James K. Polk
James K. Polk Biography
Overview
Picture File Source (2)
James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States of America (1845-1849). James Polk oversaw the largest expansion in the history of the United States. [1] The U.S. grew by more than 1 million square miles adding territory that now encompasses the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, much of New Mexico, and portions of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado.[3]
James and Sarah Polk (1846-1849)
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | James Knox Polk |
| Birth Date | November 2, 1795 |
| Birth Place | Mecklenburg County, North Carolina |
| Death Date | June 15, 1849 |
| Career | Lawyer |
| Spouse(s) | January 1, 1824, to Sarah Childress (1803–1891) |
| Children | None |
| President No. | 11 |
| Presidency Begin | April 4, 1845 |
| Presidency End | March 4, 1849 |
| Vice President(s) | George M. Dallas (1845–1849) |
On November 2, 1795, James K. Polk was born in a log cabin in Pineville (Mecklenburg County), North Carolina to Samuel and Jane Polk.[30] His family was a successful farming family and his father was a land surveyor. Samuel decided to move the family west to the frontier state of Tennessee. They did very well there and settled in the small town of Columbia.[31]
In 1823, he was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives, where he was known for consistently backing the General Andrew Jackson, known as “Old Hickory”. For this support, Polk gained the nickname “Young Hickory.” In 1825, Polk was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and in 1835, he became Speaker of the House where he used his authority to strictly enforce a “Gag Rule” barring the discussion of slavery. He served in Congress until 1839 when he was elected governor of Tennessee. As governor, Polk worked to regulate state banks and improve education, before losing his reelection campaign in 1841.[81]
Resources
Web Sites:
Books:
by John Seigenthaler
by Thomas M. Leonard
REFERENCES
- **Presidential Flag Graphic source: Zscout370 at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia Commons
- (1) https://jameskpolk.com/history/james-k-polk/
- (3) https://millercenter.org/president/polk
- (30) https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/james-polk
- (81) https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/james-polk