Question

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Explanation:

Political Cartoon

1. The lion represents the British Empire, which had competing claims to the Oregon Territory.
2. The man represents the United States (often symbolized by figures of American expansionism like President Polk) pushing for territorial control.
3. The cartoon's message is that the U.S. is asserting its claim to the Oregon Territory against British dominance, reflecting tensions over the shared territory before the 1846 treaty.

Motivations

1. Polk believed in the ideology of Manifest Destiny, which held that the U.S. was destined to expand across North America.
2. The Oregon Territory was economically valuable for its fur trade, fertile land, and access to the Pacific Ocean, making it a strategic and resource-rich target for U.S. expansion.

Primary Source Quote

1. Polk is referring to the Mexican-American War, triggered by disputes over the Texas-Mexico border.
2. Polk was defending the territory of Texas, which had recently been annexed by the U.S. and was contested by Mexico.
3. Polk was fighting to acquire additional western territory, including present-day California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of other southwestern states, as part of his expansionist goals.

Oregon Country Map

1. The 49th parallel is the dashed horizontal line running east-west across the northern part of the shaded U.S. territory, marking the final border set by the Oregon Treaty.
2. The 54th parallel is the northern dashed line near the top of the map, which was the original U.S. territorial claim slogan ("54-40 or Fight").
3. The land to be shaded is the area south of the 49th parallel (within the current U.S. Pacific Northwest, including present-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming) that was awarded to the U.S. in the 1846 Oregon Treaty.

Answer:

Political Cartoon

• The lion represents the British Empire.
• The man represents the United States/James K. Polk.
• The message is that the U.S. is aggressively asserting its territorial claim to Oregon against British control.

Motivations

1. Polk advocated for Manifest Destiny (U.S. continental expansion).
2. The Oregon Territory had economic/strategic value (fur trade, Pacific access).

Primary Source Quote

• The event is the Mexican-American War.
• Polk was defending Texas (recently annexed U.S. territory).
• Polk was fighting for southwestern territory (California, etc.).

Oregon Country Map

• 49th parallel: The dashed horizontal line marking the final U.S.-British border.
• 54th parallel: The northern dashed line, the original U.S. claim boundary.
• Shaded area: U.S. territory south of the 49th parallel (Pacific Northwest region) acquired via the 1846 Oregon Treaty.