James K. Polk

**James Knox Polk** (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States and served served only one term. He had earlier served as Speaker of the House of Representatives (1835–1839) and as governor of Tennessee (1839–1841).

## Early life

James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795 in Pineville, North Carolina. His parents were Samuel Polk and Jane Gracey Polk. James’s father was an American surveyor, slave owner, planter, and businessman. It is unknown what his mother did, but she is thought to have been a housewife.

James was very sickly as a child and so he did not do much farm work. He had surgery at 17 old to remove bladder stones. Since anesthesics had not been invented, he was awake the entire surgery.

He went to the University of North Carolina from 1816 to 1818 and attended a debate club in college.

Polk studied law under a leading lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee, and then worked as a lawyer and a statesman. He married Sarah Childress on January 1, 1824. They had no children together but fostered relatives.

## Presidency

The Democratic Party chose Polk as its candidate for the 11th president of the United States in May 1844. He won the election in November and started his term on Tuesday, March 4, 1845. Polk's vice president was George M. Dallas.

During Polk’s four years in office, he did much of what he wanted. He restarted the Independent Treasury System, a way for the U.S. to manage its money, after President Martin Van Buren ended it. He also reduced the tariffs, which are taxes on items that are imported to the U.S. from other countries.

Polk most importantly added more land to the U.S. He got much of the Oregon Country by making an agreement with Britain to divide the disputed territory. He also let Texas join the United States. That angered the government of Mexico, from which Texas had separated during the Texas Revolution, and was causes of the Mexican–American War. The U.S. won the war and so Polk got even more land from Mexico. He succeeded at the four most important things that he wanted to do during his presidency. Polk was not perfect, however.

The new land worsened the countrys argument about slavery. That was one of the causes of the American Civil War.

## Later life and death

Polk became a private citizen at the end of his four years in office. He and his wife decided to move to their Nashville home because they wanted to retire and live a quiet life. Instead of directly returning to Tennessee, the Polks decided to tour the South.

Along the way, he gave many speeches to the public. Within two weeks, James’s health suffered from the strains of travel. As the trip continued, the Polks were often forced to stop along the way to allow James to rest. That did not help.

After arriving at their Nashville home, James again fell ill and complained of horrible stomach pains. This time, he had a serious disease, cholera. At the age of 53, he died on June 15, 1849. On his deathbed, he asked Sarah to free their slaves when she died. Sarah lived 42 more years, and the Civil War freed their slaves long before she died.

He was first buried at the Nashville City Cemetery then moved to his Nashville home but was later moved to the Tennessee State Capitol after his Nashville home was later sold. He had the shortest retirement of any president by dying only three months after he left office.

## Other websites

- Polk's White House biography

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **birthname**: James Knox Polk
- **image**: James Polk restored (cropped) (2).jpg
- **caption**: Portrait,
- **office**: List of Presidents of the United States, 11th President of the United States
- **vicepresident**: George M. Dallas, George Dallas
- **term start**: March 4, 1845
- **term end**: March 4, 1849
- **predecessor**: John Tyler
- **successor**: Zachary Taylor
- **order2**: 9th
- **office2**: Governor of Tennessee
- **term start2**: October 14, 1839
- **term end2**: October 15, 1841
- **predecessor2**: Newton Cannon
- **successor2**: James C. Jones, James Jones
- **order3**: List of Speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 17th
- **office3**: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
- **president3**: Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
- **term start3**: December 7, 1835
- **term end3**: March 4, 1839
- **predecessor3**: John Bell (Tennessee politician), John Bell
- **successor3**: Robert M. T. Hunter, Robert Hunter
- **state4**: Tennessee
- **district4**: Tennessee's 9th congressional district, 9th
- **term start4**: March 4, 1833
- **term end4**: March 4, 1839
- **predecessor4**: William Fitzgerald (Tennessee politician), William Fitzgerald
- **successor4**: Harvey Magee Watterson, Harvey Watterson
- **state5**: Tennessee
- **district5**: Tennessee's 6th congressional district, 6th
- **term start5**: March 4, 1825
- **term end5**: March 4, 1833
- **predecessor5**: John Alexander Cocke, John Cocke
- **successor5**: Balie Peyton
- **birth place**: Pineville, North Carolina, U.S.
- **death place**: Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
- **restingplace**: Tennessee State Capitol
Nashville, Tennessee
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic
- **spouse**: Sarah Childress Polk, Sarah Childress
- **alma mater**: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- **profession**: Lawyer
Plantations in the American South, Planter
- **signature**: James K Polk Signature.svg
- **signature alt**: Cursive signature in ink
- **caption**: Portrait c. 1849