The 1844 Presidential Election

Democrat James K Polk defeated Whig canidate Henry Clay. in a close contest that turn on foreign policy. Polk ran on territorial expansion. James K Polk call for the annexation of Texas,and a claim to the whole Oregon area.This appealed to both Northern expansionists an Southern expansionists who focused on annexing Texas as a Slave State. After the 1844 election the Democrats became the dominant party. As we have said the Democrats were Proslavery