Documents in Year 1846                     

Links of Interest:

• James K Polk, Eleventh U.S. President

(1845-1849)

• Statehood

  Iowa (29 of 50 States) Admitted 28 Dec 1846

• Elias Howe patents the sewing machine on September 10, 1846.

• Potato Famine in Ireland - Irish Immigrants head to America.

• The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen

“President Polk knows Congress won’t approve a war with Mexico unless the U.S. is attacked. Polk sends the Army to a disputed border between Texas and Mexico certain he can provoke Mexico to strike first. On April 25, 1846 convinced American troops are invading, Mexico assaults a U.S. patrol killing eleven giving Polk exactly the provocation he needs. The land in question was not American land. Weeks after the attack the U.S. declares war on Mexico." President Polk sends military reinforcements to California. Fremont sends Carson back east to give President Polk an update on their progress but he runs into the military reinforcements led by General Kearney. Carson is ordered to guide the army into San Diego, which he does. Between Fremont’s army coming from the north and Kearney’s army coming from the south the Mexican army is surrounded and capitulates. However, Mexico refuses to come to terms. President Polk sends an invasion landing on the coast of Vera Cruz and takes Mexico City. The resulting treaty finally pushes the frontier to the Western coast. "Fremont becomes California's temporary Governor and California's first Senator. Carson fights for the Union in the Civil War."