the north american invasion as it's known in mexico begin with president james k. polkent troops into disputed area between the rio grande rivers, with the intention of starting a war. poker wanted war. he was set on declaring war if the mexican army didn't want a debate. the day he found out that mexicans had crossed the rio grande and killed 14 soldiers in the disputed area, polk went to the cabinet and he said, you know, i think we should declare war against mexico. and his cabinet said, well, we really can't declare war because the mexicans haven't done anything. we sent 4000 american troops down into land that mexico thinks is theirs and we're waiting for something happens we can't declare war on mexico to. but then polk finds out the next day an incident had happened to me before. of course, news travels very slowly them. when polk got this incident that he needed, he went to congress on may 11, 1846, and he stated mexico has passed the boundaries of the united states, has invaded our territory and shed american blood on american soil. not to put too fine a point

here is an invitation for james k. polk's inauguration in 1845.his happens to be for the $10 ball. polk and tw oh inaugural balls. -- had 2 inaugural balls, and then one was for the everyday citizens. they confused the invitations. the diplomatic core got the invitation for the two dollar ball. there were the diplomat's wives dancing with their gardeners. this is a common story. we collect this kind of material. this happens to be the abraham lincoln inauguration, documenting that formal sense, but there is a quality to these inaugurations that are very important because the tone is very carefully constructed, often. sometimes you lose your control, such as with polk, but often times everybody knows that every aspect of an inauguration will be examined for meaning, what is being said, the undercurrents -- do you ride up to the capital in a carriage in splendor? do you walk back as a man of the people, as jimmy carter did? there is careful balance. when you look at some of this material, you can see over time that, in fact, they are carefully craft

here we have a campaign post r for henry clay, the wig nominee in 1844, and his opponent was james k. polk running on the platform of annexing texas, and expansionism in general. clay opposes annexing texas in 1844 because as you see from the poster, he believes it's resulting in war with mexico. i love the poster when i discovered it. it's from a campaign appearance in indiana. look at the lists why to support clay here in 1844, the first couple are really typical wig economic positions. the wigs generally are the party of economic development in the united states in the 1840s, but when you get down to the fourth reason, you can see are you for or against the annex asian of texas? are you for or against the assumption of texas debts? are you for or against an unjust and disgraceful war with mexico? then my favorite, for or against natural disgrace? this is in 1844. this is what wigs say if you don't volt for clay, you bring national disgrace on the country, and you'll be in a war with mexico. clearly, a lot of people could see the writing on the wall. in new england at the start of the wa

james k. polkake a stagecoach to pennsylvania and then -- or go on the river up to pennsylvania and follow the road to the house of representatives. at one time president polk after he became the president, had a vacancy in the attorney generals office and he wrote some person up in new hampshire and asked him to take the job. that took two or three weeks to get the letter and it took two or three weeks to get the answer, and the answer was "no." and so in those days, mr. president, there were long extended periods in this country between the annual sessions of the congress when the members of congress were spread all over the country. and so the founders anticipated that and they wisely put into the constitution a provision that said, during those times, the president may make a recess appointment, while the senate is in recess. and that person may hold the position until the end of the session. well, over the years, that has -- that has changed and various presidents have tried various ways to --

james k. 1845. inauguration in this happens to be for the $10 ball. polk and tw oh inaugural balls. one was the -- had 2 inaugural balls, and then one was for the everyday citizens. they confuse the invitations. the diplomatic corps got the invitation for the two dollar ball. there were the diplomat's wives dancing with their gardeners. this is a common story. we collect this kind of insanity -- this kind of material. this happens to be the abraham lincoln inauguration, documenting that formal sense, but there is a quality to these inaugurations that are very important because the tone is very carefully constructed, often. sometimes you lose your control, such as with polk, but often times everybody knows that every aspect of an inauguration will be examined for meaning, what is being said, the undercurrents -- do you ride up to the capital in a carriage in splendor? do you walk back as a man of the people, as jimmy carter did? there is careful balance. when you look at some of this material, you can see over time that, in fact, they are carefully crafting it as well. i have always