Derek Thompson

Walt, I want to stay with you for a bit to talk about Polk's acquisition of Oregon before we go back to Bob. You wrote in your book that Polk's winning Oregon, his successful negotiation with Great Britain, required a considerable amount of diplomatic skill because in a way, Polk was trapped between two extremes.

On the one hand, the Democratic Party wanted him to risk war against Britain to obtain all of Oregon country, all the way up to 5440. 5440, your fight, that northern parallel right up against modern Alaska. But Polk is savvy enough, or just plain not stupid enough, to know the U.S. can't afford to go to war against the British Empire. So how does he maneuver his way through this?

On the one hand, the Democratic Party wanted him to risk war against Britain to obtain all of Oregon country, all the way up to 5440. 5440, your fight, that northern parallel right up against modern Alaska. But Polk is savvy enough, or just plain not stupid enough, to know the U.S. can't afford to go to war against the British Empire. So how does he maneuver his way through this?

On the one hand, the Democratic Party wanted him to risk war against Britain to obtain all of Oregon country, all the way up to 5440. 5440, your fight, that northern parallel right up against modern Alaska. But Polk is savvy enough, or just plain not stupid enough, to know the U.S. can't afford to go to war against the British Empire. So how does he maneuver his way through this?

Bob, as Walt just explained, one really interesting thing about Polk's negotiating strategy here is that he is playing up the Democrats' unreasonableness as a bargaining chip at the same time that he's negotiating down his position with the Brits. What do you consider the most impressive piece of Polk's diplomatic accomplishment here?

Bob, as Walt just explained, one really interesting thing about Polk's negotiating strategy here is that he is playing up the Democrats' unreasonableness as a bargaining chip at the same time that he's negotiating down his position with the Brits. What do you consider the most impressive piece of Polk's diplomatic accomplishment here?

Bob, as Walt just explained, one really interesting thing about Polk's negotiating strategy here is that he is playing up the Democrats' unreasonableness as a bargaining chip at the same time that he's negotiating down his position with the Brits. What do you consider the most impressive piece of Polk's diplomatic accomplishment here?

So what I find so interesting about this deal is not just its success, but the fact that it comes together in truly the nick of time, because not 10 days after the British accept the Oregon partition proposal, which again, gives the US modern Washington state and Oregon and leaves Britain in control of what is now British Columbia,

So what I find so interesting about this deal is not just its success, but the fact that it comes together in truly the nick of time, because not 10 days after the British accept the Oregon partition proposal, which again, gives the US modern Washington state and Oregon and leaves Britain in control of what is now British Columbia,

So what I find so interesting about this deal is not just its success, but the fact that it comes together in truly the nick of time, because not 10 days after the British accept the Oregon partition proposal, which again, gives the US modern Washington state and Oregon and leaves Britain in control of what is now British Columbia,

Just 10 days later, word reaches London that war has broken out between Mexico and the United States. Like one of those amazing pieces of history, because I wonder sometimes like if the Mexican-American war had started two weeks earlier, Britain might have driven a much harder bargain and Seattle and Portland might not be parts of Canada.

Just 10 days later, word reaches London that war has broken out between Mexico and the United States. Like one of those amazing pieces of history, because I wonder sometimes like if the Mexican-American war had started two weeks earlier, Britain might have driven a much harder bargain and Seattle and Portland might not be parts of Canada.

Just 10 days later, word reaches London that war has broken out between Mexico and the United States. Like one of those amazing pieces of history, because I wonder sometimes like if the Mexican-American war had started two weeks earlier, Britain might have driven a much harder bargain and Seattle and Portland might not be parts of Canada.

But Walt, this now brings Mexico into the picture and it brings Texas back into the picture. How does war with Mexico begin?

But Walt, this now brings Mexico into the picture and it brings Texas back into the picture. How does war with Mexico begin?

But Walt, this now brings Mexico into the picture and it brings Texas back into the picture. How does war with Mexico begin?

And just a quick geography asterisk here. Texas in 1846 is not Texas as we know it today. The Nueces River is both north and east of the Rio Grande. So much of West Texas, or what we call West Texas today, was disputed territory back then. So back to you, Walt. How does war with Mexico begin?

And just a quick geography asterisk here. Texas in 1846 is not Texas as we know it today. The Nueces River is both north and east of the Rio Grande. So much of West Texas, or what we call West Texas today, was disputed territory back then. So back to you, Walt. How does war with Mexico begin?

And just a quick geography asterisk here. Texas in 1846 is not Texas as we know it today. The Nueces River is both north and east of the Rio Grande. So much of West Texas, or what we call West Texas today, was disputed territory back then. So back to you, Walt. How does war with Mexico begin?

Bob, I think the conventional wisdom today is that the Mexican-American War was an extraordinary act of manipulation and aggression by the U.S. I mean, here you have Polk sending Zachary Taylor and American soldiers into contested territory, essentially daring Mexico to fire the first shot, and then running back to the Senate to scream that war has already begun.