In the end, a few thousand early libertarians in New York made the Mexican War a possibility. And almost right away, Polk began betraying Van Buren defectors. He ignored Van Buren’s cabinet suggestions and supported the conservative faction in New York.

Further Reading:

For an overview of the later history of locofocoism

“The Artist as Exemplar: Thomas Cole’s Voyage of Life”

A quick life of Thoreau in the Encyclopedia of Libertarianism

Walt Whitman’s Democratic Vistas (1871)

Polk’s Special Message to Congress (11 May, 1846)

Lincoln’s “Spot Resolutions” at the National Archives

Music by Kai Engel

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