In this small informational website, I would like to take us to three historical periods in U.S. History. There seems to be some similarities in the three Presidents and their careers. All Presidents who have been involved in a war, would relate to these three Presidents as well.
. . . James Polk, 1844 :
Polk Family Homestead Website
James Polk was elected President in 1844. He would be one of the
hardest
working Presidents we would have. He was Democrat, and promised
he would serve only one term. His biggest historical legacy
is
the great expansion of our country. This very expansion effort by
Polk and our government would get him into contention with certain
political
elements of our country, including the young U.S. Representative,
Abraham
Lincoln. His family homestead website biography describes the
political
turmoil and the War with Mexico that occurred during Polk's
administration:
During his Presidential campaign. . .
". . .Polk promised to actively encourage America's westward expansion. He favored Texas statehood and the acquisition of the Oregon Territory. Although critics expressed concern that aggressive expansionism might lead to a war with Great Britain or Mexico and might destroy the tenuous balance between free states and slave states, a majority of Americans accepted Polk's vision of a continental nation."
Slavery was the big issue, and the
expansion of it into new U.S. territories was feared by
anti-slavery folks in the North and even the South (smaller number).
Polk declared war on Mexico over territorial rights and an attack on Gen. Zackary Taylor's troops. Abraham Lincoln would oppose this was while a representative. This was not a popular political thing for the young Lincoln to do. Check here for a learning activity on the Mexican War and Lincoln's opposition.
(1844, continued) Abraham
Lincoln,
Freshman U.S. Representative:
. . . The new U.S. Representative Abraham Lincoln was against the
Mexican
War and put his own political career on the line with his inward
concern
of slavery expanding to new territories to be gained from the
war.
Here's what Abraham Lincoln had to say and did concerning his anti-war
actions:
Representative Lincoln introduced to Congress a series of resolutions
designed
to embarrass the president by forcing him to admit that Mexico and not
the
U.S. had jurisdiction over the spot where blood was first shed. When
Polk
had delivered his war message he had claimed that American blood had
been
shed on American soil. Lincoln questioned whether Mexico had
jurisdiction
over the spot where blood was shed, and if they did, they had the right
to eject American soldiers from their soil. Thus Polk had provoked war
by
placing soldiers on Mexican soil in order to achieve some greater
objective,
such as expanding slavery.
The Legislative Branch has the responsibility to maintain the balance of power between it (Legislative Branch), and the Executive and Judicial branches. In this bit of U.S. History, President Polk is the leader who is questioned and criticized by a group. It just happens that Abraham Lincoln is the questioner.
Let's travel to a different time now-- 1861, Abraham Lincoln, President!
President Abraham Lincoln has entered office in a
time
of great turmoil. If you study his political career, especially
from
the 1850's to his election as President, you can see that he had a
master
plan to be President, keep the Union together, and rid it of
slavery.
He was elected President, but not because of Southern popularity.
The Southern states, that would first secede would only wait until
Lincoln
was formally elected and then they seceded. Lincoln did not ever
consider secession as a real possibility. He maintained in his
speeches
that the Union would come back as one, either all slave or not-slave.
The Civil War would start, and many in office,
especially
the Southern sympathizers would question and criticize his role in
starting
the Civil War. Time goes on again. Lincoln would be the
criticizer
of Polk, but during the Civil War, he would become the criticized.
Let's
travel to present day in
the old U.S.-- Spring, 2006
...George W. Bush, Spring, 2006
. . . our 43rd President. His election
alone
was with turmoil, in the actual physical election process, problems
arose.
He was elected and then the terrible act on 9/11/01. George W.
Bush
was pushed into a full-fledged wartime President, who would have to
take
hold of the government and the people in leadership and courage.
He
became, and still is very popular.
As now during Spring of 2006, Sept. 12,
2002, the President is entering the 4th year of a now unpopular war
with Iraq to help that country to become a democracy. The
President, whether popular or unpopular has to make the decisions, and
the buck stops at his desk.
Time goes on, and on and on. Big Decisions are made daily by the President.
Only history after the fact can reveal whether decisions are right.
What do you think?