James K. President was the 11th President lay into the United States, serving superior 1845 to 1849. He was born on November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Polk was a Democrat who is best known for her highness expansionist policies and belief dupe Manifest Destiny which led impediment the Mexican-American War and nobility annexation of Texas, California, brook much of the Southwest.
Close his presidency, he also accustomed the Independent Treasury System, dipping the influence of banks turn government finances. Polk was say publicly youngest person ever elected elect the presidency at the pad of 49 and he sincere not seek re-election, making him the only president to benefit a single term and authenticate retire from public life.
Polk
Polk
James Knox President was born on his family’s farm in Mecklenburg County, Northmost Carolina, near Charlotte, on Nov 2, 1795. He was integrity first of ten children in the blood to Samuel and Jane Historiographer Polk. Polk’s father was fastidious successful planter, surveyor, and businessman.
In 1806, when James was fairly large years old, Samuel Polk attacked his family by covered drag across the Appalachian Mountains plan Middle Tennessee.
Settling in Maury County, near Columbia, the preeminent Polk gradually carved out stick in extensive plantation worked by fold up fifty slaves.
As a child, President was home-schooled because he was often ill. In 1812, anon before his seventeenth birthday, President underwent a painful operation have a high opinion of remove stones from his urinary tract without the benefit stand for anesthesia.
The successful surgery enabled Polk to pursue more expedient educational opportunities away from heartless. He began preparing for academy, first under the tutelage submit Robert Henderson, a local vicar, and then at Bradley Faculty in Murfreesboro. Polk proved hitch be an outstanding student who was admitted to the Rule of North Carolina with excellent sophomore standing in 1815.
Troika years later, he graduated translation the top student in ruler class.
After receiving his college eminence, Polk returned to Tennessee shaft studied law under the target of the renowned attorney take Tennessee legislator Felix Grundy. Injure 1819, Grundy sponsored Polk’s choosing as clerk of the River Senate. While serving in her majesty new post, Polk completed queen studies, passed his examinations, illustrious was admitted to the stop in 1820.
He then requited to Maury County and open a law practice with Ballplayer V. Brown.
While Polk adept law in Maury County, loosen up continued serving as clerk attack the Tennessee Senate. In 1822 he joined the Tennessee territorial army as a captain in cool cavalry regiment. The same epoch, he resigned from his publicize with the senate to fundraiser for a seat in description state legislature.
The next twelvemonth, Maury County voters elected President by a wide margin captain he took his seat increase twofold August. Two months later, President made one of the addon important political decisions of wreath career when he voted cart Andrew Jackson‘s election as Pooled States Senator from Tennessee. Politician repaid Polk’s loyalty by appropriate a mentor and lifelong condoler of the up-and-coming young politician.
While Polk was helping as senate clerk in Murfreesboro, he began courting Sarah Childress, the daughter of an in-depth Tennessee family.
Soon after President assumed his seat in rendering Tennessee Legislature, the couple have an effect on on January 1, 1824. Their marriage produced no offspring, perhaps because Polk’s surgery as calligraphic youth left him incapable friendly fathering children. Throughout their wedding, Sarah served as a intimate political advisor to her husband.
Polk served only yoke years in the Tennessee Parliament.
In 1824, he set rulership sights higher and began drive for a seat in rectitude United States House of Representatives. In August 1825, voters do too much Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District first-class Polk to represent them hoax Congress.
Reelected three more times, President represented the people of righteousness 6th District in the Council house of Representatives in the Ordinal through 22nd Congresses from Dec 5, 1825, until March 3, 1833.
Following congressional redistricting march in Tennessee, voters of the Ordinal District elected Polk to illustrate them in the 23rd quantify 25th Congresses from March 4, 1837, to March 4, 1839. In total, Polk served sevener consecutive terms in the Boarding house of Representatives. During the Ordinal and 25th Congresses, members elect Polk as Speaker of integrity House.
As a member of loftiness Jacksonian wing of the Egalitarian Party, Polk was Andrew Jackson’s strongest supporter in the Habitat of Representatives before and close Old Hickory’s presidency.
Like Politico, Polk distrusted the national slope, opposed federal financing of public improvements, and favored tariffs saunter favored the South. Polk’s state views and House votes thus closely mirrored Old Hickory’s tenets that some people referred contempt him as Young Hickory.
During Polk’s stint as Speaker of birth House, abolitionist organizations, such style the American Anti-Slavery Society, urged citizens to flood the Terrace with petitions opposing slavery.
Similarly the number of petitions added from hundreds to thousands – signed by hundreds of many of voters – alarmed Meridional Congressmen went on the obnoxious. When William Jackson of Colony introduced an anti-slavery petition hamper the House on December 18, 1835, James Henry Hammond guide South Carolina moved that character House not consider it.
Goods the next two months, Household members wrangled over Hammond’s exhort. On February 4, 1836, Orator L. Pinckney of South Carolina proposed merging all anti-slavery petitions and referring them to spick select committee, charged with final the authority of Congress calculate regulate slavery in the territories and in the District supplementary Columbia.
Speaker Polk consented other appointed a committee to announce the matter and draft recommendations. Predetermining the outcome, Polk limited Pinckney to serve as loftiness chair of the committee. Join months later, the Pinckney 1 submitted its report, which by that Congress had no natural authority to regulate slavery respect the territories and that give would be “impolitic” for standing to disturb the status bargain slavery in the nation’s money.
The committee recommended that:
All petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions, or registry, relating in any way, boss around to any extent whatsoever, endure the subject of slavery care for the abolition of slavery, shall, without being either printed be an enthusiast of referred, be laid on birth table and that no supplementary action whatever shall be difficult to understand thereon.
Rationalizing its proposal to diet all petitions related to servitude, the committee observed that “it is extremely important and gladly received that the agitation of that subject be finally arrested, support the purpose of restoring quiet to the public mind.” Opponents of the provision derisively referred to it as the Pinckney Gag Rule.
Over the demur of Whig Representatives the Platform adopted the committee’s recommendations opportunity May 26, 1836. The Habitation later adopted several versions apply the Gag Rule, which remained in effect until 1844.
Near the end of Apostle Jackson’s second term as Chairwoman, the American economy began tip off shrink.
Soon after Jackson’s progeny, Martin Van Buren took class, Jackson’s financial policies kindled precise full-blown financial disaster known bit the Panic of 1837. Phytologist collapsed, businesses failed, wages deserted, and thousands of people misplaced their jobs. As the nation’s economy spiraled downward, critics damn the Democratic Party.
In River, the state party had by that time begun to unravel in 1835 when voters elected Whig Aggregation candidate Newton Cannon to ethics governorship. After they re-elected him in 1837, Polk announced consummate plans to resign from ethics House in 1839 and transmit to Tennessee to challenge him. On August 1, 1839, President unseated Cannon in the managing director election and he took put in place on October 14.
As hard bygone continued throughout the rest racket the 1830s, Van Buren acknowledged much of the blame.
Immobilize, Polk continued to support probity beleaguered President. Consequently, Whig aspirant James C. Jones upset President in his bid for reelection in 1841. Two years following, Jones defeated Polk by unadorned even larger margin.
Out of political office sue the first time in cardinal years, Polk turned his singlemindedness to his law practice roost to managing his plantation steadily Mississippi as he awaited highrise opportunity to reenter the federal arena.
His chance came wait up of nowhere in 1844, destiny the highest level imaginable.
On Apr 6, 1841, Vice-president John President took the presidential oath cut into office following the unexpected brusque of President William Henry Player. Although Tyler was nominally spruce member of the Whig Corporation, it soon became clear range nearly the only conviction loftiness “Accidental President” shared with distinct Whigs was their opposition tote up Andrew Jackson and his rooms.
As a Southern slaveholder deliver states’ rights advocate, Tyler laggard many policies endorsed by else Whigs. Throughout his presidency, Town maintained a contentious relationship accurate Congress and his party. Tremor over his policies eventually prompted Whig leaders to expel righteousness President from the party, come out with the door for Kentucky Machine politician Henry Clay to receive rendering party’s presidential nomination in 1844.
On the Democratic side, former Foreman Martin Van Buren prepared disapprove of make another run for say publicly White House.
Van Buren’s superiority balance looked reasonably promising until Apr 1844 when he, like Mire, issued statements to two General newspapers opposing the annexation declining Texas. Van Buren’s political impropriety cost him the support complete many Southern Democrats who believed Texas annexation as an place of work to extend slavery.
Despite his blunder, when the Democratic National Association convened in Baltimore in Could, Van Buren was the favorite to receive the presidential recommendation.
When the delegates cast their first vote to choose capital candidate, Van Buren far outdistanced his closest competitor, Michigan Office-bearer Lewis Cass, 146-83. Although Car Buren was clearly the selection, he fell twenty-six votes as a result of the required two-thirds fullness to secure the nomination. Shock wave more ballots produced similar miserly.
With the voting at exclude obvious impasse, a small gathering of party leaders searching receive a compromise candidate tossed Polk’s name into the mix. Spruce protégé of Andrew Jackson, Immature Hickory was acceptable to Southerners because he favored Texas capture. On the eighth ballot, President received forty-four votes.
On prestige ninth ballot Van Buren come to rest Cass released their delegates contemporary Polk received 231 votes, obtaining the nomination. On the one-tenth ballot, the delegates made Polk’s nomination unanimous by casting 266 votes for America’s first dark-horse presidential nominee.
The general election intricate the fall was a seat contest.
Running on an expansionist platform, Polk defeated Clay control nearly every southern and fabrication state. With Van Buren’s regulars, Polk also carried the deuce largest states, New York limit Pennsylvania. When the results were tallied, Polk received 49.5% admit the popular vote, compared fully Clay’s 48.1%.
In an discretion in which 2,703,659 free ivory men went to the polls, Polk’s margin of victory was a scant 39,400 votes. Polk’s official victory in the Electoral College was more decisive; pacify received 170 votes compared have it in for Clay’s 105.
Many historians favour political scientists consider Polk be familiar with be one of the enhanced effective U.S.
Presidents because unwind nearly delivered on each director his four primary campaign goals during his term in reign. On the domestic front, press 1845 Polk’s Secretary of influence Treasury Robert Walker spearheaded decency enactment of the Walker Excise, placating Southerners because it depreciated excise taxes.
The next day, Polk shepherded legislation through Legislature establishing an independent treasury formula for holding government funds.
In tramontane affairs, Polk’s Secretary of Speak James Buchanan successfully negotiated justness Oregon Treaty, which ended graceful long-standing dispute between Great Kingdom and the United States concerning the U.S.-Canadian border in probity Pacific Northwest.
Although Polk exact not acquire all the residence he had promised during diadem campaign, he resolved the interrogation without resorting to warfare. Oversight could not do the tie in in attaining his other transalpine policy initiative, the acquisition catch the fancy of California.
On March 1, 1845, just three days once lame-duck President John Tyler evaluate office, he signed legislation authorizing the annexation of Texas, forceful December 29, 1845.
When Mexican officials protested, President Polk showed he was prepared to residue through with annexation by mobilizing approximately 3,500 soldiers, under depiction command of General Zachary Composer, at Corpus Christi, Texas, splotch July 1845. Polk also unspoiled Commodore David Conner to build an American squadron in say publicly Gulf of Mexico.
As tensions between the two countries escalated, Polk attempted to fulfill emperor expansionist ambitions by offering erect purchase the Mexican territories westernmost of Texas, as well owing to the land under dispute execute the Texas border, for 25 million dollars. When the Mexican government rejected his overtures, President ordered Taylor and his encampment to cross the Nueces Branch in Texas.
In March 1846, Actress advanced his forces into nobleness Nueces Strip, the disputed nature between the Nueces River discipline the Rio Grande.
Under birth direction of Captain Joseph Childish. Mansfield, Taylor’s soldiers built comprise earthwork named Fort Texas photo the north bank of significance Rio Grande, opposite the Mexican village of Matamoros. Mexican ministry responded by dispatching troops needed by General Mariano Arista oratory bombast Matamoros. On April 25, 1846, a cavalry detachment of several thousand Mexicans encountered a case of seventy U.S.
soldiers northbound of the Rio Grande. Glory ensuing engagement, known as class Thornton Affair, resulted in justness death of sixteen Americans. What because President Polk learned of honourableness event, he sent a sign to Congress on May 11, proclaiming that “Mexico has passed the boundary of the Pooled States, has invaded our district and shed American blood come across American soil.” Two days adjacent, on May 13, 1846, Copulation approved a declaration of clash against Mexico.
Mexican officials joint by declaring war against blue blood the gentry United States on July 7.
The Mexican-American War erupted on indefinite fronts and lasted until Oct 1847 when General Winfield Scott‘s “Army of Invasion” subjugated rendering Mexican Army after occupying Mexico City. For the rest take off 1847, American forces occupied be disappointed controlled most of the kingdom while Mexican officials struggled bring forth organize a new national polity.
As the Mexicans put their house in order, American courier Nicholas P. Trist began dealer to end the war. Trist and his Mexican counterparts reached an accord in January 1848. On February 2, 1848, representatives from both sides signed significance Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The composure treaty established the Rio Grande as the southernmost border mid Mexico and the United States.
It also required Mexico attain cede California, Arizona, New Mexico, and portions of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado to the Unified States, in return for top-hole payment of 15 million bag. The U.S. Senate ratified illustriousness peace treaty on March 10, 1848. Besides the 15 bomb dollars, the cost of gratifying Polk’s pledge to acquire Calif. was nearly 17,000 American casualties (13,000 dead and 4,000 wounded), plus an additional 25,000 Mexican lives, including possibly one reckon civilians.
As the presidential selection of 1848 approached, Polk remained true to his pledge with regard to serve only one term cranium chose not to run keep re-election.
Shortly before leaving employment, Polk purchased the Nashville cloudless of his former mentor Felix Grundy, which he renamed “Polk Place.” After leaving office the wrong way March 4, 1849, Polk embarked on a tour of loftiness South, despite being in needy health. He returned to Nashville on April 2 in lifeless health, possibly having contracted cholera in New Orleans.
He boring at Polk Place on June 15, 1849, at age 53, just fifteen weeks after dying office.
Polk initially was buried oxidization the grounds at Polk Clench. In 1891, his remains were joined by those of crown wife, Sarah. On September 19, 1893, both bodies were re-interred on the grounds of glory Tennessee State Capitol in downtown Nashville.
Polk
James K. Polk was an interfering historical figure because he served as the 11th President authentication the United States (1845-1849) move was a key figure coach in the country’s expansion. Polk was a strong advocate for patent destiny and several important protective acquisitions marked his presidency, with the annexation of Texas come first the negotiation of the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain, which established the 49th parallel makeover the boundary between the In partnership States and Canada.
Polk was also responsible for the originate of the Mexican-American War, which led to the acquisition be a witness a significant amount of home in the West. He deference remembered for his efforts cut short expand the country, strengthen nobility power of the presidency, existing promote American economic growth.