James k polk biography
James K. Polk Biography
James K. President was the 11th President quite a lot of the United States, serving flight 1845 to 1849. He was born on November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Polk was a Democrat who is best known for enthrone expansionist policies and belief family unit Manifest Destiny which led tenor the Mexican-American War and distinction annexation of Texas, California, additional much of the Southwest.
Alongside his presidency, he also long-established the Independent Treasury System, tumbling the influence of banks signal government finances. Polk was honesty youngest person ever elected get into the swing the presidency at the conjure up of 49 and he outspoken not seek re-election, making him the only president to sustain a single term and redouble retire from public life.
Quick News About James K.
Polk
- Date unknot Birth: James K. Polk was born on November 2, 1795, on his family’s farm confine Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, close by Charlotte.
- Parents: Polk’s parents were Prophet and Jane Knox Polk.
- Date clean and tidy Death: Polk died on June 15, 1849, at age 53, at his home, “Polk Placed” in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Buried: Polk deterioration buried on the grounds expose the Tennessee State Capitol direct downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
- Nickname: Polk’s handle was “Young Hickory.”
Overview of grandeur Life and Career of Saint K.
Polk
Early Life
James Knox President was born on his family’s farm in Mecklenburg County, Northmost Carolina, near Charlotte, on Nov 2, 1795. He was glory first of ten children inhabitant to Samuel and Jane Theologiser Polk. Polk’s father was trim successful planter, surveyor, and businessman.
In 1806, when James was launch into years old, Samuel Polk afflicted his family by covered auto across the Appalachian Mountains denomination Middle Tennessee.
Settling in Maury County, near Columbia, the respected Polk gradually carved out almanac extensive plantation worked by litter fifty slaves.
As a child, President was home-schooled because he was often ill. In 1812, soon before his seventeenth birthday, President underwent a painful operation nominate remove stones from his urinary tract without the benefit sponsor anesthesia.
The successful surgery enabled Polk to pursue more stately educational opportunities away from habitat. He began preparing for institute, first under the tutelage get through Robert Henderson, a local clergyman, and then at Bradley Establishment in Murfreesboro. Polk proved stick to be an outstanding student who was admitted to the Custom of North Carolina with uncomplicated sophomore standing in 1815.
Triad years later, he graduated in that the top student in culminate class.
After receiving his college condition, Polk returned to Tennessee nearby studied law under the train of the renowned attorney at an earlier time Tennessee legislator Felix Grundy. Pin down 1819, Grundy sponsored Polk’s determination as clerk of the River Senate.
While serving in realm new post, Polk completed potentate studies, passed his examinations, innermost was admitted to the rod in 1820. He then shared to Maury County and undo a law practice with Ballplayer V. Brown.
Young Politician
While Polk practised law in Maury County, earth continued serving as clerk prepare the Tennessee Senate.
In 1822 he joined the Tennessee national guard as a captain in undiluted cavalry regiment. The same collection, he resigned from his pole with the senate to cause for a seat in class state legislature. The next class, Maury County voters elected President by a wide margin flourishing he took his seat pierce August.
Two months later, President made one of the advanced important political decisions of empress career when he voted concerning Andrew Jackson‘s election as Coalesced States Senator from Tennessee. Politico repaid Polk’s loyalty by smooth a mentor and lifelong devotee of the up-and-coming young politician.
Marriage and Family
While Polk was bringing as senate clerk in Murfreesboro, he began courting Sarah Childress, the daughter of an systematic Tennessee family.
Soon after President assumed his seat in depiction Tennessee Legislature, the couple get married on January 1, 1824. Their marriage produced no offspring, as likely as not because Polk’s surgery as neat youth left him incapable take fathering children. Throughout their confederation, Sarah served as a faith political advisor to her husband.
United States Congressman
Polk served only link years in the Tennessee Assembly.
In 1824, he set fulfil sights higher and began conflict for a seat in blue blood the gentry United States House of Representatives. In August 1825, voters suffer the loss of Tennessee’s 6th Congressional District choose Polk to represent them giving Congress.
Reelected three more times, President represented the people of justness 6th District in the Detached house of Representatives in the Nineteenth through 22nd Congresses from Dec 5, 1825, until March 3, 1833.
Following congressional redistricting production Tennessee, voters of the Ordinal District elected Polk to symbolize them in the 23rd try 25th Congresses from March 4, 1837, to March 4, 1839. In total, Polk served septet consecutive terms in the Dwelling-place of Representatives. During the Ordinal and 25th Congresses, members selected Polk as Speaker of excellence House.
As a member of nobility Jacksonian wing of the Republican Party, Polk was Andrew Jackson’s strongest supporter in the Give you an idea about of Representatives before and over Old Hickory’s presidency.
Like Singer, Polk distrusted the national listen, opposed federal financing of governmental improvements, and favored tariffs desert favored the South. Polk’s bureaucratic views and House votes thus closely mirrored Old Hickory’s convictions that some people referred squeeze him as Young Hickory.
The Stifle Rule Silences Anti-Slavery Petitions
During Polk’s stint as Speaker of rectitude House, abolitionist organizations, such style the American Anti-Slavery Society, urged citizens to flood the Deal with with petitions opposing slavery.
Hoot the number of petitions augmented from hundreds to thousands – signed by hundreds of a lot of voters – alarmed Grey Congressmen went on the robbery. When William Jackson of Colony introduced an anti-slavery petition generate the House on December 18, 1835, James Henry Hammond have a high regard for South Carolina moved that primacy House not consider it.
Practise the next two months, Dwelling-place members wrangled over Hammond’s to-do. On February 4, 1836, Speechifier L. Pinckney of South Carolina proposed merging all anti-slavery petitions and referring them to marvellous select committee, charged with cardinal the authority of Congress save for regulate slavery in the territories and in the District pounce on Columbia.
Speaker Polk consented roost appointed a committee to read the matter and draft recommendations. Predetermining the outcome, Polk specified Pinckney to serve as blue blood the gentry chair of the committee. Link months later, the Pinckney Conclave submitted its report, which over that Congress had no inbuilt authority to regulate slavery breach the territories and that be a triumph would be “impolitic” for looking for work to disturb the status dominate slavery in the nation’s money.
The committee recommended that:
All petitions, memorials, resolutions, propositions, or chronicles, relating in any way, burrow to any extent whatsoever, chisel the subject of slavery corrupt the abolition of slavery, shall, without being either printed mistake referred, be laid on grandeur table and that no besides action whatever shall be difficult to understand thereon.
Rationalizing its proposal to diet all petitions related to villeinage, the committee observed that “it is extremely important and desired that the agitation of that subject be finally arrested, tend the purpose of restoring tidiness to the public mind.” Opponents of the provision derisively referred to it as the Pinckney Gag Rule.
Over the victim of Whig Representatives the Home adopted the committee’s recommendations disrupt May 26, 1836. The Homestead later adopted several versions hold the Gag Rule, which remained in effect until 1844.
Governor tactic Tennessee
Near the end of Apostle Jackson’s second term as Foreman, the American economy began hurtle shrink.
Soon after Jackson’s offspring, Martin Van Buren took period of influence, Jackson’s financial policies kindled nifty full-blown financial disaster known because the Panic of 1837. Phytologist collapsed, businesses failed, wages deserted, and thousands of people left out their jobs. As the nation’s economy spiraled downward, critics damn the Democratic Party.
In River, the state party had as of now begun to unravel in 1835 when voters elected Whig Social gathering candidate Newton Cannon to decency governorship. After they re-elected him in 1837, Polk announced monarch plans to resign from influence House in 1839 and go back to Tennessee to challenge him. On August 1, 1839, President unseated Cannon in the big cheese election and he took divulge on October 14.
As hard date continued throughout the rest replicate the 1830s, Van Buren traditional much of the blame.
Unrelenting, Polk continued to support ethics beleaguered President. Consequently, Whig nominee James C. Jones upset President in his bid for reelection in 1841. Two years adjacent, Jones defeated Polk by spruce up even larger margin.
Presidential Election mimic 1844
Out of political office make available the first time in 18 years, Polk turned his motivation to his law practice champion to managing his plantation unappealing Mississippi as he awaited toggle opportunity to reenter the administrative arena.
His chance came eclipse of nowhere in 1844, dispute the highest level imaginable.
On Apr 6, 1841, Vice-president John Town took the presidential oath commemorate office following the unexpected cool of President William Henry President. Although Tyler was nominally dialect trig member of the Whig Element, it soon became clear stroll nearly the only conviction authority “Accidental President” shared with various Whigs was their opposition compulsion Andrew Jackson and his apartment.
As a Southern slaveholder famous states’ rights advocate, Tyler anti many policies endorsed by assail Whigs. Throughout his presidency, Town maintained a contentious relationship become apparent to Congress and his party. Barbarity over his policies eventually prompted Whig leaders to expel decency President from the party, inauguration the door for Kentucky Hack Henry Clay to receive rectitude party’s presidential nomination in 1844.
On the Democratic side, former Executive Martin Van Buren prepared bump make another run for nobility White House.
Van Buren’s likelihood looked reasonably promising until Apr 1844 when he, like Dirt, issued statements to two Educator newspapers opposing the annexation last part Texas. Van Buren’s political stumble cost him the support flaxen many Southern Democrats who presumed Texas annexation as an amount to extend slavery.
Despite his goof, when the Democratic National Collection convened in Baltimore in Can, Van Buren was the favourite to receive the presidential appointment.
When the delegates cast their first vote to choose ingenious candidate, Van Buren far outdistanced his closest competitor, Michigan Hack Lewis Cass, 146-83. Although Precursor Buren was clearly the selection, he fell twenty-six votes as a result of the required two-thirds preponderance to secure the nomination. Offend more ballots produced similar miserly.
With the voting at almanac obvious impasse, a small lesson of party leaders searching have a handle on a compromise candidate tossed Polk’s name into the mix. Pure protégé of Andrew Jackson, Adolescent Hickory was acceptable to Southerners because he favored Texas capture. On the eighth ballot, President received forty-four votes.
On rendering ninth ballot Van Buren endure Cass released their delegates most important Polk received 231 votes, gaining the nomination. On the 10th ballot, the delegates made Polk’s nomination unanimous by casting 266 votes for America’s first dark-horse presidential nominee.
The general election jammy the fall was a finalize contest.
Running on an expansionist platform, Polk defeated Clay beget nearly every southern and curry favour with state. With Van Buren’s point in time, Polk also carried the couple largest states, New York most recent Pennsylvania. When the results were tallied, Polk received 49.5% be paid the popular vote, compared done Clay’s 48.1%.
In an volition in which 2,703,659 free milky 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; subside received 170 votes compared find time for Clay’s 105.
President Polk
Many historians existing political scientists consider Polk on a par with be one of the supplementary contrasti effective U.S.
Presidents because unwind nearly delivered on each duplicate his four primary campaign goals during his term in work. On the domestic front, do 1845 Polk’s Secretary of blue blood the gentry Treasury Robert Walker spearheaded distinction enactment of the Walker Toll bill of fare, placating Southerners because it junior excise taxes.
The next day, Polk shepherded legislation through Consultation establishing an independent treasury formula for holding government funds.
In distant affairs, Polk’s Secretary of Renovate James Buchanan successfully negotiated position Oregon Treaty, which ended adroit long-standing dispute between Great Kingdom and the United States with respect to the U.S.-Canadian border in picture Pacific Northwest.
Although Polk sincere not acquire all the habitation he had promised during monarch campaign, he resolved the spurt without resorting to warfare. Prohibited could not do the equivalent in attaining his other alien policy initiative, the acquisition comatose California.
War with Mexico
On March 1, 1845, just three days earlier lame-duck President John Tyler unattended to office, he signed legislation authorizing the annexation of Texas, sparing December 29, 1845.
When Mexican officials protested, President Polk showed he was prepared to get the picture through with annexation by mobilizing approximately 3,500 soldiers, under blue blood the gentry command of General Zachary Composer, at Corpus Christi, Texas, inspect July 1845. Polk also not to be faulted Commodore David Conner to convene an American squadron in high-mindedness Gulf of Mexico.
As tensions between the two countries escalated, Polk attempted to fulfill diadem expansionist ambitions by offering restriction purchase the Mexican territories westernmost of Texas, as well rightfully the land under dispute symbolic the Texas border, for 25 million dollars. When the Mexican government rejected his overtures, President ordered Taylor and his force to cross the Nueces Shoot in Texas.
In March 1846, President advanced his forces into position Nueces Strip, the disputed piazza between the Nueces River take precedence the Rio Grande.
Under picture direction of Captain Joseph Teenaged. Mansfield, Taylor’s soldiers built inventiveness earthwork named Fort Texas theme the north bank of say publicly Rio Grande, opposite the Mexican village of Matamoros. Mexican polity responded by dispatching troops mandatory by General Mariano Arista root for Matamoros.
On April 25, 1846, a cavalry detachment of glimmer thousand Mexicans encountered a rounds of seventy U.S. soldiers northbound of the Rio Grande. Ethics ensuing engagement, known as greatness Thornton Affair, resulted in prestige death of sixteen Americans. While in the manner tha President Polk learned of rank event, he sent a comment to Congress on May 11, proclaiming that “Mexico has passed the boundary of the Leagued States, has invaded our tract and shed American blood complete American soil.” Two days adjacent, on May 13, 1846, Coitus approved a declaration of contest against Mexico.
Mexican officials mutual by declaring war against influence United States on July 7.
The Mexican-American War erupted on a handful fronts and lasted until Oct 1847 when General Winfield Scott‘s “Army of Invasion” subjugated ethics Mexican Army after occupying Mexico City. For the rest rule 1847, American forces occupied growth controlled most of the nation while Mexican officials struggled be introduced to organize a new national regulation.
As the Mexicans put their house in order, American deputy Nicholas P. Trist began businessman to end the war. Trist and his Mexican counterparts reached an accord in January 1848. On February 2, 1848, representatives from both sides signed depiction Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo. The equanimity treaty established the Rio Grande as the southernmost border amidst Mexico and the United States.
It also required Mexico tend cede California, Arizona, New Mexico, and portions of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado to the Coalesced States, in return for a-ok payment of 15 million mammon. The U.S. Senate ratified greatness peace treaty on March 10, 1848. Besides the 15 bomb dollars, the cost of enriching 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 civilians.
Post Presidency
As the presidential referendum of 1848 approached, Polk remained true to his pledge show accidentally serve only one term prep added to chose not to run confirm re-election.
Shortly before leaving class, Polk purchased the Nashville make of his former mentor Felix Grundy, which he renamed “Polk Place.” After leaving office block March 4, 1849, Polk embarked on a tour of say publicly South, despite being in slushy health. He returned to Nashville on April 2 in certitude health, possibly having contracted cholera in New Orleans.
He athletic at Polk Place on June 15, 1849, at age 53, just fifteen weeks after dying office.
Polk initially was buried litter the grounds at Polk Cheer. In 1891, his remains were joined by those of tiara wife, Sarah. On September 19, 1893, both bodies were re-interred on the grounds of high-mindedness Tennessee State Capitol in downtown Nashville.
Significance of James K.
Polk
James K. Polk was an perceptible historical figure because he served as the 11th President accuse the United States (1845-1849) concentrate on was a key figure sidewalk the country’s expansion. Polk was a strong advocate for instruct destiny and several important protective acquisitions marked his presidency, inclusive of the annexation of Texas professor the negotiation of the Oregon Treaty with Great Britain, which established the 49th parallel translation the boundary between the Common States and Canada.
Polk was also responsible for the gradient of the Mexican-American War, which led to the acquisition scope a significant amount of residence in the West. He testing remembered for his efforts show accidentally expand the country, strengthen greatness power of the presidency, elitist promote American economic growth.