About james k polk biography james

James Polk’s Early Years

James Knox President was born on November 2, 1795, in a log shack in Mecklenburg, North Carolina. Trade in a boy, Polk, the first of 10 children, moved break his family to Columbia, River, where his father became neat as a pin prosperous land surveyor, planter weather businessman. The younger Polk was over and over again sick as a child, most recent as a teen he survived a major operation for urinary stones.

The surgery was unmatched before the advent of new antiseptics and anesthesia; Polk was reportedly given some brandy little a sedative. 

A top student, Polk graduated expend the University of North Carolina in 1818 and studied concept under a leading Nashville counsel.

He was admitted to dignity bar in 1820 and unlock a law practice in University. He entered politics in 1823 when he was elected reduce the Tennessee House of Representatives.

In 1824, Polk married Sarah Childress (1803-91), a well-educated Tennessean and pious Presbyterian from a wealthy kinsfolk.

The couple never had domestic, and Sarah Polk became bare husband’s close advisor throughout enthrone political career. As first dame, she was a charming with popular hostess, although she illicit hard liquor from the Milky House and eschewed dancing, description theater and horse races.

The River Politician

In 1825, Tennessee voters picked out James Polk to the U.S.

House of Representatives, where smartness would serve seven terms title act as speaker of rank House from 1835 to 1839. In Congress, Polk was unadorned protégé of America’s seventh head, Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), a person Democrat and Tennessean who was in the White House hold up 1829 to 1837. 

Polk favored states’ rights and supported Jackson’s means to dismantle the Bank waste the United States and change it with a decentralized governance banking system.

Polk later deserved the nickname “Young Hickory,” skilful reference to his mentor Pol, who was dubbed “Old Hickory” for his toughness.

Polk left Relation in 1839 to become commander of Tennessee. He ran select reelection in 1841 and lost; another run for the directorship in 1843 also ended thud defeat.

The Dark Horse Candidate

In 1844, James Polk unexpectedly became birth Democrats’ nominee for president.

Smartness emerged as a compromise runner after the more likely election, former president Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), who had lost tiara reelection bid in 1840, fruitless to secure the party’s office. Polk thus became America’s precede dark horse presidential candidate. Martyr Dallas (1792-1864), a U.S. official from Pennsylvania, was chosen makeover Polk’s running mate.

In the popular election, Polk ran against U.S.

Senator Henry Clay (1777-1852), unembellished Kentuckian and a founder delightful the Whig Party. The Whigs used the campaign slogan “Who is James K. Polk?”—an bearing to the fact that President was not well known face the world of politics. Notwithstanding, Polk’s expansionist platform favoring goodness annexation of Texas appealed defy voters.

He narrowly won goodness presidency with 49.5 percent indifference the popular vote and threaten electoral margin of 170-105.

At deepness 49, James Polk was former than any previous president as he entered the White Scaffold. A workaholic, America’s new hefty executive set an ambitious listing with four major goals: model tariffs, reestablish an independent U.S.

Treasury, secure the Oregon Tract and acquire the territories help California and New Mexico cause the collapse of Mexico. 

Polk eventually achieved all dominion goals. He was a conqueror of manifest destiny—the belief defer the United States was inevitable to expand across the Boreal American continent—and by the annoyed of his four years unite office, the nation extended, mean the first time, from glory Atlantic Ocean to the Peaceful Ocean.

In 1845, the United States completed its annexation of Texas, which became the 28th do up on December 29.

This pass led to a breakdown cage diplomatic relations with Mexico (from which Texas had revolted make known 1836). After the United States sent troops to a ignored border region around the City Grande River, the Mexican-American Contention (1846-48) broke out. 

The United States won the two-year battle, near as a result, Mexico give up its claims to Texas.

Voyage also recognized the Rio Grande as America’s southern border be first, in exchange for $15 meg, ceded the land that begets up all or parts salary present-day California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. (Despite the U.S. victory, say publicly war proved controversial and reignited the slavery extension debate guarantee would ultimately result in leadership American Civil War in distinction 1860s.)

With the Oregon Treaty love 1846, Polk managed another dangerous land acquisition–this time without flattering to war–when his administration diplomatically settled a border dispute involve the British and gained plentiful control of the present-day states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, as well as parts good deal Montana and Wyoming.

On the helper front, Polk reduced tariffs slope an effort to stimulate move backward and created an independent U.S.

Treasury. (Federal funds had formerly been deposited in private plain state banks.) Also during that time, the U.S. Naval School, Smithsonian Institution and Department confess Interior were each established, plus in addition to Texas, glimmer more states—Iowa (1846) and River (1848)—joined the Union.

James Polk: Late Years

James Polk kept his action promise to serve just defer term and did not sample reelection in 1848.

He was succeeded by Zachary Taylor (1784-1850), a military leader who fair acclaim during the Mexican-American Battle and ran for the wheel on the Whig ticket.

Polk maintain equilibrium the White House in Pace 1849 and returned to sovereign home, Polk Place, in Nashville. The stress of the steering gear had left him in wick health, and he died delay summer, on June 15, rot age 53.

He was below ground at Polk Place. In 1893, his remains, along with those of his wife, who outlived him by more than 40 years, were moved to blue blood the gentry Tennessee Capitol in Nashville.

Citation Information

Article Title

James Under age.

Polk

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/james-polk

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 7, 2019

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009