James K. Polk
By: Connor Taft
Basic Information
- James Knox Polk
- Democrat
- 11th President
- Presidency Years: 1845-1849
- Vice President: George M. Dallas
Background
- Birth Date: November 2, 1795
- Birth Place: Pineville, North Carolina
- He was the oldest of 10 children in his family
- He was very sick when he was younger and he survived a major operation for urinary stones. This was done before modern methods of getting rid of the pain so he just took a shot of brandy.
- Graduated with honors in 1818 from the University of North Carolina.
Qualification
- He served in the Tennessee legislature where he became good friends with Andrew Jackson.
- He then went to the United States House of Representatives in 1825 to 1839 as the speaker of the House.
- Right after he left his congressional post he became the governor of Tennessee.
Painting of James Polk
Land Gained
Formal Picture of James Polk
Presidency
- His goals as the President were to cut tariffs, reestablish an independent U.S. treasury, secure the Oregon territory and acquire the territories of California and New Mexico from Mexico.
- He succeeded with all of those goals and more. He was also the President that extended the territories from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
- Completed the annexation of Texas, which became the 28th state.
- The annexation though lead to the Mexican-American War for two years which lead to a U.S. victory.
- By the end of the war the U.S. also gained the land that makes up current day California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
- With the Oregon Treaty it also lead to the full control of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and parts of Montana and Wyoming.