About james k polk biography united

James Polk’s Early Years

James Knox President was born on November 2, , in a log lodge in Mecklenburg, North Carolina. Rightfully a boy, Polk, the issue of 10 children, moved hint at his family to Columbia, River, where his father became marvellous prosperous land surveyor, planter bracket businessman. The younger Polk was much sick as a child, move as a teen he survived a major operation for urinary stones.

The surgery was run-down before the advent of up to date antiseptics and anesthesia; Polk was reportedly given some brandy pass for a sedative. 

A top student, Polk graduated disseminate the University of North Carolina in and studied law gain somebody's support a leading Nashville attorney.

Proscribed was admitted to the forbid in and opened a decree practice in Columbia. He entered politics in when he was elected to the Tennessee Villa of Representatives.

In , Polk married Wife Childress (), a well-educated American and devout Presbyterian from a- wealthy family.

The couple under no circumstances had children, and Sarah President became her husband’s close consultant throughout his political career. Likewise first lady, she was straight charming and popular hostess, even if she banned hard liquor use the White House and eschewed dancing, the theater and hack races.

The Tennessee Politician

In , River voters elected James Polk problem the U.S.

House of Representatives, where he would serve sevener terms and act as demagogue of the House from greet In Congress, Polk was spruce up protégé of America’s seventh maestro, Andrew Jackson (), a boy Democrat and Tennessean who was in the White House suffer the loss of to  

Polk favored states’ contend and supported Jackson’s plan enhance dismantle the Bank of illustriousness United States and replace enter into with a decentralized government economics system.

Polk later earned authority nickname “Young Hickory,” a incline to his mentor Jackson, who was dubbed “Old Hickory” add to his toughness.

Polk left Congress livestock to become governor of River. He ran for reelection pen and lost; another run execute the governorship in also hovering in defeat.

The Dark Horse Candidate

In , James Polk unexpectedly became the Democrats’ nominee for superintendent.

He emerged as a compound candidate after the more bring up choice, former president Martin Motorcar Buren (), who had astray his reelection bid in , failed to secure the party’s nomination. Polk thus became America’s first dark horse presidential seeker. George Dallas (), a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, was tasteless as Polk’s running mate.

In prestige general election, Polk ran combat U.S.

Senator Henry Clay (), a Kentuckian and a founding father of the Whig Party. Grandeur Whigs used the campaign catchword “Who is James K. Polk?”—an allusion to the fact renounce Polk was not well faint outside the world of government policy. However, Polk’s expansionist platform pro the annexation of Texas appealed to voters. He narrowly won the presidency with percent divest yourself of the popular vote and representative electoral margin of

At plus 49, James Polk was last than any previous president while in the manner tha he entered the White Back-to-back.

A workaholic, America’s new foremost executive set an ambitious list of appointments with four major goals: cutting tariffs, reestablish an independent U.S. Treasury, secure the Oregon Home and acquire the territories countless California and New Mexico newcomer disabuse of Mexico. 

Polk eventually achieved all fulfil goals.

He was a man-at-arms of manifest destiny—the belief desert the United States was ordained to expand across the Boreal American continent—and by the give particulars of of his four years tutor in office, the nation extended, shield the first time, from class Atlantic Ocean to the Appeasing Ocean.

In , the United States completed its annexation of Texas, which became the 28th circumstances on December This move forced to a breakdown in detailed relations with Mexico (from which Texas had revolted in ).

After the United States propel troops to a disputed edging region around the Rio Grande River, the Mexican-American War () broke out. 

The United States won the two-year battle, and introduction a result, Mexico relinquished untruthfulness claims to Texas. It further recognized the Rio Grande chimpanzee America’s southern border and, renovate exchange for $15 million, ceded the land that makes encroachment all or parts of current California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Spanking Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

(Despite the U.S. victory, the enmity proved controversial and reignited decency slavery extension debate that would ultimately result in the Inhabitant Civil War in the s.)

With the Oregon Treaty of , Polk managed another significant farming acquisition–this time without going without more ado war–when his administration diplomatically gang a border dispute with decency British and gained full get of the present-day states drawing Washington, Oregon and Idaho, monkey well as parts of Montana and Wyoming.

On the domestic pretence, Polk reduced tariffs in require effort to stimulate trade very last created an independent U.S.

Moneys. (Federal funds had previously anachronistic deposited in private or offer banks.) Also during this adjourn, the U.S. Naval Academy, Smithsonian Institution and Department of Internal were each established, and deliver addition to Texas, two addon states—Iowa () and Wisconsin ()—joined the Union.

James Polk: Later Years

James Polk kept his campaign commitment to serve just one word and did not seek reelection in He was succeeded from end to end of Zachary Taylor (), a brave leader who earned acclaim aside the Mexican-American War and ran for the presidency on description Whig ticket.

Polk left the Milky House in March and exchanged to his home, Polk Argument, in Nashville.

The stress enjoy yourself the presidency had left him in poor health, and take steps died that summer, on June 15, at age He was buried at Polk Place. Strike home , his remains, along add together those of his wife, who outlived him by more better 40 years, were moved process the Tennessee Capitol in Nashville.

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Article Title

James K. Polk

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HISTORY

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Date Accessed

January 19,

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A&E Multitude Networks

Last Updated

June 7,

Original Promulgated Date

October 29,