The Mexican-American War (1846-48): Part III-Who Is James Polk?

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The Mexican-American War lasted from 1846 to 1848. The official cause of the war was Mexican opposition to the American annexation of the Republic of Texas, which had won its freedom from Mexico ten years earlier. However, President James Polk intended to use the war to greatly expand the United States by annexing New Mexico and California, therefore it was the first war fought against a fellow republic to gain territory. Episode Three explains how the annexation of Texas became the dominant issue in the 1844 presidential election, and Andrew Jackson's support helped James Polk win the election. Aside from Texas, Polk wanted to annex New Mexico and California, as well as Oregon, which meant potential conflict with both Mexico and Britain.

Cast of Characters:
John Tyler-President of the United States, former vice president and former senator
John Calhoun-Secretary of State, former vice president, former senator and former secretary of war
Daniel Webster-former secretary of state and former senator
Henry Clay-former senator, former secretary of state, and former speaker of the House of Representatives
James Polk-former governor of Tennessee and former Speaker of the House of Representatives
Martin Van Buren-President of the United States, former vice-president, former secretary of state and former governor of New York
Andrew Jackson-former President of the United States, former senator for Tennessee and former general in the US Army
Sam Houston-First and Third President of the Republic of Texas, former commander of the Texan army, former governor of Tennessee
Anson Jones-Fourth and final president of the Republic of Texas, former secretary of state

Sources:
A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, The Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent-Robert W. Merry
Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America-Walter R. Borneman
A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln, and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico-Amy S. Greenberg
Seeds of Empire: Cotton, Slavery, and the Transformation of the Texas Borderlands, 1800-1850-Andrew J. Torget
This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy-Matthew Karp
Heirs of the Founders: Henry Clay, John Calhoun and Daniel Webster, the Second Generation of American Giants-H. W. Brands
The Great Triumverate: Webster, Clay, and Calhoun-Merrill D. Peterson
What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848-Daniel Walker Howe
Sam Houston: The Life and Times of the Liberator of Texas, an Authentic American Hero-John Hoyt Williams
Mexico: Biography of Power, A History of Modern Mexico, 1810-1996-Enrique Krauze, translated by Hank Heifetz

Image Credit:
By Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot - Originally published in The War Between the United States and Mexico, Illustrated, 1851, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1178283