Van Buren Administration - Foreign Issues
Foreign Issues
If the domestic situation was not alarming enough for Van Buren, he also faced a foreign policy crisis immediately upon taking office. Just before leaving office, his precursor Andrew Jackson, who had long wanted to annex the nearby territory of Texas, had precipitated a crisis with Mexico. Within months Van Buren also faced the prospect of war with Great Britain, over northern boundaries and interference in a Canadian rebellion.
In his inaugural address, Van Buren stated clearly that the United States was to be a nation that would always seek peace before war, unless its rights were directly invaded. He also declared his intention to stay out of the foreign affairs of other countries, and to "observe strict neutrality in their controversies" (Inaugural Address, March 4, 1837). Throughout his administration, Van Buren managed to adhere to this principle, though he was urged on several occasions by his advisers...
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