Presidential Actions Thematic Essay

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    The early presidents of the USA made big decisions that impacted the country for years to come. The 1st president George Washington made the farewell address that talks about the country’s Foreign policy, Thomas Jefferson, a founder of this country, bought the Louisiana Purchase, and James K. Polk made a treaty with Mexico to purchase land all the way to California from Texas.                                                                                                                                                  United States first president, George Washington gave a farewell address, that takes about foreign policy and that America should stay neutral and not have any alliance with any country. He says this, because America is still unstable and is not ready for a war. They know that countries would likely go to war with them because they’re oversea and it would be hard for that country to fight with them. Having alliance with another country will not benefit America in any way but it will benefit the country they allied with. George Washington’s farewell Address changed America in positive ways just as Thomas Jefferson did by buying the Louisiana Purchase.                                                                                                                                                                                      Jefferson needed the New Orleans port for the people of the frontier to transfer their products down the Mississippi River. Originally he offered to buy just New Orleans, but Napoleon offered all of the Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars, and Jefferson couldn’t decline such a good Bargain, and therefore buying the Louisiana Purchase. This purchase ended the threat of war with France, but there was a problem Jefferson had to face. There were those who objected the Louisiana Purchase because the constitution didn’t give the president the power to do so, so instead he called it a treaty, because the constitution says Presidents can make treaties with other countries. This big territory president Thomas Jefferson got changed America’s economy in many good ways, similar to what James k. Polk did, making a treaty with Mexico, to purchase land all the way to California.                                                                                                                                                        James K. Polk wanted the territories from Texas to California from Mexico. It was one of his goals to help expand America to the west. America at this time, felt it was their right and duty to expand across the continent to Pacific. That viewpoint was strengthened by the discovery of gold in California. Polk was willing to give Mexico 25 million dollars for California but Mexico declined there offer. So America used a strategy of getting Mexico to attack them so they could get in war with them, by sending troops on the undecided land between Mexico and USA. Mexico saw these troops on “their” land and considered it as a treat. War between these two countries emerged lasting for a while. At the end America won and Under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848, the U.S. paid $15 million for not only CA but also for land to the west, including present-day Arizona, New Mexico, and Nevada.                                                                                                                                          These Wise Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James K. Polk made important decisions that have primarily been positive for the nation. Some of these actions still have relevance today: For example because of Washington’s Farewell Address. It was used during WW1 AND WW2 making America Strong and one of the most powerful countries in the world. Current and Future Presidents should follow the example of Presidents George Washington Wise decision and James K. Polk because they had goals for this country and went straight to it.