In addition, Texas had become part of the Union.

This book analyzes Polk's political career and his role in each of these territorial expansions. James K. Polk: A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny shows that they were far more complex than the moral crusade that had been labeled 'Manifest Destiny.' Southern planters wanted to protect their 'peculiar institution' of slavery by adding new territories from which slave states would be carved. Commercial interests feared that war with England over any of these territories would adversely impact upon the nation's trade. Although the Oregon boundary dispute was settled with little friction, the Mexican War erupted after the annexation of Texas.

This fascinating biography of our eleventh president and his successful efforts for expansion of U.S. territory will be of interest to students studying United States history, foreign policy, and the massive territorial expansion in the 1840s known as Manifest Destiny.

Details

  • Title James K. Polk: A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny
  • Author Thomas M. Leonard
  • Binding Hardcover
  • Pages 218
  • Volumes 1
  • Language ENG
  • Publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Wilmington
  • Date 2000-11-01
  • ISBN 9780842026468 / 0842026460
  • Weight 1.01 lbs (0.46 kg)
  • Dimensions 9.26 x 6.22 x 0.76 in (23.52 x 15.80 x 1.93 cm)
  • Themes
    • Chronological Period: 19th Century
    • Chronological Period: 1800-1850
  • Library of Congress subjects Presidents - United States, United States - Territorial expansion
  • Library of Congress Catalog Number 00032961
  • Dewey Decimal Code 973.610

Media reviews

Citations

  • Reference and Research Bk News, 02/01/2001, Page 46

About the author

Thomas M. Leonard is distinguished professor and director of the International Studies Program at the University of North Florida.
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This book is in very good condition. There is minimal wear on the covers, There is no bumping or fraying. The pages are clear of any markings. "A steady rain fell upon the steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 1845, forty-one year-old James K. Polk took the oath of office as the eleventh president of the United States. The youngest chief executive until that time, Polk brought with him twenty-two years of political experience that gave him the confidence to successfully deal with the national challenges before him. But, could he? Did Polk understand the immense changes that the United States had undergone since 1823 when he began his political career? The Jeffersonian America into which Polk was born in 1795 differed greatly from the America of 1845 when he assumed the presidency. From the original thirteen states, the country now numbered twenty-seven, with Texas awaiting admission to the Union, By the 1840s people had moved into the Louisiana Territory and many Americans… Read More
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