Debt

Mexican-American War by Last Best Hope of EarthJuly 13, 2016July 7, 2016

Negotiating with Mexico

In the fall of 1845, prior to the Mexican-American War, President James Polk attempted to use what he perceived as leverage to negotiate with the Mexican government to expand American borders.

Early Republic by Last Best Hope of EarthOctober 12, 2015

The Indebtedness of the Early Republic

From its declaration of independence to the start of Thomas Jefferson’s first term as president in 1800, the federal government had consistently taken on a significant amount of debt: $80 million in total. See Gordon Wood, Empire of Liberty, 298. Prior to that, the federal government had taken out millions of dollars from Europe, including from the French […]