Expansion: Costs and Benefits

Upon returning to Washington in 1806 from our Lewis and Clark trek, we soon saw storm clouds of war forming on the horizon. By 1811, War Hawks from the West and South were calling for war against Britain. These members of Congress wanted to “defend American honor,” which the British were offending by impressing our sailors and inciting Native Americans to attack settlers. The War Hawks also wanted to drive Britain out of Canada to gain more land for development. It was mainly New Englanders, worried about trade, who called for cooler heads to prevail. Opponents of war also argued that the United States was a young country with limited revenues and a small, inexperienced army and navy. Pressured by the War Hawks, President Madison in June 1812 sent a message to Congress requesting a declaration of war. His “War Message” was narrowly approved, and for two years war waged on land and sea. The successful resistance by defenders of Fort McHenry, which guarded Baltimore harbor, inspired Francis Scott Key to write our national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner. However, American forces were unable to prevent the British from seizing Washington and burning a number of buildings, including the White House and Capitol. The most famous battle, the Battle of New Orleans, took place two weeks after the Treaty of Ghent had been signed, ending the war. Because news of the treaty had to travel by ship, neither the American commander, Andrew Jackson, nor his British counterpart was aware that peace had been declared.

This “most peculiar” conflict, as one of our textbooks calls it, resulted in a stalemate, as no land was won or lost. But according to some historians, by defending its honor against the mighty British Empire, America gained new respect in Europe. Along with our national anthem, the war brought Andrew Jackson to prominence, preparing the way for his future election as President. A heroine of the conflict was Dolly Madison, the First Lady, who saw the British troops advancing towards Washington and had the foresight and perseverance to load priceless paintings and historic artifacts onto a wagon, which made its way to safety. Her action saved one of the most famous paintings of George Washington.

I would urge you to check out the blog posting from February 2006 entitled “The Second Battle of New Orleans” to see photos I took on a trip to The Big Easy after Hurricane Katrina.

Missouri Compromise

With the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase settlers quickly moved into the region and started forming states. But would new states enter the Union as free or slave states? The Ordinance of 1789 had included a provision that all states northwest of the Ohio River would be free, but Missouri wanted to enter the Union and Missouri was outside the jurisdiction of the ordinance. After much debate, Congress, in order to preserve the balance of power in the Senate, allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, while Maine (carved out of Massachusetts) entered the Union as a free state. The Compromise went on to say that any other states north of 36/30 N latitude, carved out of the new “unorganized” territories, would be free while those below that line would be slave. Would this be a lasting Compromise? Is slavery an issue that can be compromised? Stay tuned for further disagreements that will erupt into war!

Oregon Trail: Opportunity and Challenges

This past week you read about the fur traders, missionaries and settlers who ventured further West. Some went for economic reasons and some went to Christianize the Native Americans and contribute to the cultural development of newly settled areas. You also started reading about President Polk and his ambition to gain land from Mexico by either purchasing large tracts or going to war to expand the boundaries of the United States. We will continue with this next week as we look at the war with Mexico and its lasting impact on US and Mexican relations today.

Revisions

Revisions should be turned in the next day unless you have asked for extended time. If you delay doing the revisions your work is going to accumulate and it will be difficult to keep up with the current assignments.

Current Events

Monday you have a current event due and it must be about the election. This will be our final opportunity to talk about the candidates and issues before you cast your ballot in our class primary.

In order to continue my own education about the candidates and issues, I went to Rhode Island College on Saturday to hear Senator Obama. I braved the cold and stood in line outside of the gym for over two hours before the security people started letting people enter. Umbrellas had to be left outside, no bags were allowed inside and great care was taken to insure a safe speaking environment for the Senator. I stood in the gym, with about 5,000 others, for another two hours while music played, people chanted OBAMA, and TV cameras and the media were strategically positioned on risers. I was struck by the number of young people and parents who brought along school children. Around 2:30, we heard a great cheer from outside the building. The Senator had arrived! Senator Obama spent about 30 minutes addressing the thousands of people who were unable to get into the gym. Finally, he entered the gym and was greeted with thunderous applause. For the next hour, the Senator clearly and passionately outlined his hopes for this country. The audience, which was a cross section of Rhode Islanders, responded with numerous interruptions of cheers and applause. Around 4:00 Senator Obama concluded by asking everyone to help get out the vote on Tuesday.

Our primary is on March 4 and Rhode Islanders have been treated to visits by every major presidential candidate. Seeing and hearing the candidates helps all of us make an informed decision as to who we want to lead this country for the next four years. While you may not be voting this year, the person who is elected in 2008 will most likely run again in 2012 and then it will be your turn to help decide who leads this country.