Question

In the presidential election of 1844, the whig candidate, henry clay

a. pposed the annexation of texas. called for immediate annexation of texas.
b. alienated both proponents and opponents of annexing texas by issuing seemingly contradictory written statements about his view on annexing texas.
c. ignored the issue of the annexation of texas.
d. favored dividing texas into several states.

Answer 1

Henry Clay alienated both proponents and opponents of the annexation of Texas in the presidential election of 1844 due to his conflicting positions, contributing to his defeat by James K. Polk. The correct answer is option b.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the presidential election of 1844, the Whig candidate, Henry Clay, found himself caught between diverging interests on the issue of the annexation of Texas. Competing with Democrat James K. Polk, who was a vocal expansionist, Clay's position appeared conflicted to the public, as he tried to navigate between the different stances within his own party as well as nationally. His seemingly contradictory statements did alienate both proponents and opponents of the annexation, and it was this division that played a part in the ultimate loss of the election to Polk, who won by a narrow majority with a platform that included the annexation of Texas and expansion into Oregon.