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"POLK, THE PRESIDENCY OF JAMES K."   Term Paper ID:18467 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: (Paul Bergeron). Critical analysis of work on 11th President.... More...

5 Pages / 1125 Words 1 sources, 16 Citations, MLA Format $20.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: (Paul Bergeron). Critical analysis of work on 11th President. Paper Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to analyze and critique the book, The Presidency of James K. Polk, by Paul H. Bergeron. James K. Polk was the eleventh president of the United States and during his presidency, the United States expanded its territory enormously, thanks to the concept of "Manifest Destiny," which meant that Americans believed the country should expand to its "natural boundaries," (e.g., the Pacific Ocean.) Under Polk's presidency this was achieved by the War with Mexico and the takeover of the Oregon territory from the British. The book in question is a very meaty one, dealing with all the major issues which arose during Polk's term of office. Notable are discussions of his "hands-on" approach to the Presidency (39), and a lengthy exposition of Polk's "expansionist" attitude (51). In light of modern-day cries of Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. For example, he did not like the ritualsand formalities involved with being the Chief Executive (217) and seemedparticularly ill at ease during social functions. The Presidency of James K. Less well-known, perhaps, is the history of the Oregon territory, andthis is documented well. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and critique the book, ThePresidency of James K. Realizing this, Mr.,Bergeron has gone on to write a book outlining the importance of the man.Having said that, however, something must be mentioned of the writing styleof the book, which is rather drab. Few people (probably) realize that the Oregonterritory was controlled by the British and that James Polk obtained it forthis country by complex and devious means. Polk was the eleventh president of the United States andduring his presidency, the United States expanded its territory enormously,thanks to the concept of "Manifest Destiny," which meant that Americansbelieved the country should expand to its "natural boundaries," (e.g., thePacific Ocean.) Under Polk's presidency this was achieved by the War withMexico and the takeover of the Oregon territory from the British. Bergeron, is a well-written book, in that it explains why Polk's presidency was important tothe country. Lawrence: UP of Kansas, 1987.----------------------- 6 This was a prim andproper man, in fact, a bit of a "prig." It is amusing reading about hisdistaste for sitting for portraits (photography was unknown then) (228) andit seems that all presidents at that time had to do this unpleasantroutine. On the other hand, perhaps Mr. Bergeron is not to be blamed for this. Polk, by Paul H. Bergeron. Notable are discussionsof his "hands-on" approach to the Presidency (39), and a lengthy expositionof Polk's "expansionist" attitude (51). Bergeron is an academic writing to display his knowledge of the factsinvolved in Mr. Polk's presidency, but that is no excuse to be bland. takeover of the Mexican territories.Bergeron understood this, and mentioned it, also mentioning Polk's utterindifference to the "Indian" problem in the United States, choosing as hedid to ignore the Indians' request for fair treatment at the hands of thewhite man as the whites expanded their country west. Little remembered is England and France'salarm at U.S. There is a difference between history and political science. Works CitedBergeron, Paul H. No president but Jefferson can be said to have expanded U.S.-territory more greatly, and the War with Mexico was not only important inand of itself, but also in training commanders who would later findthemselves on opposite sides in the Civil War. He hadcommitted to serving one term only, thinking that enough (as did Jackson)and expected to retire to relative comfort after leaving office.unfortunately, he died only a few months after leaving office (26 ). expansion during the period in question and Polk had to facethe possibility of a war with one or both of those countries, in acquiringterritory. And perhaps that isall that counts. The author, an historian, has perhaps been handicapped by thepersonality he is writing about, although the events covered were vitallyimportant to the nation's history. The author is well-versed on the machinations of Polk's winning of the southwest, includingdiplomatic and military maneuvers to secure the region for the UnitedStates, and this is dealt with in great length in,Chapter 4 (67). Therefore, health matters were far more important then thannow. Politically, itseems, Bergeron is on the moral side of things. Perhaps this is why fiction writers (e.g., Shelby Foote) have written someof the best histories, such as Foote's history of the Civil War. Chapter 8 deals with Polk the man as President (217) and here, Polkseems a bit like Calvin Coolidge. The author states that Polkthought that the giving out of appointments was, in fact, ruining thePresidency (143). All in all, this book is great reading for a serious student ofhistory who can get past the style and examine the content. Admittedly,Mr. But it @Was a difficult search tofind them, and Mr. Bergeron could have made it otherwise. The book in question is a very meaty one, dealing with all the majorissues which arose during Polk's term of office. Senate is discussed in the book (184), as is hisclose relationship with Congress (211). On the other hand, James Polk himself, as mentioned above, wassomething of an "old fogey" and did not do or say anything that would lenditself to glamour as would, say, a biography of Abraham Lincoln, GeorgeWashington, or Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Chapter 9 deals with Polk's life after his presidency. The book issomewhat lacking in this regard. The Presidency of James K. James K. Polk'srelationship with the U.S. Polk, by Paul H. Amidall the facts and figures in the book, certain facts about Polk stand out,and these have been alluded to above. Apparently, any presidenthad to spend a great deal of time rewarding people who had supported himwith jobs, and this practice continues today. One must also tell of thetimes and the lifestyles of the people involved, so as to give the reader asense of being there and understanding events in context. Bergeronis a historian, yet his writing style tends toward that of a politicalscientist. It is to the author's credit that heunderstands the negative connotations of "Manifest destiny" as well as thegood, and has mentioned them. Facts alone do not make history. Certainwriters seem to be able to make periods of history come alive for thereader (William Manchester is an example) and others do not. In light of modern-day cries of"imperialism" at the U.S., his pursuit of the War with Mexico over not onlyTexas, but also New Mexico and California seems a blight on hisadministration, but there is no question that in practical terms thecountry was better off pursuing those goals than not. He writes endlessly of diplomatic machinations, treaties, thepolitical system of America and other subjects in a colorless style. Thisis surprising, because as a historian, Bergeron should have known thathistory is not just the summary of treaties, laws, and wars, but the storyof people. Polk apparently always wanted California to be part of the UnitedStates in addition to the Republic of Texas (which wished to become astate) and there are some indications that war with Mexico was necessary toobtain greater concessions than peace with Mexico would have brought (68).This is clear from a newspaper article written at the time about Polk'sambitions for the country (77). The content isgood, thanks to the author's interest in the subject. Polk's illnesses are discussed at some length (234) and here itis interesting to remember that modern science had not developed at thistime and any president stricken with a mild disorder might die of it,unlike today. Thishad occurred under the presidency of Andrew Jackson as well, and Jacksonwas a hero to Polk, who followed his lead in many areas. Elsewhere, the book deals with the acquisition of the Oregonterritory from the British (113), as well as an interesting chapter onPolk's attitude toward political patronage and his loathing of the manyoffice-seekers looking for federal jobs (137). Mexico suffered at Polk's hands, and, as it turned out, so did manythousands of Indians, due to the U.S. One must admire the author,who himself states, ,t several times in the book's Epilogue, that Polk hasnot been judged one of America's greatest Presidents. Polk. Chapter 7, on Polk, the press and the Congress, deals with Polkbreaking one Washington newspaper for its views, and stimulating thecreation of another, which had editorials more to his liking (171). It is a wonder more presidents did not die in office, so stressfulwas the job. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.