James K. Polk

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James Knox Polk Order: Eleventh President Term of Office: March 4, 1845–March 3, 1849 Preceded by: John Tyler Succeeded by: Zachary Taylor Date of Birth November 2, 1795 Place of Birth: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Date of Death: June 15, 1849 Place of Death: Nashville, Tennessee First Lady: Sarah Childress Polk Occupation: Lawyer Political party: Democratic Party Vice President: George M. Dallas Nicknames: "Young Hickory," "Napoleon of the Stump"

James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795–June 15, 1849) was an American politician and the eleventh U.S. President, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. Polk was born in North Carolina, but primarily lived in and represented the state of Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as Speaker of the House (1835–1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841) prior to becoming president. He is noted for his expansionist beliefs, pledge to serve only one term, and becoming the first "dark horse" president and the youngest President to die outside those who have been assassinated.

His term is remembered for the three U.S. states (Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin) that joined the Union, the opening of the U.S. Naval Academy and Washington Monument and the issuance of the first postage stamps in the United States.

Early life

Polk was born on his family's 250 acre (1 km²) farm in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the first of ten children. His father, Samuel Polk, was a farmer and surveyor of Scotch-Irish descent; his mother, Jane Polk (whose maiden name was "Knox") was a descendant of the Scottish religious reformer John Knox. In 1806, the Polk family moved to Tennessee, settling near Duck River in what is now called Maury County. The family grew prosperous, with Samuel Polk becoming one of the leading gentlemen of the area.

During his childhood, Polk suffered from poor health. In 1812, his father took him to Kentucky, where Dr. Ephraim McDowell, then a famous surgeon, conducted an operation to remove his gallstones. James Polk survived the risky surgery, enjoying better health during the rest of his life.

Polk was only educated informally during his childhood. His formal education began at age 18, when he joined a religious school near his home. He later attended a school in Murfreesboro, where he met his future wife, Sarah Childress. After less than three years at the school, he left Tennessee to enroll in the University of North Carolina. He graduated in 1818, returning to Nashville to study law under Felix Grundy. Polk was admitted to the bar in 1820, and established his own practice in Columbia.

Political career

Polk was brought up as a Jeffersonian Democrat, for his father and grandfather were strong supporters of Thomas Jefferson. The first public office he held was Chief Clerk of the Senate of Tennessee (1821–1823); he resigned the position in order to run his successful campaign for the state legislature. Polk's oratory became popular, earning him the nickname "Napoleon of the Stump." He courted Sarah Childress, a resident of the state capital of Murfreesboro. They married on January 1, 1824.

Polk became a supporter and close friend of Andrew Jackson, then the leading politician of Tennessee. In 1824, Jackson ran for President, while Polk campaigned for the U.S. House of Representatives. Polk succeeded, but Jackson had lost. Though Jackson had won the popular vote, neither he nor any of the other candidates (John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William H. Crawford) had obtained a majority of the electoral vote, allowing the House of Representatives to select the victor. In his first speech, James Polk expressed his belief that the House's choice of Adams was a violation of the will of the people, proposing (unsuccessfully) that the Electoral College be abolished.

In Congress, Polk was a firm supporter of Jacksonian principles; he opposed the Second Bank of the United States, favored gold and silver over paper money, and preferred agricultural interests over industrial ones. This earned him the nickname "Young Hickory," a comparison to Jackson's nickname of "Old Hickory." After Jackson defeated Adams in the presidential election of 1828, Polk rose in prominence, becoming the leader of the pro-Administration faction. As Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he lent his support to the President in the conflict over the National Bank.

Soon after Polk became Speaker in 1835, Andrew Jackson left office and was succeeded by fellow Democrat Martin Van Buren. Polk is the only former Speaker of the House to ever be elected President. Van Buren's term was a period of heated political rivalry between the Democrats and the Whigs, with the latter often subjecting Polk to insults, invective, and challenges to duels.

In 1838, the political situation in Tennessee—where, in 1835, Democrats had lost the Governorship for the first time in their party's history—convinced Polk not to seek another term in the House of Representatives. Leaving Congress in 1839, Polk won the Tennessee gubernatorial election, defeating fellow Democrat Newton Cannon by about 2,500 votes. Though he revitalized Democrats in Tennessee, his victory could not put a stop to the political decline of the Democratic Party elsewhere in the nation. In 1840, Van Buren was overwhelmingly defeated by a popular Whig, William Henry Harrison. Polk lost his own reelection bid to a Whig, James C. Jones, in 1841. He opposed Jones in 1843, but was defeated once again.

Election of 1844

As the Democratic convention began on May 27, 1844, James K. Polk hoped for the vice-presidential nomination. The leading contender for the presidential nomination was former President Van Buren; other possibilities included Lewis Cass and James Buchanan. The primary point of political contention involved the Republic of Texas, which, after declaring independence from Mexico in 1836, had asked to join the United States. Van Buren opposed the annexation, but in doing so lost the support of many Democrats, including Andrew Jackson. Van Buren won a simple majority on the first ballot, but did not attain the two-thirds supermajority required for nomination. After six more ballots, when it became clear that Van Buren would not win the nomination, James K. Polk was put forth as a "dark horse" candidate. The eighth ballot was also indecisive, but on the ninth, Democrats unanimously nominated Polk, who had by then obtained the endorsement of Van Buren. Despite having served as Speaker, he was relatively unknown, leading many Whigs to snipe, "Who is James K. Polk?"

When advised of his nomination via letter, Polk replied: "It has been well observed that the office of President of the United States should neither be sought nor declined. I have never sought it, nor should I feel at liberty to decline it, if conferred upon me by the voluntary suffrages of my fellow citizens."

The Whig incumbent, John Tyler, had become President when William Henry Harrison died a month after assuming office. Tyler, however, did not seek a second term; Polk's Whig opponent would be Henry Clay. The question of the annexation of Texas, which was at the forefront during the Democratic Convention, once again dominated the campaign. Polk was a strong proponent of immediate annexation, while Clay seemed more equivocal and vacillating. Another significant campaign issue, also relating to westward expansion, involved control of the Oregon Country, then under the joint occupation of the United States and the United Kingdom. Polk again vigorously championed the cause of expansion, forcefully suggesting that the United States acquire entire territory, whose northern boundary was the parallel 54°40'. His campaign slogan became "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight."

Polk's consistent support for westward expansion—the "Manifest Destiny"— proved beneficial to his campaign. In the election, Polk won in the South and West, while Clay drew support in the Northeast. Polk won the crucial state of New York, where Clay lost supporters to the third party candidate James G. Birney. Polk won the popular vote by a margin of over 38,000, and took the Electoral College with 170 votes to Clay's 105. Polk's fellow Democrat, George M. Dallas, became Vice President.

Presidency

Upon taking office on March 4 the following year, Polk was 49, the youngest man ever to assume the presidency up to that time. Resolved to serve only one term, Polk acted swiftly to fulfill his campaign promises. In just four years, he oversaw annexation of Texas, settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain, reestablishment of an independent treasury system, and the acquisition of 1.2 million square miles (3,100,000 km²) of territory from Mexico that eventually became California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming. The former Mexican land came as part of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, settling the Mexican-American War (fought from April 24, 1846 to February 2, 1848). Many modern historians rate these accomplishments highly, and rank Polk as one of the most underrated presidents.

Dissenting views on legacy

Many also regard Polk as an aggressive expansionist. One of his stated goals as president was to acquire control of the prominent Californian ports, San Diego and San Francisco. One could argue that he avoided conflict with Great Britain that he had promised northern expansionists under the “Fifty Four Forty or Fight” campaign platform in order to effectively pursue war with Mexico. He sent Zachary Taylor into disputed territory along the Rio Grande, which the Mexicans viewed as an aggressive violation of their territory in light of Polk’s offers to buy California and the New Mexico country, thereby beginning the Mexican-American War.

During Polk's term, the United States Naval Academy was established in Annapolis, Maryland.

Post-presidency

Tomb of James K. Polk in Nashville, Tennessee.

Polk's considerable political accomplishments took their toll on his health. Full of enthusiasm and vigor when he entered office, Polk left the White House at the age of 53 exhausted by his years of public service. He died less than four months later at his new home,"Polk Place," in Nashville, Tennessee, the shortest retirement of any former US President.

Polk's wife, Sarah Childress Polk, lived at the residence another 42 years (the longest retirement for any former First Lady), often receiving visitors. During the American Civil War (April 12, 1861—May 13, 1865), Mrs. Polk welcomed both Confederate and Union leaders to her home. Polk Place became a pilgrimage destination and was respected as neutral ground. When Mrs. Polk passed away on August 14, 1891, she was mourned by a nation that regarded her as a precious link to the past.

James and Sarah Polk are buried in a tomb on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville.

Source: Library of Congress

Cabinet

U.S. Supreme Court appointments

Polk appointed the following Justices to the U.S. Supreme Court:

• Levi Woodbury: 1845
• Robert Cooper Grier: 1846

In popular culture

• They Might Be Giants wrote an educational song about "James K. Polk" in their 1996 album Factory Showroom.

See also

• U.S. presidential election, 1844
• List of places named for James K. Polk

Sources and further reading

• Bergeron, Paul H. The Presidency of James K. Polk. 1987. ISBN 0700603190.
• Cutler, Wayne, et. al. Correspondence of James K. Polk: July–December 1845. 2004. ISBN 1572333049.
• Dusinberre, William. Slavemaster President: The Double Career of James Polk. 2003. ISBN 0195157354.
• Haynes, Sam W. James K. Polk and the Expansionist Impulse. 2001. ISBN 0321087984.
• Leonard, Thomas M. James K. Polk: A Clear and Unquestionable Destiny. 2000. ISBN 0842026479.
• McCormac, Eugene Irving.James K. Polk: A Political Biography to the End of a Career 1845-1849. 1995. ISBN 094570710X.
• Schlesinger, Arthur M., and John Seigenthaler. James K. Polk: 1845–1849. 2003. ISBN 0805069429.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to James K. Polk.

• Inaugural Address
• White House bio
• First State of the Union Address of James Knox Polk
• Second State of the Union Address of James Knox Polk
• Third State of the Union Address of James Knox Polk
• Fourth State of the Union Address of James Knox Polk

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