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20
PresidentJamesPolk’sFirstAnnualMessage,
December2,1845
Fromtheendofthe1830s,theUnitedStatesenteredintoanintensiveprocessofterritorial
expansion.Toexpanditsterritory,thegovernmentoftheUnionuseddifferentinstruments.
Sometimesitcouldbuyhugelands,aswasinthecaseoftheLouisianapurchasefrom
Francein1803,sometimesitwasdiplomacythatservedtopurchasenewterritories,asfor
exampleinthecaseofFloridathatwasconrmedintheAdams-OnisTreatyin1819.The
effortstobroadentheterritoryoftheUnionculminatedduringthepresidencyofJamesK.
Polk.Hebeganhistermin1845.Alreadyduringthepresidentialcampaignheunderlined
hisstrongsupportforanyactivitiesthatcouldbringnewterritoriestotheUnitedStates.
HewasverypleasedfromthenalaccessionofTexasbuthewaswildlyannouncing
thathisaimistoreachthePaciccoastandmakeitanAmericanterritory.Hisextremely
expansionistpolicywasverycarefullyobservednotonlyinMexicothatwasdirectly
affectedbyUSterritorialexpansion,butalsobyEuropeanpowers.GreatBritainwas
directlyinterestedinPolk’sexpansionistpolicyasoneofhispostulateswastheannexation
oftheentireterritoryofOregon.Itshouldberememberedthatthisterritorywasjointly
commandedbytheUnitedStatesandGreatBritainsince1818.
Inhisrstannualaddress,December2,1945,presidentJamesPolkdevotedalotof
timetoexplainingthecurrentstateoftheUnitedStatesinternationalsituation.Naturally,
thecaseofTexas’accessiontotheUnionwasdiscussedinrstorder.Theconsequenceof
thisdecisionwasthegraveworseningofAmericanrelationswithMexico.TheMexican
governmentperceivedtheaccessionasadangertothenationalsecurityoftheMexican
stateanddidnotacceptit.US-Mexicanrelationsdeterioratedrapidly.Inhisspeech,
PresidentPolkindetailsdescribedthestateofUSrelationswithitssouthernneighbor.
ThesecondimportantsubjectofUSforeignpolicyatthebeginningofPolk’stermwas
thecaseoftheOregonTerritoryandthedisputewithGreatBritainoveritsadhesion.The
currentstateofnegotiationswithGreatBritainwasdescribedintheaddressaswell.In
analyzinginternationalsituationoftheUnitedStates,PresidentPolkexpressedhismost
importantreectionrelatedtotheforeignpolicyoftheUnitedStates.Itshouldbeno
surprisethatheinvokedtheMonroeDoctrineforthispurpose.Hedidnotnegatethemost
importantassumptionsoftheMonroeDoctrinebutheinterpreteditinanew,farmore
expansionistmanner.AsPresidentMonroespokeabouttheimpossibilityoftheappearance
ofnewEuropeancoloniesintheAmericas,PresidentPolksaidthatnationalsecurityof
theUnitedStatesrequiresthatallEuropeanpossessionsintheNorthAmericancontinent
shouldberemovedanditshouldbedominatedbytheUnitedStates.Thiswasasmallbut
quiteimportantchangeinthefoundationsofAmericanforeignpolicy.Withtimeitwas
startedbeingreferredtoasPolk’sinterpretationoftheMonroedoctrine.Inhisvisionsof
theinternationalrelationsinNorthAmericaandtheWesternHemisphere,Polkbasedthe
ideathatthegenerallyperceivedUSexpansionasanobligationgiventoAmericansfrom
GodtobroadencivilizationanddemocraticinstitutionsintheentirecontinentofNorth
America,ontheMonroeDoctrine.Undoubtedly,duringhisentirepresidencyJamesPolk
wastakinggreateffortstobroadenAmericanterritoryasfarasitwaspossible.