Presidents of the United States
James Polk

James Knox Polk ( November 2 , 1795 - June 15 , 1849 ) was the 11th ( 1845 - 1849 ) President of the United States .

Order:

11th President

Term of Office:

March 4 , 1845 - March 3 , 1849

Followed:

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

Occupation:

lawyer

Political Party:

Democrat

Vice President:

George M. Dallas

Nicknames:

Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump

Early life

Born in North Carolina in 1795 , James Polk was studious and hard working. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1818 , became a lawyer, and entered politics.

Polk was a member of the United States House of Representatives ( 1825 - 1839 ), also serving as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives ( 1835 - 1839 ), and Governor of Tennessee ( 1839 - 1841 ).

Nomination and election

emocrats nominated dark horse candidate Polk on the ninth ballot of the Democratic National Convention after party favorite Martin Van Buren lost the bid because of his opposition to annexing Texas , a position deemed unacceptable by Southerners and by former president Andrew Jackson.

Told of his nomination in a letter, Polk penned the reply: "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."

Though a veteran politician, Polk entered the 1844 presidential campaign with little name recognition. Playing on his relative obscurity, the Whig opposition sniped "Who is James K. Polk?" An experienced and eloquent orator dubbed the " Napoleon of the Stump," Polk campaigned vigorously, surprising many with his stalwart support of westward expansion—a hotly-debated issue dodged by other candidates. Polk wanted the entire Oregon Territory, vowing, " Fifty-Four Forty or Fight ."

In the end, Polk's campaign policies paid off. On November 5 , 1844 , Polk defeated Whig party candidate Henry Clay to become the eleventh President of the United States. He won the election with 170 electoral votes versus Clay's 105. The popular vote count was much closer with Polk receiving just 38,000 more popular votes than Clay.

Presidency

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 Great Britain , reestablishment of an independent treasury system, and acquisition 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 ).

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.

Polk's wife, Sarah Childress Polk , lived at the residence another 42 years, 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.

Source: Library of Congress

Places named for Polk

Polk County, Arkansas
Polk County, Florida
Polk County, Georgia
Polk County, Iowa
Polk County, Minnesota
Polk County, Nebraska
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County, Tennessee
Polk County, Texas
Polk County, Wisconsin

(That does not include Polk County, North Carolina , which was named after Col. William Polk who fought in the American Revolutionary War.)

Supreme Court appointments

Levi Woodbury - 1845
Robert Cooper Grier - 1846