Term Paper on "Diplomacy of Annexation Texas Oregon and the Mexican War"

Term Paper 5 pages (1269 words) Sources: 0

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History-U.S. Before 1865

The Diplomacy of Annexation: Texas, Oregon and the Mexican War by David M. Pletcher

American History is a subject that, while relatively short in terms of all of recorded history, takes up millions upon millions of printed pages, online sources and the like. Among the written works about the various facets of American history, David M. Pletcher's "The Diplomacy of Annexation: Texas, Oregon and the Mexican War," written in 1973, is considered by many to be one of the most pivotal works on this topic, and continues today, decades after the book was written, to be discussed and cited by scholars and experts alike. In this research, the theses of Pletcher, as presented in his book, will be presented, and supported with the evidence and arguments he uses to support his theses. Ultimately, a better understanding of Pletcher's work, and the topic, will be gained through this research.

Territorial Expansion-Annexation of Texas

To clear up some misconceptions about the state of Texas, Pletcher puts away the false, somewhat candy-coated notion that Texas was gained by the U.S. As a result of diplomacy with Mexico. First, an important point is made in the book- while many falsely believe that President Polk was responsible for the annexation of Texas, Pletcher makes a point to indicate that in fact the Texas issue was already resolved by the time that Polk took office, having been completed by his predecessor, President Tyler, several days before Polk assumed the job of the presidency.

By the 1830's what is seen in Texas is a sort of dictatorship that exists on the border with the United States- more specifically, by 1836, Sam Houston is "elected" President of the Republic of Texas, and American troops had to be sent to Texas in order to literally fight for the custody of Texas itself.

From the viewpoint of Pletcher, what is seen in his writings on this topic is a common theme of his- the assertion that the acquisition of territory on the part of the U.S. was much more than the ownership of land, but literally a mission to protect a new nation and way of life.

Takeover of Oregon

When discussing the issue of the acquisition of Oregon by the U.S., Pletcher puts forth an interesting thesis, which in fact is reinforced by historic evidence. The thesis is this- Pletcher points out in his book that while it is correct in some aspects that the acquisition of Oregon was driven by the quest on the part of a growing United States to gain more territory, especially territory that was rich in natural resources and the like, there were more important things at stake than merely additional lands upon which to settle a new territory. The Treaty of 1818, proposed by the U.S. And proposed to Great Britain, had made the offer that the U.S. be allowed to have sole occupation/control of Oregon, but Britain argued against this claim. Therefore, Oregon would remain a joint territory of the U.S. And Britain until 1846. Based on this occurrence, Pletcher makes a very valid argument that the ownership of Oregon was not only necessary for national expansion, but also to fulfill what the Revolutionary War was all about- the total independence from the British crown. Therefore, what we see in Pletcher's analysis is a complex issue that is made quite clear.

Racism

Possibly one of the most appealing aspects of Pletcher's book is the fact that he is not afraid to take on the complex and uncomfortable issues that the U.S. faced in its beginnings, faced when Pletcher wrote his book in the 1970s, and are still faced today- such as racism. Annexation, in Pletcher's view, was also a mechanism that was powered in large part by the racism that was firmly in… READ MORE

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