Preview

Ap Us History Dbq Essay

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1871 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Ap Us History Dbq Essay
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS FROM For the Record

FIVE of the following will appear in Part A of the Final Exam. You will identify and discuss the significance to American history of TWO of them. (10 marks).

1. George Washington - Letters about Shays’ Rebellion (1786) – p.150
-George Washington wrote this letter addressing Shays’ Rebellion and the danger of disunion among the states.
-He was writing to tell them that the Republic they had just fought for was in danger of collapsing in on itself. He wants there to be a strong centralized government, but not infringing on the rights of the people.
- If states don’t start working/thinking together as country then country might collapse
-Washington recognized that if America didn't get its act together then Great Britain, seeking revenge and seeing our moment of weakness might take advantage of the situation and reconquer us.
-Washington warned that if
…show more content…
James K. Polk – from The President’s War Message to Congress (11 May 1846) – p.341
- Polk describes his perspective on the war with Mexico he explains that he originally tried to negotiate peacefully with Mexico by sending in various people to negotiate with the Mexican government and governor such as Mr. Slidell. But the Mexican government never negotiated with the USA delegates send to the Mexico.
-Polk’s says he send military force “between Nueces and Del Norte” to protect Texas from the Mexican threat of invasion. Military has special instruction not to attack any Mexicans, unless Mexico attacks first in which case the war is then on. The military had set up a camp at Matamoras, Mexican army assume belligerent attitude towards US army.
-On April 12 Mexican general tells general Taylor to break-up his camp in 24 hours and retire beyond the Nuceas River and if they don’t only war can then solve this issue.
-On April 24 Mexico declared

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    In chapter three of “Occupied America, A History of Chicanos,” Acuna explains the cause of the war between Mexico and North America. Eugene C. Barker states that the immediate cause of the war was “the overthrow of the nominal republic by Santa Anna and the substitution of centralized oligarchy” which allegedly would have centralized Mexican control (Acuna 39). Texas history is a mixture of selected fact and generalized myth. The expansion and capitalist development moved together. The two Mexican wars gave U.S. commerce, industry, mining, agriculture, and stock rising. The truth is that the Pacific Coast belonged to the commercial empire that the United States was already building in that ocean. In the Polk-Stockton Intrigue, Americans found it rather more difficult than other people to deal rationally with their wars. Many Anglo-American historians attempted to dismiss it simply as a “bad war”, which took place during the era of Manifest Destiny. Most studies on the war dwell on the causes and results of the war, and dealing with war strategy. The attitude of Mexicans toward Anglo-Americans was obviously influenced by the war and vice-versa. In the end, by late 1847 the war was almost at an end. Scott’s defeat of Santa Anna in a hard fought battle at Churubusco…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Polk became one of the most aggressive and productive men to hold the U.S presidency. During his reign, a major event in his administration was the Mexican war that fit neatly with his expansionist policies. He was considered the last strong pre-Civil war president. Polk is widely noted for his successes in the foreign policy. Furthermore, he threatened Britain with war over an issue, in which the US owned the Oregon Country, after backing away over ownership of the Oregon region with Britain. Hence, during his tenure, the Oregon issue was solved between the US and Britain in which both states agreed to do partitioning of the Pacific Northwest at the 49th parallel. Eventually, the territory of the US extended to the Pacific Ocean.…

    • 1271 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Ap Us History Dbq Essay

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The American Revolution didn’t begin just because of one reason, but one major reason that really angered the Americans was when the British dumped tons of tea into Boston Harbor in December 1773 as a protest against the tax laws. The brutal British comeback to this act resulted in sending British troops to Boston and closing Boston Harbor, causing pressure and rancor to intensify. The British tried to disband the insurgents in Massachusetts by confiscating their weapons and ammunition and arresting the Patriotic leaders. Through the whole of 1774 and into 1775, strain in New England continued to rise. Minutemen met the British troops and disputed with them in Lexington, and later at Concord. The British departed to Boston, dealing with…

    • 836 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Federalist No 10 was an essay written by James Madison and published through many news papers along with many others for the decision to have the United States Constitution ratified. Madison believed that the constitution formed a government that was in enough power to do away with the chaos caused by groups of people known as factions. In Madison's terms factions were people who gathered together to protect and promote their special economic interest and political opinions.…

    • 77 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Polk wanted California for America before anyone else could get it and many didn't want war, but war was the only answer to Polk…

    • 187 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    He states that to remove the causes that provoke the development of factions you either destroy the liberty which is essential for political life (“liberty is to faction what air is to fire”), what could be unwise, or make each person in the society think in the same way and have exactly same opinions, what could be impracticable.…

    • 431 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Around the 1840s, the US aspired to annex Texas and incorporate it as a state within the Union. However, gaining Texas had its consequences as it lead a war with Mexico. William Ellery Channing, an abolitionist and pacifist, saw that the policy regarding obtaining Texas would led the “nation into war” as it severed as “encroachment,” and a way “to propagate the curse of slavery.” (Doc 2) The annexation of Texas was seen invading Texas’ link to Mexico as in document one, the American Review stated the annexation “shall dissolve the slight bounds that now link the province to Mexico” (Doc 1) This served as a situation for Mexico, who had refused to recognize Texas’ independence and its takeover by the United States, although President James Polk, a strong supporter of the annexation of Texas as seen in his Inaugural Address- where he stated “none can fail to see the danger to our safety and future peace if Texas remains an independent states,” attempted to aid Mexico in coming to an understanding. Therefore, the Mexican War broke out, out of the effort for Texas to break free its bond to Mexico. Eventually, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war, and came to an agreement that included setting boundaries for Texas and the acquisition of new territory- California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona,…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    James Knox Polk Dbq

    • 2332 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The presidency of James Knox Polk was a memorable one. He was known as America’s first dark horse candidate, and later he was called the only strong commander in chief between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln (Greenstein 14). Yet, many historians still write him off but he was by no means insignificant. Now, he may have not been as charismatic as Roosevelt or Reagan but charisma does not mean greatness. Polk was without questions one of the most ambitious and successful presidents in history. In four short years, his one term as president (1845-1849), the things that Polk accomplished was nonetheless astonishing. Polk bears the responsibility for reshaping the boundaries of the United States continentally through negotiation, war and policy…

    • 2332 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Also, Polk's accused Mexico of insults and lack of payments. The message was sent to the congress on May 11, and approved the next day. The unjust war of conquest had begun. The Mexican government understood perfectly the impossibility of…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever wondered what the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo actually was? It was a treaty that both America and Mexico signed in order to end a conflict between the 2. Why did President Polk go around Mexico and dock in Mexico instead of going through Texas and Mexico? He did this to have the element of surprise over Mexico instead of attacking them straight on.…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Washington was president and he was only trying to hold the new nation together. He…

    • 411 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Just as the Constitution had created the Union of the States. He feared the liberty and safety formed by the Constitution will come under attack. For that reason he asked American citizens to put their liberty and independence above any other interests they may have. He goes on to express support to the Union by giving examples of how he feels the country is already receiving the blessing from the unity they now share. He then looks ahead and share that with a combined effort and resources of its citizens will protect the country from foreign attacks and…

    • 1010 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    James. K. Polk

    • 989 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “James was a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for Vice President in 1844. Both Martin Van Buren, who had been expected to win the Democratic nomination for President, and Henry Clay, who was to be the Whig nominee, tried to take the expansionist issue out of the campaign by declaring themselves opposed to the annexation of Texas.” With the other candidates saying this Polk disagreed and wanted it to be re-annexed. More people who wanted this expansion were more in his favor; therefore Polk gained more votes from this expansion idea. He was known for using “Manifest Destiny” to his advantage. “Even before he could take office, Congress passed a joint resolution offering annexation to Texas. In so doing they bequeathed Polk the possibility of war with Mexico, which soon severed diplomatic relations.” Polk was nominated on the ninth ballot due to this. He stood for expansion when the other candidates were against it.…

    • 989 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The dul

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It can be argued that the people leading our nation’s goal was to keep the union together. For Instance, on page 44, it reads “Tell them from ME, at MY request, for God’s sake, to cease these conversations and threatening about a separation of the Union. It must hang together as long as it can be made to.”-Alexander Hamilton. This message was sent by Alexander Hamilton to the Federalist Party in 1804. A small delegate in New England was considering secession after the Republican party's success, and though Hamilton had seen his own reputation flounder along with that of his party, he nevertheless reveals here his primary goal: to keep the Union together. Even when the relationships between the Founding Fathers were at their most vitriolic, they shared an anxiety that the nation could fall apart.…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henry revealed their belief that the act of ratifying the constitution would eventually create a monarchy. Henry addressed, “I need not take much pains to show that the principles of this system are extremely pernicious, impolitic, and dangerous. Is this a monarchy, like England a compact between prince and people, with checks on the former to secure the liberty of the latter?” Patrick Henry spread his message on how unsafe the Anti-Federalists felt, believing their public liberty would be taken away with the ratification.…

    • 409 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays