query: what did james k polk believe in?

title: James K. Polk

text: Polks had immigrated to America in the late 1600s, settling initially on the Eastern Shore of Maryland but later moving to south-central Pennsylvania and then to the Carolina hill country. The Knox and Polk families were Presbyterian. While Polk's mother remained a devout Presbyterian, his father, whose own father Ezekiel Polk was a deist, rejected dogmatic Presbyterianism. He refused to declare his belief in Christianity at his son's baptism, and the minister refused to baptize young James. Nevertheless, James' mother "stamped her rigid orthodoxy on James, instilling lifelong Calvinistic traits of self-discipline, hard work, piety, individualism, and a belief in

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: song says that Polk "made the English sell the Oregon Territory" during his presidency. In fact, the US had claimed part of what was then called Oregon Country prior to Polk's administration. Polk did sign the Oregon Treaty with the United Kingdom in 1846, which delineated American and British claims in the Pacific Northwest. Only after this treaty was the Oregon Territory established. Although "Factory Showroom" received a lukewarm response from critics, "James K. Polk" has been generally well regarded. In a review of the song for AllMusic, Stewart Mason praised the song for both its melody and its lyrics,

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: Polk did they discover that he was, according to Linnell, "really intense and kind of…creepy". In a review of the "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" single, which had "James K. Polk" as its B-side, Christian Huey called the song's main instrumentation a "plodding synth line". He also compared the bridge's melodic non-lexical vocables to those in "Istanbul". The "Factory Showroom" recording features Julian Koster of Neutral Milk Hotel playing a musical saw. Linnell and Flansburgh call the effect of the saw "spooky". The song does not present a comprehensive biography of James K. Polk. Instead, it begins at the 1844 Democratic National

title: President James K. Polk Home & Museum

text: President James K. Polk Home & Museum The President James K. Polk Home & Museum is the Presidential Museum for 11th President James K. Polk, located at 301 West 7th Street in Columbia, Tennessee. Built in 1816, it is the only surviving private residence of United States President James K. Polk. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As President Polk's primary historic site it's open daily except select holidays for guided tours. The James K. Polk Home is located just west of the commercial central downtown area

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: during the Polk administration led to the Compromise of 1850, one of the primary factors in the establishment of the Republican Party and later the beginning of the American Civil War. Presidency of James K. Polk The presidency of James K. Polk began on March 4, 1845, when James K. Polk was inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1849. He was a Democrat, and assumed office after defeating Whig Henry Clay in the 1844 presidential election. Polk left office after one term, fulfilling a campaign pledge he made in 1844, and he was succeeded

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: Presidency of James K. Polk The presidency of James K. Polk began on March 4, 1845, when James K. Polk was inaugurated as President of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1849. He was a Democrat, and assumed office after defeating Whig Henry Clay in the 1844 presidential election. Polk left office after one term, fulfilling a campaign pledge he made in 1844, and he was succeeded by Whig Zachary Taylor. A close ally of Andrew Jackson, Polk's presidency reflected his adherence to the ideals of Jacksonian democracy and manifest destiny. Polk is often considered the last strong

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: James K. Polk (song) "James K. Polk" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, about the United States president of the same name. Originally released in 1990 as a B-side to the single "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", its first appearance on a studio album was 1996's "Factory Showroom". It also appeared on their compilation albums "" and "A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants". The song is about James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States, beginning with a description of the 1844 Democratic National Convention and going on to cover some of the highlights

title: President James K. Polk Home & Museum

text: to go into effect without his signature. ) The next steps included the Tennessee Historical Commission, the Capitol Grounds Commission and after it will go before a Chancery Judge before it is finalized. President James K. Polk Home & Museum The President James K. Polk Home & Museum is the Presidential Museum for 11th President James K. Polk, located at 301 West 7th Street in Columbia, Tennessee. Built in 1816, it is the only surviving private residence of United States President James K. Polk. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and is listed on the National Register

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: of Polk's presidency. Although the band set out to write a song consisting entirely of historical facts, it includes a few errors or misstatements. The "Factory Showroom" re-recording of "James K. Polk" includes an interlude featuring Julian Koster playing a musical saw. The song has become a fan favorite and is frequently played live, although the band has expressed antipathy towards Polk himself; John Flansburgh has described Polk as "evil". According to John Flansburgh, John Linnell wrote "James K. Polk" with Matthew Hill, a childhood friend of theirs and a history buff. The concept for the song came from a

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: Convention. Deadlocked among Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, and Lewis Cass, the party eventually chose Polk as its nominee. The song skips over the general election and describes Polk's accomplishments as president, such as acquiring part of the Oregon Territory and leading the country to victory in the Mexican–American War. "James K. Polk" contains two main errors or misstatements in its lyrics. The first verse describes Van Buren as an abolitionist. While Van Buren later joined the Free Soil Party, which opposed the expansion of slavery in the United States, he did not advocate for its abolition entirely. Secondly, the

title: James K. Polk

text: that Polk "lacked a far-seeing awareness of the problems that were bound to arise over the status of slavery in the territory acquired from Mexico" William Dusinberre, in his volume on Polk as slave owner, suggested "that Polk's deep personal involvement in the plantation slavery system ... colored his stance on slavery-related issues". Greenberg noted that Polk's war served as the training ground for that later conflict: James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th President of the United States (1845–1849). He previously was Speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: deactivated at Norfolk, Virginia. On 8 July 1999, she was decommissioned at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day. Her scrapping via the Ship-Submarine Recycling Program was accomplished on 26 April 2000. "James K. Polk"s sail is on display at the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque, New Mexico. USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645) USS "James K. Polk" (SSBN-645), a fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for James K. Polk (1795–1849), the eleventh President of the

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645) USS "James K. Polk" (SSBN-645), a fleet ballistic missile submarine, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for James K. Polk (1795–1849), the eleventh President of the United States (1845–1849). She was later converted into an attack submarine and redesignated SSN-645. The contract for "James K. Polk"s construction was awarded on 1 November 1962, and her keel was laid down on 23 November 1963 by the Electric Boat Division of the General Dynamics Corporation at Groton, Connecticut. She was launched on 22 May 1965, sponsored by Mrs. Horacio Rivero, Jr.,

title: James K. Polk

text: James K. Polk James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th President of the United States (1845–1849). He previously was Speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841). A protégé of Andrew Jackson, he was a member of the Democratic Party and an advocate of Jacksonian democracy. During Polk's presidency, the United States expanded significantly with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, the Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession following the American victory in the Mexican–American War. After building a successful law practice in Tennessee, Polk was elected to the

title: James K. Polk

text: the wake of his death. Polk was not again the subject of a major biography until 1922, when Eugene I. McCormac published "James K. Polk: A Political Biography". McCormac relied heavily on Polk's presidential diary, first published in 1909. When historians began ranking the presidents in 1948, Polk ranked 10th in Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr.'s poll, and has subsequently ranked 8th in Schlesinger's 1962 poll, 11th in the Riders-McIver Poll (1996), and 14th in the 2017 survey by C-SPAN. Borneman deemed Polk the most effective president prior to the Civil War, and noted that Polk expanded the power of the

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: 50th deterrent patrol in September 1981. She completed overhaul in 1983 and conducted seven more successful deterrent patrols. "James K. Polk" returned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in January 1986 for a third overhaul after completing her 58th deterrent patrol. She departed Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in November 1988, then headed south for her post-overhaul DASO. In May 1989 she began her final series of Poseidon strategic deterrent patrols. "James K. Polk" celebrated her 25th year of commissioned service in April 1991. She finished her 66th and final strategic deterrent patrol in August 1991. In August 1992, "James K. Polk" began a

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: for pop lyrics. Some critics have seen a connection between the song's educational lyrics and the band's later success, in the mid- to late-2000s, in composing children's music. Mason compares the song to "Schoolhouse Rock!" educational television program; however, the song is also popular among the band's adult fans, and it often features in their live setlists. James K. Polk (song) "James K. Polk" is a song by alternative rock band They Might Be Giants, about the United States president of the same name. Originally released in 1990 as a B-side to the single "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", its first appearance

title: James K. Polk

text: who had done the most were back in Tennessee, one an aging icon ensconced at the Hermitage and the other a shrewd lifelong politician waiting expectantly in Columbia". Whigs mocked Polk with the chant "Who is James K. Polk?", affecting never to have heard of him. Though he had experience as Speaker of the House and Governor of Tennessee, all previous presidents had served as Vice President, Secretary of State, or as a high-ranking general. Polk has been described as the first "dark horse" presidential nominee, although his nomination was less of a surprise than that of future nominees such

title: James K. Polk

text: the imperfection of human nature," according to James A. Rawley's "American National Biography" article. In 1803, Ezekiel Polk led four of his adult children and their families to the Duck River area in what is now Maury County, Tennessee; Samuel Polk and his family followed in 1806. The Polk clan dominated politics in Maury County and in the new town of Columbia. Samuel became a county judge, and the guests at his home included Andrew Jackson, who had already served as a judge and in Congress. James learned from the political talk around the dinner table; both Samuel and Ezekiel

title: James K. Polk

text: was held at the McKendree Methodist Church in Nashville. Initially he was buried in what is now Nashville City Cemetery, due to a legal requirement related to his infectious disease death. He was moved to a tomb on the grounds of Polk Place (as specified in his will) less than a year later. Sarah Polk lived at Polk Place for 42 years after his death and died on August 14, 1891. In 1893, the bodies of James and Sarah Polk were relocated to their current resting place on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville. Polk Place was

title: James K. Polk

text: an army led by Brigadier General Zachary Taylor into Texas. Taylor and Commodore David Conner of the U.S. Navy, commanding American ships off the Mexican coast, were both ordered to avoid provoking a war, while preparing for conflict, and to respond to any Mexican aggression. Although Polk had the military prepare for war, he did not believe it would come to that; he thought Mexico would give in under duress. Polk hoped that a show of force by the U.S. military under Taylor and Conner could avert war and lead to negotiations with the Mexican government. In late 1845, Polk

title: James K. Polk

text: Party, but, when approached by emissaries, he did not take offense and was willing to step down. Polk did not want his Cabinet to contain presidential hopefuls, though he chose to nominate James Buchanan of Pennsylvania, whose ambition for the presidency was well-known, as Secretary of State. Tennessee's Cave Johnson, a close friend and ally of Polk, was nominated for the position of Postmaster General, with George Bancroft, the historian who had placed a crucial role in Polk's nomination as Navy Secretary. Polk's choices met with the approval of Andrew Jackson, whom Polk met with in January 1845 for the

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: by using rhetoric favorable towards tariffs. In New York, another key swing state, Polk's campaign was greatly aided by the gubernatorial candidacy of Wright, who managed to unite the factions of the New York Democratic Party. The abolitionist Liberty party nominated Michigan's James G. Birney, while the 1844 Whig National Convention nominated Henry Clay on the first ballot. Notwithstanding that Polk had been Speaker of the House of Representatives and governor of Tennessee, Whig stump speakers scorned Polk, mocking him with the chant "Who is James K. Polk?" in reference to Polk's relative obscurity compared to both Van Buren or

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: conversation the two had about writing a song that was based entirely in fact. They were specifically drawn to James K. Polk due to his relative obscurity despite his tremendous influence during his presidency. They proceeded to write the song despite personal disagreement with Polk's policies as president. Flansburgh speculated that if they had included their opinion that Polk was "evil", it would have defeated the purpose of writing a song of pure fact. Prior to writing the song, Linnell and Hill were not familiar with Polk's presidency—they chose Polk at random from a list of presidents. Only after researching

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: achieved them. Polls of historians and political scientists have generally ranked Polk as an above-average president, and Polk tends to rank higher than every other president who served between the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. A 2018 poll of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents and Executive Politics section ranked Polk as the 21st best president. A 2017 C-Span poll of historians ranked Polk as the 14th best president. Polk biographers over the years have sized up the magnitude of Polk's achievements and his legacy, particularly his two most recent. "There are three key reasons why James K.

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: wife of Admiral Horacio Rivero, Jr., the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, and commissioned on 16 April 1966 with Commander R.M. Douglass commanding the Gold Crew and Commander F.D. McMullen, Jr., commanding the Blue Crew. "James K. Polk" sailed to Charleston, South Carolina in September 1966 to load Polaris ballistic missiles for her initial deterrent patrol. After completion of her shakedown, she operated on strategic deterrent patrols in the Atlantic Ocean and completed 19 of them between September 1966 and May 1971. In July 1971, "James K. Polk" began her first overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia,

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: nineteen-month shipyard conversion that removed her ballistic missiles and deactivated her missile tubes, converted her into an attack submarine, and installed Dry Deck Shelters on her deck which would allow her to support special warfare operations. Upon completion of this conversion in March 1994, her hull classification symbol was changed from SSBN-645 to SSN-645 to reflect her conversion from a fleet ballistic missile submarine to an attack submarine. After conversion, "James K. Polk" completed three extended deployments to the Mediterranean Sea, participating in numerous special forces and North Atlantic Treaty Organization exercises. On 9 January 1999, "James K. Polk" was

title: James K. Polk State Office Building

text: open and free from any columns. James K. Polk State Office Building The James K. Polk State Office Building is a 24-story, building in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1981, the building was constructed on the site of the Andrew Jackson Hotel and is home to offices for state employees, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The building's unique construction has a center core that resembles a box made from structural steel from the ground to top floor. Starting at the top, each floor is supported by hanging from the core. This design leaves the area surrounding

title: James K. Polk State Office Building

text: James K. Polk State Office Building The James K. Polk State Office Building is a 24-story, building in Nashville, Tennessee. Completed in 1981, the building was constructed on the site of the Andrew Jackson Hotel and is home to offices for state employees, the Tennessee State Museum, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. The building's unique construction has a center core that resembles a box made from structural steel from the ground to top floor. Starting at the top, each floor is supported by hanging from the core. This design leaves the area surrounding the core on the ground levels

title: President James K. Polk Home & Museum

text: but has otherwise been adapted for museum displays. The property includes a reproduction of the kitchen outbuilding that would have been present during Polk's residency; none of the outbuildings from his time survive. The house was built in 1816 by Samuel Polk, and was the home of his son, U.S. President James K. Polk, for six years as a young adult. It is the only private residence associated with President Polk to survive. James lived in the house until 1824 on and off again, when he left to read law in Nashville under Felix Grundy, and for a time after

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: by the outcome as he had a low opinion of Taylor, seeing the general as someone with poor judgment and few opinions. Polk left office in March 1849, and he died the following June. Polk's historic reputation was largely formed by the attacks made on him in his own time. Whig politicians claimed that he was drawn from a well-deserved obscurity. Sam Houston is said to have observed that Polk was "a victim of the use of water as a beverage". Senator Tom Corwin of Ohio remarked "James K. Polk, of Tennessee? "After that", who is safe?" The Republican historians

title: James K. Polk

text: presidency, especially in its power as commander in chief and its oversight over the Executive Branch. Steven G. Calabresi and Christopher S. Yoo, in their history of presidential power, praised Polk's conduct of the Mexican War, "it seems unquestionable that his management of state affairs during this conflict was one of the strongest examples since Jackson of the use of presidential power to direct specifically the conduct of subordinate officers." Harry S. Truman called Polk "a great president. Said what he intended to do and did it." Bergeron noted that the matters that Polk settled, he settled for his time.

title: James K. Polk

text: stunning political achievement." James A. Rawley wrote in his "American National Biography" piece on Polk, "he added extensive territory to the United States, including Upper California and its valuable ports, and bequeathed a legacy of a nation poised on the Pacific rim prepared to emerge as a superpower in future generations". Historians have criticized Polk for not perceiving that his territorial gains set the table for civil war. Pletcher stated that Polk, like others of his time, failed "to understand that sectionalism and expansion had formed a new, explosive compound". Fred I. Greenstein, in his journal article on Polk, noted

title: President James K. Polk Home & Museum

text: belongings of the president to Sallie after her death. Sallie opened her own home in Nashville to the public throughout the early and mid 1900s for people to come and see the belongings of the president that she had inherited. Along with her daughter, Mrs. Saidee Grant, they founded the James K. Polk Association in 1924. In 1929 Mrs. Grant along with the state of Tennessee, purchased the home, and moved the contents of Polk Place that she had inherited from her mother to the site. On March 27, 2017, the Tennessee Senate voted 20-6 to relocate the remains of

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: Polk deserves recognition as a significant and influential American president," Walter Borneman wrote. "First, Polk accomplished the objectives of his presidential term as he defined them; second, he was the most decisive chief executive before the Civil War; and third, he greatly expanded the executive power of the presidency, particularly its war powers, its role as commander-in-chief, and its oversight of the executive branch." President Harry S. Truman summarized this view by saying that Polk was "a great president. Said what he intended to do and did it." While Polk's legacy thus takes many forms, the most outstanding is the

title: James K. Polk

text: would have replaced them with Democrats, but felt Congress would not approve it. He offered Scott the position of top commander in the war, which the general accepted. Polk and Scott already knew and disliked each other: the President made the appointment despite the fact that Scott had sought his party's presidential nomination in 1840. Polk came to believe that Scott was too slow in getting himself and his army away from Washington and to the Rio Grande, and was outraged to learn Scott was using his influence in Congress to defeat the administration's plan to expand the number of

title: James K. Polk (song)

text: which, despite being "practically paragraphs", "scan perfectly well". Though Mason favors the original 1990 arrangement over the 1996 recording, he calls the tune a "fan favorite". A "People" review of "Factory Showroom" labels the song "Beatles-esque". Despite the praise the song has received, in a review of "Factory Showroom", Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic disapproved of the band's "recycling" old material for the album. To Erlewine, this signified their "creative block" during the period. Regardless, the song is designated as an "AllMusic pick" from the album. "James K. Polk" has been cited as an example of the band's unconventional subjects

title: James K. Polk

text: sectional divides. A slaveholder for most of his adult life, he owned a plantation in Mississippi and bought slaves while President. A major legacy of Polk's presidency is territorial expansion, as the United States reached the Pacific coast and became poised to be a world power. James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795 in a log cabin in Pineville, North Carolina. He was the first of 10 children born into a family of farmers. His mother Jane named him after her father, James Knox. His father Samuel Polk was a farmer, slaveholder, and surveyor of Scots-Irish descent. The

title: James K. Polk

text: demolished in 1900. In March 2017, the Tennessee Senate approved a resolution considered a "first step" toward relocating the Polks' remains to the family home in Columbia; as well as support by state lawmakers, the move requires approval by the courts and the Tennessee Historical Commission. Polk was a slaveholder for most of his adult life. His father, Samuel Polk, in 1827 left Polk more than 8,000 acres (32 km²) of land, and divided about 53 slaves among his widow and children in his will. James inherited twenty of his father's slaves, either directly or from deceased brothers. In 1831,

title: James K. Polk

text: he bought eight slaves from his brother William at a cost of $5,600. This represented three young adults and most of a family, though not including the father, whom James Polk had previously owned, and who had been sold to a slave trader as a chronic runaway. The expenses of four campaigns (three for governor, one for the presidency) in six years kept Polk from making more slave purchases until after he was living in the White House. In an era when the presidential salary was expected to cover wages for the White House servants, Polk replaced them with slaves

title: James K. Polk

text: for a pre-arranged triumphal tour of the South, to end in Nashville. Polk had two years previously arranged to buy a house there, afterwards dubbed Polk Place, that had once belonged to his old mentor, Felix Grundy. James and Sarah Polk progressed down the Atlantic coast, and then westward through the Deep South. He was enthusiastically received and banqueted. By the time the Polks reached Alabama, he was suffering from a bad cold, and soon became concerned by reports of cholera—a passenger on Polk's riverboat died of it, and it was rumored to be common in New Orleans, but it

title: James K. Polk

text: governor was his politicking to secure the replacement of Tennessee's two Whig U.S. senators with Democrats. Polk's tenure was hindered by the continuing nationwide economic crisis that had followed the Panic of 1837 and which had caused Van Buren to lose the 1840 election. Encouraged by the success of Harrison's campaign, the Whigs ran a freshman legislator from frontier Wilson County, James C. Jones against Polk in 1841. "Lean Jimmy" had proven one of their most effective gadflies against Polk, and his lighthearted tone at campaign debates was very effective against the serious Polk. The two debated the length of

title: James K. Polk

text: grace, intelligence and charming conversation helped compensate for her husband's often austere manner. Polk's first mentor was Grundy, but in the legislature, Polk came increasingly to oppose him on such matters as land reform, and came to support the policies of Andrew Jackson, by then a military hero for his victory at the Battle of New Orleans (1815). Jackson was a family friend to both the Polks and the Childresses—there is evidence Sarah Polk and her siblings called him "Uncle Andrew"—and James Polk quickly came to support his presidential ambitions for 1824. When the Tennessee Legislature deadlocked on who to

title: James K. Polk

text: was too late to change plans. Worried about his health, he would have departed the city quickly, but was overwhelmed by Louisiana hospitality. Several passengers on the riverboat up the Mississippi died of the disease, and Polk felt so ill that he went ashore for four days, staying in a hotel. A doctor assured him he did not have cholera, and Polk made the final leg, arriving in Nashville on April 2 to a huge reception. After a visit to James's mother in Columbia, the Polks settled into Polk Place. The exhausted former president seemed to gain new life, but

title: James K. Polk

text: devastated when he learned Van Buren had done the same thing. Van Buren did this because he feared losing his base of support in the Northeast, but his supporters in the old Southwest were stunned at his action. Polk, on the other hand, had written a pro-annexation letter that had been published four days before Van Buren's. Jackson wrote sadly to Van Buren that no candidate who opposed annexation could be elected, and decided Polk was the best person to head the ticket. Jackson met with Polk at the Hermitage on May 13, 1844 and explained to his visitor that

title: James K. Polk

text: from his home in Tennessee. Polk did not purchase slaves with his presidential salary, likely for political reasons. Instead, he reinvested earnings from his plantation in the purchase of slaves, enjoining secrecy on his agent: "that as my "private business" does not concern the public, you will keep it to yourself". Polk saw the plantation as his route to a comfortable existence after his presidency for himself and his wife; he did not intend to return to the practice of law. Hoping the increased labor force would increase his retirement income, he purchased seven slaves in 1846, through an agent,

title: James K. Polk

text: slavery, a position with which, by 1848, Van Buren agreed. Senator Cass was a strong expansionist, and slavery might find new fields under him; accordingly the Barnburners bolted the Democratic National Convention upon his nomination, and, in June, joined by anti-slavery Democrats from other states, they held a convention, nominating Van Buren for president. Polk was surprised and disappointed by his former ally's political conversion, and worried about the divisiveness of a sectional party organized around abolitionism. Polk did not give speeches for Cass, remaining at his desk at the White House. He did remove some Van Buren supporters from

title: James K. Polk

text: U.S. consul in Mexico City, John Black, made clear their views that U.S. aims for territorial expansion could not be accomplished without war. Taylor's instructions were to repel any incursion by Mexico north of the Rio Grande, but initially, his army did not advance further than Corpus Christi, at the mouth of the Nueces. On January 13, 1846, Polk ordered Taylor to proceed to the Rio Grande, though it took him time to prepare for the march. Polk was convinced that sending Taylor to the Nueces Strip would prompt war; even if it did not, he was prepared to have

title: James Polk 1844 presidential campaign

text: electoral college gave Polk the 170 electoral votes he won with 1,339,494 votes. The expansion of the United States under Polk would inflame the issues of state`s rights and slavery as the western territories attempted to become states in the 1850s. Coincidentally, Polk`s actions would lead to the breakup of the Whig Party, the creation of the Republican Party, and a weakening of the Democratic Party for the next seventy years. James Polk 1844 presidential campaign The 1844 presidential campaign of James K. Polk, then both the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Governor of Tennessee,

title: James Polk 1844 presidential campaign

text: James Polk 1844 presidential campaign The 1844 presidential campaign of James K. Polk, then both the former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives and Governor of Tennessee, was announced on May 27, 1844 in Baltimore, Maryland, however Polk had originally sought the vice-presidential nomination. At the 1844 Democratic National Convention on May 27, seven ballots were held before Polk was proposed as a compromise candidate and won on the ninth ballot. On December 4, 1844, Polk defeated the Whig nominee, Henry Clay of Kentucky another former Speaker of the House, making him the President-elect and the first African

title: James K. Polk

text: for his Mississippi cotton plantation. There was no uniform election day in 1844; states voted between November 1 and 12. Polk won the election with 49.5% of the popular vote and 170 of the 275 electoral votes. Becoming the first president elected despite losing his state of residence (Tennessee), Polk also lost his birth state, North Carolina. However, he won Pennsylvania and New York, where Clay lost votes to the antislavery Liberty Party candidate James G. Birney, who got more votes in New York than Polk's margin of victory. Had Clay won New York, he would have been elected president.

title: Sarah Polk Fall

text: for six years before his marriage to Sarah Childress in 1824. On acquisition of the home in 1929 The "James K. Polk Memorial Association" founded the James K. Polk Home, the presidential museum of James K. Polk. The contents of Polk Place that Sallie inherited and later left to her daughter Saidee would be brought to the museum. Later the fountain, the garden urns, and a gate from the exterior of Polk Place were moved to the property. Sarah Polk Fall Sarah "Sallie" Polk Jetton Fall (April 1, 1847 –July 22, 1924) was a wealthy Nashville socialite and philanthropist. She

title: Thomas Polk

text: Thomas Polk Thomas Polk (c. 1732–January 25, 1794) was a planter, military officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1781, and a politician who served in the North Carolina House of Commons, North Carolina Provincial Congress, and Council of State. Polk commanded the 4th North Carolina Regiment in the Battle of Brandywine. In 1786, Polk was elected by the North Carolina General Assembly to the Congress of the Confederation, but did not attend any of its sessions. Polk was a great-uncle of the 11th President of the United States, James K. Polk. Polk was

title: James G. Polk

text: James G. Polk James Gould Polk (October 6, 1896 – April 28, 1959) was a prominent U.S. politician of the Democratic Party during the middle of the 20th century. A native of Highland County, Ohio, Polk grew up on a farm and graduated from high school in New Vienna, Ohio. He did not serve during World War I because of a physical disability, and graduated from The Ohio State University in 1919. Polk worked as a school administrator in small towns in Ohio during the 1920s, and was first elected to office in 1930, as a U.S. Congressman from Ohio's

title: James K. Polk

text: the influential former president, Sam Houston, rejected it, as did the Texas Congress. In July 1845, a convention ratified annexation, and thereafter voters approved it. In December 1845, Polk signed a resolution annexing Texas, and it became the 28th state. Mexico had broken diplomatic relations with the United States on passage of the joint resolution in March 1845; annexation increased tensions with that nation, which had never recognized Texan independence. Following the Texan ratification of annexation in 1845, both Mexicans and Americans saw conflict as a likely possibility. Polk began preparations for a potential war with Mexico over Texas, sending

title: James K. Polk

text: river from Matamoros, Tamaulipas. In April, after Mexican general Pedro de Ampudia demanded that Taylor return to the Nueces River, Taylor began a blockade of Matamoros. A skirmish on the northern side of the Rio Grande on April 25 ended in the death or capture of dozens of American soldiers, and became known as the Thornton Affair. Word did not reach Washington until May 9, and Polk immediately convened the Cabinet and obtained their approval of his plan to send a war message to Congress on the ground that Mexico had, as Polk put it in his message, "shed American

title: James K. Polk

text: dead to hundreds for the Mexicans. The next day, Taylor led the army to victory in the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, putting the Mexican Army to rout. The early successes boosted support for the war, which despite the lopsided votes in Congress had deeply divided the nation. Many Northern Whigs opposed the war, as did others; they felt Polk had used patriotism to manipulate the nation into fighting a war the goal of which was to give slavery room to expand. Polk distrusted the two senior officers, Major General Winfield Scott and Taylor, as both were Whigs, and

title: James K. Polk

text: the plantation and its slaves, would have allowed the laborers to go free had she died while slavery was legal. Like Jackson, Polk saw the politics of slavery as a side issue compared to more important matters such as territorial expansion and economic policy. The issue of slavery became increasingly polarizing during the 1840s, and Polk's expansionary policies increased its divisiveness. During his presidency, many abolitionists harshly criticized him as an instrument of the "Slave Power", and claimed that spreading slavery was the reason he supported annexing Texas and later war with Mexico. Polk did support the expansion of slavery's

title: James Knox Polk Hall

text: Fifty-sixth and Fifty-seventh Congresses and served until his resignation. He was a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate from 1902 to 1914. He died in Tampa, Florida, in 1915. Interment in Pine Grove Cemetery, Ridgway, Pennsylvania. James Knox Polk Hall James Knox Polk Hall (September 30, 1844 – January 5, 1915) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. James K. P. Hall was born in Milesburg, Pennsylvania. He was educated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He was elected district attorney of Elk County, Pennsylvania in 1867,

title: James Knox Polk Hall

text: James Knox Polk Hall James Knox Polk Hall (September 30, 1844 – January 5, 1915) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. James K. P. Hall was born in Milesburg, Pennsylvania. He was educated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1866. He was elected district attorney of Elk County, Pennsylvania in 1867, and reelected in 1870 and 1873. He retired from the practice of law in 1883 to engage in the coal, lumber, and railroad businesses as well as banking. Hall was elected as a Democrat to the

title: USS James K. Polk (SSBN-645)

text: for nuclear refueling and conversion of her ballistic missile system to support the Poseidon C-3 ballistic missile. She completed her conversion in late 1972 and commenced a rigorous schedule of sea trials and exercises, culminating in the Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) of her Poseidon missile system, which tested her ballistic missile system and crew by requiring the launch of a Poseidon C-3 missile from the submarine. "James K. Polk" resumed deterrent patrols in the Atlantic Ocean in May 1973 with her new Poseidon missiles. She conducted her second overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Kittery, Maine, after completing her

title: James K. Polk

text: Polk, Mary Polk and Matilda Polk, were placed in the Nashville City Cemetery. Elias and Mary Polk both survived slavery, dying in the 1880s; Matilda Polk died still in slavery in 1849, at the age of about 110. After his death, Polk's historic reputation was initially formed by the attacks made on him in his own time. Whig politicians claimed that he was drawn from a well-deserved obscurity. Sam Houston is said to have observed that Polk, a teetotaler, was "a victim of the use of water as a beverage". Little was published about him but two biographies released in

title: James Polk 1844 presidential campaign

text: American elected President. James K. Polk was elected President of the United States and George M. Dallas Vice President of the United States, with 170 of 275 electors. Prior to his entrance to politics Polk`s family would be hosts to multiple guests of importance such as the future president, Andrew Jackson, who was a family friend. In 1825 Polk entered national politics with his victory in Tennessee`s 6th district and during the 1824 Presidential election Polk stood behind Jackson in his attempt to take the presidency. Eleven years later Speaker of the House Andrew Stevenson resigned and with the support

title: Samuel Polk

text: front of James. Samuel Polk Samuel Polk (c. 1768 – December 3, 1827) was an American surveyor, slave owner, and the father of U.S. President James K. Polk. His slaves included Elias Polk. Polk married Jane Knox on Christmas Day 1794. Their first child, James, was born in November of the following year. Though Polk consented to naming the child after his father-in-law, he opposed having James baptized as Presbyterian, as he himself would have to admit his faith. During their marriage, the couple participated in debates with neighbors regarding the future of the United States, with the discussions often

title: James K. Polk

text: only an expansionist from the South or Southwest could be elected—and, in his view, Polk had the best chance. Polk was at first startled, calling the plan "utterly abortive", but he agreed to accept it. Polk immediately wrote to instruct his lieutenants at the convention to work for his nomination as president. Despite Jackson's quiet efforts on his behalf, Polk was skeptical that he could win. Nevertheless, because of the opposition to Van Buren by expansionists in the West and South, Polk's key lieutenant at the 1844 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore, Gideon Johnson Pillow, believed Polk could emerge as

title: James K. Polk

text: Polk announced that he viewed the American claim to the land as "clear and unquestionable", provoking threats of war from British leaders should Polk attempt to take control of the entire territory. Polk had refrained in his address from asserting a claim to the entire territory, which extended north to 54 degrees, 40 minutes north latitude, although the Democratic Party platform called for such a claim. Despite Polk's hawkish rhetoric, he viewed war with the British as unwise, and Polk and Buchanan opened up negotiations with the British. Like his predecessors, Polk again proposed a division along the 49th parallel,

title: James K. Polk

text: as Franklin Pierce or Warren G. Harding. Despite his party's gibes, Clay recognized that Polk could unite the Democrats. Rumors of Polk's nomination reached Nashville on June 4, much to Jackson's delight; they were substantiated later that day. The dispatches were sent on to Columbia, arriving the same day, and letters and newspapers describing what had happened at Baltimore were in Polk's hands by June 6. He accepted his nomination by letter dated June 12, alleging that he had never sought the office, and stating his intent to serve only one term. Wright was embittered by what he called the

title: Samuel Polk

text: Samuel Polk Samuel Polk (c. 1768 – December 3, 1827) was an American surveyor, slave owner, and the father of U.S. President James K. Polk. His slaves included Elias Polk. Polk married Jane Knox on Christmas Day 1794. Their first child, James, was born in November of the following year. Though Polk consented to naming the child after his father-in-law, he opposed having James baptized as Presbyterian, as he himself would have to admit his faith. During their marriage, the couple participated in debates with neighbors regarding the future of the United States, with the discussions often being held in

title: Presidency of James K. Polk

text: postage stamp. Polk did not closely involve himself in the 1848 presidential election, but his actions strongly affected the race. General Zachary Taylor, who had served in the Mexican–American War, won the Whig presidential nomination and defeated Polk's preferred candidate, Democratic Senator Lewis Cass. Scholars have ranked Polk favorably on lists of greatest presidents for his ability to promote, obtain support for, and achieve all of the major items on his presidential agenda. However, he has also been criticized for leading the country into war against Mexico and for exacerbating sectional divides. Polk has been called the "least known consequential

title: James K. Polk

text: his seat in Congress later that year. When Polk arrived in Washington, D.C. for Congress' regular session in December 1825, he roomed in Benjamin Burch's boarding house with other Tennessee representatives, including Sam Houston. Polk made his first major speech on March 13, 1826, in which he said that the Electoral College should be abolished and that the president should be elected by popular vote. Remaining bitter at the alleged Corrupt Bargain between Adams and Clay, Polk became a vocal critic of the administration, frequently voting against its policies. Sarah Polk remained at home in Columbia during her husband's first

title: James K. Polk

text: few days before the end of his presidency, contained the nonbinding expectation that his slaves were to be freed when both he and Sarah Polk were dead. The Mississippi plantation was expected to be the support of Sarah Polk during her widowhood. Sarah Polk lived until 1891, but the slaves were freed in 1865 by the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. By selling a half-interest in the slaves in 1860, Sarah Polk had given up the sole power to free them, and it is unlikely that her new partner, having paid $28,500 for a half-interest in

title: James K. Polk

text: passed to allow the sale of the government's stock in the Second Bank. In June 1834, Speaker of the House Andrew Stevenson resigned from Congress to become Minister to the United Kingdom. With Jackson's support, Polk ran for Speaker against fellow Tennessean John Bell, Calhoun disciple Richard Henry Wilde, and Joel Barlow Sutherland of Pennsylvania. After ten ballots, Bell, who had the support of many opponents of the administration, defeated Polk. Jackson called in political debts to try to get Polk elected Speaker at the start of the next Congress in December 1835, assuring Polk in a letter he meant

title: James K. Polk

text: lack of progress in negotiations, Polk ordered Trist to return to Washington, but the diplomat, when the notice of recall arrived in mid-November 1847, decided to remain, writing a lengthy letter to Polk the following month to justify his decision. Polk considered having Butler, designated as Scott's replacement, forcibly remove him from Mexico City. Though outraged by Trist's decision, Polk decided to allow him some time to negotiate a treaty. Throughout January 1848, Trist regularly met with officials in Mexico City, though at the request of the Mexicans, the treaty signing took place in Guadalupe Hidalgo, a small town near

title: James K. Polk

text: "foul plot" against Van Buren, and demanded assurances that Polk had played no part; it was only after Polk professed that he had remained loyal to Van Buren that Wright supported his campaign. Following the custom of the time that presidential candidates avoid electioneering or appearing to seek the office, Polk remained in Columbia and made no speeches. He engaged in an extensive correspondence with Democratic Party officials as he managed his campaign. Polk made his views known in his acceptance letter and through responses to questions sent by citizens that were printed in newspapers, often by arrangement. A potential

title: James K. Polk

text: two as Speaker, he announced that he would not seek re-election, choosing instead to run for Governor of Tennessee in the 1839 election. In 1835, the Democrats had lost the governorship of Tennessee for the first time in their history, and Polk decided to return home to help the party. Polk returned to a Tennessee afire for White and Whiggism; the state had changed greatly in its political loyalties since the days of Jacksonian domination. Polk undertook his first statewide campaign, against the Whig incumbent, Newton Cannon, who sought a third two-year term as governor. The fact that Polk was

title: James K. Polk

text: the one called upon to "redeem" Tennessee from the Whigs tacitly acknowledged him as head of the state Democratic Party. Polk campaigned on national issues, whereas Cannon stressed matters local to Tennessee. After being bested by Polk in the early debates, the governor retreated to Nashville, by then the state capital, alleging important official business. Polk made speeches across the state, seeking to become known more widely than in his native Middle Tennessee. When Cannon came back on the campaign trail in the final days, Polk pursued him, hastening the length of the state to be able to debate the

title: James K. Polk

text: lobbied on behalf of the treaty. On March 10, the Senate ratified the treaty in a 38–14 vote, on a vote that cut across partisan and geographic lines. The Senate made some modifications to the treaty before ratification, and Polk worried that the Mexican government would reject them. On June 7, Polk learned that Mexico had ratified the treaty. Polk declared the treaty in effect as of July 4, 1848, thus ending the war. With the acquisition of California, Polk had accomplished all four of his major presidential goals. With the exception of the territory acquired by the 1853 Gadsden

title: James K. Polk

text: year in Congress, but accompanied him to Washington beginning in December 1826; she assisted him with his correspondence, and came to hear James's speeches. Polk won re-election in 1827 and continued to oppose the Adams administration. He remained in close touch with Jackson, and when Jackson ran for president in 1828, Polk was a corresponding advisor on his campaign. Following Jackson's victory over Adams, Polk became one of the new President's most prominent and loyal supporters in the House. Working on Jackson's behalf, Polk successfully opposed federally-funded "internal improvements" such as a proposed Buffalo-to-New Orleans road, and he was pleased

title: James K. Polk

text: sign bills on March 3, 1849, the last day of the congressional session and his final full day in office, he feared that an internal improvements bill would pass Congress, and he brought with him a draft veto message. The bill did not pass, so it was not needed, but feeling the draft had been ably written, he had it preserved among his papers. Authoritative word of the discovery of gold in California did not arrive in Washington until after the 1848 election, by which time Polk was a lame duck. Polk's political adversaries had claimed California was too far

title: Leonidas Polk

text: Leonidas Polk Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a planter in Maury County, Tennessee,USA, and a second cousin of President James K. Polk. He was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana. He resigned his ecclesiastical position to become a major general in the Confederate army (called "Sewanee's Fighting Bishop"). His official portrait at the University depicts him dressed as a bishop with his army uniform hanging nearby. He is often erroneously named "Leonidas K. Polk". He had no middle name and never signed any documents as such. The errant "K" was derived from his listing

title: James K. Polk

text: were strong supporters of President Thomas Jefferson and opponents of the Federalist Party. Polk suffered from frail health as a child, a particular disadvantage in a frontier society. His father took him to see prominent Philadelphia physician Dr. Philip Syng Physick for urinary stones. The journey was broken off by James's severe pain, and Dr. Ephraim McDowell of Danville, Kentucky, operated to remove them. No anesthetic was available except brandy. The operation was successful, but it might have left James impotent or sterile, as he had no children. He recovered quickly, and became more robust. His father offered to bring

title: Elias Polk

text: meeting President Grover Cleveland. Elias Polk was born into slavery in 1806 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. His first owner, Samuel Polk, was a surveyor. Polk was given to James K. Polk by his father as a gift on his wedding to Sarah Childress in 1824, and he worked as a "body servant" and "coachman" in Columbia, Tennessee. After Polk was elected as the President of the United States in 1845, Polk and his other slaves joined him in the White House, where he lived and worked. However, he was sent to work for James H. Thomas from 1846 to

title: James K. Polk

text: him into one of his businesses, but he wanted an education and enrolled at a Presbyterian academy in 1813. He became a member of the Zion Church near his home in 1813, and enrolled in the Zion Church Academy. He then entered Bradley Academy in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, where he proved a promising student. In January 1816, Polk was admitted into the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a second-semester sophomore. The Polk family had connections with the university, then a small school of about 80 students; Samuel was its land agent in Tennessee and his cousin William Polk

title: James K. Polk

text: profits in Cuba (notably in sugar, molasses, rum and tobacco), and thus the Spanish government rejected Saunders's overtures. Though Polk was eager to acquire Cuba, he refused to support the filibuster expedition of Narciso López, who sought to invade and take over the island as a prelude to annexation. In his inaugural address, Polk called upon Congress to re-establish the Independent Treasury System under which government funds were held in the Treasury and not in banks or other financial institutions. President Van Buren had previously established a similar system, but it had been abolished during the Tyler administration. Polk made

title: James K. Polk

text: The matter was settled by Congress passing a compromise tariff. In December 1833, after being elected to a fifth consecutive term, Polk, with Jackson's backing, became the chairman of Ways and Means, a powerful position in the House. In that position, Polk supported Jackson's withdrawal of federal funds from the Second Bank. Polk's committee issued a report questioning the Second Bank's finances, and another supporting Jackson's actions against it. In April 1834, the Ways and Means Committee reported a bill to regulate state deposit banks, which, when passed, enabled Jackson to deposit funds in pet banks, and Polk got legislation

title: James K. Polk

text: reducing the rates that had been set by the Tariff of 1842. The reduction of tariffs in the United States and the repeal of the Corn Laws in Great Britain led to a boom in Anglo-American trade. Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Bill in 1846 to provide $500,000 to improve port facilities, but Polk vetoed it. Polk believed that the bill was unconstitutional because it unfairly favored particular areas, including ports that had no foreign trade. Polk considered internal improvements to be matters for the states, and feared that passing the bill would encourage legislators to compete for favors

title: James K. Polk

text: place until the passage of the Federal Reserve Act in 1913. Polk's other major domestic initiative was the lowering of the tariff. Polk directed Secretary of the Treasury Robert Walker to draft a new and lower tariff, which Polk submitted to Congress. After intense lobbying by both sides, the bill passed the House and, in a close vote that required Vice President Dallas to break a tie, the Senate in July 1846. Dallas, although from protectionist Pennsylvania, voted for the bill, having decided his best political prospects lay in supporting the administration. Polk signed the Walker Tariff into law, substantially

title: James K. Polk

text: generals. The news of Taylor's victory at Resaca de la Palma arrived then, and Polk decided to have Taylor take command in the field, and Scott to remain in Washington. Polk also ordered Commodore Conner to allow Santa Anna to return to Mexico from his exile in Havana, and sent an army expedition led by Stephen W. Kearny towards Santa Fe. In 1845, Polk, fearful of French or British intervention, had sent Lieutenant Archibald H. Gillespie to California with orders to foment a pro-American rebellion that could be used to justify annexation of the territory. After meeting with Gillespie, Army

title: James K. Polk

text: section of the country. Many Southerners backed Calhoun's candidacy, Westerners rallied around Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan, and former Vice President Johnson also maintained a strong following among Democrats. Jackson assured Van Buren by letter that Polk in his campaigns for governor had "fought the battle well and fought it alone". Polk hoped to gain Van Buren's support, hinting in a letter that a Van Buren/Polk ticket could carry Tennessee, but found him unconvinced. The biggest political issue in the United States at that time was territorial expansion. The Republic of Texas had successfully revolted against Mexico in 1836. With

title: James K. Polk

text: and Polk faced pressure to rescind the Specie Circular, Jackson's 1836 order that payment for government lands be in gold and silver. Some believed this had led to the crash by causing a lack of confidence in paper currency issued by banks. Despite such arguments, with support from Polk and his cabinet, Van Buren chose to back the Specie Circular. Polk and Van Buren attempted to establish an Independent Treasury system that would allow the government to oversee its own deposits (rather than using pet banks), but the bill was defeated in the House. It eventually passed in 1840. Using

title: James K. Polk

text: which earned him the nickname "Napoleon of the Stump." At the polls, where Polk provided alcoholic refreshments for his voters, he defeated incumbent William Yancey. Beginning in early 1822, Polk courted Sarah Childress—they were engaged the following year and married on January 1, 1824 in Murfreesboro. Educated far better than most women of her time, especially in frontier Tennessee, Sarah Polk was from one of the state's most prominent families. During James's political career Sarah assisted her husband with his speeches, gave him advice on policy matters, and played an active role in his campaigns. Rawley noted that Sarah Polk's

title: James K. Polk

text: satisfactory overseer, John Mairs, who remained the rest of Polk's life and was still working at the plantation for Sarah Polk in 1860, when the widow sold a half-share in many of her slaves. There had been a constant stream of runaways under Mairs' predecessors, many seeking protection at the plantation of Polk relatives or friends; only one ran away between the time of Mairs' hiring and the end of 1847, but the overseer had to report three absconded slaves (including the one who had fled earlier) to Polk in 1848 and 1849. Polk's will, dated February 28, 1849, a

title: James K. Polk

text: previously owned and had sold for being a disruption, and his wife and child. None of the other slaves Polk purchased as President, all younger than 20, came with a parent, and as only in the one case were two slaves bought together, most likely none had an accompanying sibling as each faced life on Polk's plantation. Discipline for those owned by Polk varied over time. At the Tennessee plantation, he employed an overseer named Herbert Biles, who was said to be relatively indulgent. Biles's illness in 1833 resulted in Polk replacing him with Ephraim Beanland, who tightened discipline and

title: James K. Polk

text: northeast Mexico, Taylor defeated a Mexican army led by Ampudia in the September 1846 Battle of Monterrey, but allowed Ampudia's forces to withdraw from the town, much to Polk's consternation. Polk believed Taylor had not aggressively pursued the enemy, and reluctantly offered command of the Veracruz expedition to Scott. The lack of trust Polk had in Taylor was returned by the Whig general, who feared the partisan president was trying to destroy him. Accordingly, Taylor disobeyed orders to remain near Monterrey. In March 1847, Polk learned that Taylor had continued to march south, capturing the northern Mexican town of Saltillo.

title: James K. Polk

text: in three years, Polk faced an uncertain political future. Despite his loss, Polk was determined to become the next Vice President of the United States, seeing it as a path to the presidency. Van Buren was the frontrunner for the 1844 Democratic nomination, and Polk engaged in a careful campaign to become his running mate. The former president faced opposition from Southerners who feared his views on slavery, while his handling of the Panic of 1837—he had refused to rescind the Specie Circular—aroused opposition from some in the West (today's Midwest) who believed his hard money policies had hurt their

title: James K. Polk

text: Tennessee, and Jones's support of distribution to the states of surplus federal revenues, and of a national bank, struck a chord with Tennessee voters. On election day in August 1841, Polk was defeated by 3,000 votes, the first time he had been beaten at the polls. Polk returned to Columbia and the practice of law, and prepared for a rematch against Jones in 1843, but though the new governor took less of a joking tone, it made little difference to the outcome, as Polk was beaten again, this time by 3,833 votes. In the wake of his second statewide defeat

title: James K. Polk

text: governor again. On Election Day, August 1, 1839, Polk defeated Cannon, 54,102 to 51,396, as the Democrats recaptured the state legislature and won back three congressional seats in Tennessee. Tennessee's governor had limited power—there was no gubernatorial veto, and the small size of the state government limited any political patronage. But Polk saw the office as a springboard for his national ambitions, seeking to be nominated as Van Buren's vice presidential running mate at the 1840 Democratic National Convention in Baltimore in May. Polk hoped to be the replacement if Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson was dumped from the ticket;

title: James K. Polk

text: his thorough grasp of the House's rules, Polk attempted to bring greater order to its proceedings. Unlike many of his peers, he never challenged anyone to a duel no matter how much they insulted his honor. The economic downturn cost the Democrats seats, so that when he faced re-election as Speaker in December 1837, he won by only 13 votes, and he foresaw defeat in 1839. Polk by then had presidential ambitions, but was well aware that no Speaker had ever become president (Polk is still the only one to have held both offices). After seven terms in the House,

title: James K. Polk

text: him to burn that New England would support him for Speaker. They were successful; Polk defeated Bell to take the Speakership. According to Thomas M. Leonard in his book on Polk, "by 1836, while serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Polk approached the zenith of his congressional career. He was at the center of Jacksonian Democracy on the House floor, and, with the help of his wife, he ingratiated himself into Washington's social circles." The prestige of the Speakership caused them to abandon life in a Washington boarding house for their own residence on Pennsylvania Avenue. In the

title: James K. Polk

text: was a trustee. Polk's roommate was William Dunn Moseley, who became the first Governor of Florida. Polk joined the Dialectic Society where he took part in debates, became its president, and learned the art of oratory. In one address, he warned that some American leaders were flirting with monarchical ideals, singling out Alexander Hamilton, a foe of Jefferson. Polk graduated with honors in May 1818. After graduation, Polk returned to Nashville, Tennessee to study law under renowned trial attorney Felix Grundy, who became his first mentor. On September 20, 1819, he was elected clerk of the Tennessee State Senate, which