# data[].attributes.body
Henry Clay was James Knox Polk's biggest
competitor in the election of 1844. He was a Whig and Polk was a Democrat.

# data[].attributes.body
People voted for Polk over Henry Clay because unlike Clay, Polk didn't support removing Native Americans from native lands.

# data[].attributes.body
When Polk asked congress if he could annex Texas there was discussion in the north because this would mean more slaves and more power for the southerners.

# data[].attributes.body
By the end of Polk's presidency he added 1/3 of the total size of the Continental U.S. And this was all in 1 term!

# data[].attributes.body
Polk reestablished the ITS or the Independent Treasury System which was previously abolished by the Whigs.

# data[].attributes.body
Polk wanted to reduce tariffs on imports and exports.

# data[].attributes.body
After Polk finished his only term, Zachary Taylor was elected who was another Whig party member. You could say this was the Whig era since so most candidates who won the elections were Whigs.

# data[].attributes.body
Before Polk was elected John Tyler from the Whig party was elected. When Polk was elected he ran and defeated his rival Henry Clay also from the Whig party.

# data[].attributes.body
After the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the U.S. had gained the land of California, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and Nevada. With tons of new land people were making a lot more money.

# data[].attributes.body
Polk's 3 step plan had worked and the United States had gotten 500,000 square miles out of the conflict.

# data[].attributes.body
When American warships came to the ports they took all the money and began trading out of the Californian ports.

# data[].attributes.body
Americans kicked out the Mexicans in California and made profit when trading on the Pacific coast. While many Americans supported this uprising many didn't.

# data[].attributes.body
When Mexico attacked the American troops invading Mexican land Polk said that there was blood on American soil and saw this as an excuse to begin a war with Mexico.

# data[].attributes.body
Polk offered 30 million dollars for the territory of New Mexico and California. He also asked for the border to be Rio Grande between Texas and Mexico.

# data[].attributes.body
American and Mexican leaders disagreed on the territory of Texas and where the border was. They also disagreed on who got the land closer to the Gulf of Mexico and who could control the ports there for more trading.

# data[].attributes.body
James K. Polk wanted all of California and New Mexico for the U.S.

# data[].attributes.body
Many Americans wanted to add California to the union because of its vast resources and land.

# data[].attributes.body
The Democrats had a campaign slogan called fifty four forty or fight. This means that the British would have to give the territory of Oregon or they would have to fight again

# data[].attributes.body
After Polk was elected he passed a resolution through Congress to annex Texas.

# data[].attributes.body
In 1845 Texas was added to the Union which lead to a lot of agriculture.

# data[].attributes.body
James K. Polk won the election because he made a compromise between the north and the south by promising to give each of them more territory.

# data[].attributes.body
The country wanted to add California to the Union because it would allow for a much easier trade route with Asia.

# data[].attributes.body
He gained the land of modern day Oregon to get the support of the North and he added modern day Texas to gain support from the southerners.

# data[].attributes.body
James K. Polk was a huge fan of adding territory to the United States of America.