A Deeper Look at Patriotism, Conscience and the Mexican War
The Mexican war (1846-1848) was very divisive. Though many people saw the western frontier as the key to prosperity, it was also viewed as a threat against national security not to push the United States border to the Pacific Ocean. Some citizens of the United States saw Mexico as a sovereign nation. They believed that if land was to be acquired, it should be done through treaties or land purchases. After President Polk took office, he quickly began work to expand the nation further into the west. Desperately wanting California, President Polk had it in the back of his mind that if the negotiations did not work out, he would take the land by force in the name of national security. These factors would cause a strong opposition to the war, and through the chapter nine text, titled “Making Value Judgments; Thoreau, Douglas, Polk and the Mexican War”, an attempt will be made to decipher the emotions, justifications and implications of a divided country at war. Using the specific writings or speeches of Thoreau, Douglas and Polk, a better understanding will be gained of each man’s reasoning behind their angst or support of the Mexican War. Then going against traditional historian convention, value judgments will be made concerning the beliefs of these three men, the people they represent, and what a citizen’s responsibilities are or should be. By carefully analyzing the ideas of Thoreau, Douglas and Polk, conclusions can be made to determine whether the Mexican War was necessary or just.
In January of 1848, approximately eighteen months after being jailed in Concord by Sam Staples (tax collector, constable and jailer for Concord) for non-payment of his poll taxes, Henry David Thoreau gave a lecture at the Concord Lyceum. Thoreau’s lecture titled “The Rights and Duties of the Individual in Relation to Government,” was given to like-minded people of the Concord community. This lecture was given as a...