Who is James Polk | President James K. Polk, 11th American President

James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 - June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. Polk was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, but mostly lived in and represented the state of Tennessee. A Democrat, Polk served as Speaker of the House (1835-1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839-1841) prior to becoming president.

A firm supporter of Andrew Jackson and his beliefs, Polk was the last "strong" pre-American Civil War president. Polk is noted for his foreign policy successes. He threatened war with Britain then backed away and split the ownership of the Northwest with Britain. He is even more famous for leading the successful Mexican-American War. He lowered the tariff and established a treasury system that lasted until 1913. A "dark horse" candidate in 1844, he was the first president who retired after one term and did not seek re-election. He died three months after his term ended.

As a Democrat committed to geographic expansion (or "Manifest Destiny"), he overrode Whig objections and was responsible for the largest expansion of the nation's territory. It exceeded the Louisiana Purchase. Polk secured the Oregon Territory (including Washington, Oregon and Idaho), then purchased 1.2 million square miles (3.1 million km²) through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo that ended the Mexican-American War. In the end, Polk completed the acquisition of most of the current contiguous 48 states.

The expansion re-opened a furious debate over allowing slavery in the new territories. The controversy was inadequately arbitrated by the Compromise of 1850, and only found its ultimate resolution on the battlefields of the U. S. Civil War. Polk signed the Walker Tariff that brought an era of near free trade to the country until 1861. He oversaw the opening of the U.S. Naval Academy and the Smithsonian, the groundbreaking for the Washington Monument, and the issuance of the first postage stamps in the United States, introduced by his Postmaster General Cave Johnson. He was the first President of the United States to be photographed frequently while in office. Scholars have ranked him 8th to 12th on the list of greatest presidents for his ability to set an agenda and achieve all of it. See, James K.Polk.

• James K. Polk: A Resource Guide, from the Library of Congress
• Extensive essay on James K. Polk and shorter essays on each member of his cabinet and First Lady from the Miller Center of Public Affairs
• Inaugural Address of James K. Polk.
• Biography of James K. Polk. The White House (Official Site).
• First State of the Union Address (1845).
• Second State of the Union Address (1846).
• Third State of the Union Address (1847).
• Fourth State of the Union Address (1848).
• POTUS - James Knox Polk
• Works by James K. Polk at Project Gutenberg
• Obituary of President Polk in The Liberator (June 22, 1849)
• Smithsonian's "Establishing Borders: The Expansion of the United States, 1846-48" with essay and lesson plans

... you'll automatically be making a donation to Save The Children, working to solve global poverty. As a matter of fact, all of our lenses donate to Save The Children or The Acumen Fund.

Doesn't that feel good?

We Squidoo for charity! One of the coolest things about Squidoo is the opportunity provided for lensmasters designate all or part of their proceeds to charity. Consider creating a lens today for a charitable cause.

Tri City Wa Real Estate | Washington Real Estate News

Some of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. All original work, design, and imagery is Copyright© 2007-2012 The Lane Real Estate Team.

Recycling | World Vision | Flipping Real Estate | Jesus Christ Images | Carrie Underwood | Lizzie Stanton | Olevia 747i LCD HDTV | Muhammad Ali | Best Real Estate Websites | Greatest Real Estate Agent In The World | Real Estate Closing | Hillary Duff | Shih Huang Ti | Ford Mustang | Herbert Hoover | Bible Study Fellowship | Aaliyah | How To Hire A Woman | Save The Children | Christmas Forums | Mike Huckabee | Buy Wii Online | Maria Sharapova | Weirdest Photo Ever | Acumen Fund | Evel Knievel | Mother Teresa | Squid Angel | Michael Jordan | Traffic From Image Searches | Free Squidoo Images | Squidoo How-To Reference | Squidoo Lens Candy | How To Prt Scr | Michael Jordan | Maria Sharapova PowerShot Videos

• Totally Awesome Tee-Shirts ~ Tee Shirts, Cafe Press, etc.
• Everything Photography ~ Anything Photo & Image Related
• Freebies ~ Yup, All Those Freebie & Savings Lenses
• For The Good Of Squidoo ~ Charities, Lenses Supporting Good Things, & Involved Lensmasters
• Dance Group ~ Anything Dance Related
• TV Game Shows & Competitions ~ Self Explanatory
• Squidoo Everything How To ~ How-To & Educating Lenses
• About Anyone Group ~ SquidWho, Biographies, Lensographies, etc.
• Books, Magazines, & Anything Else Read ~ Anything Read!
• Duels, Dueling, Debates, & MonkeyBrain Arguments ~ Self Explanatory!
• Everything Green & Environment ~ Recycling, Going Green, Saving Stuff, etc.
• Home, Garden, & Anything Housing ~ Self Explanatory!
• Humor, Jokes, Comics, Fun, & Goofyness! ~ The Funny Stuff!
• Pop Culture & Celebrities ~ Current Events, People, and Places
• Everything Religious & Spiritual ~ Anything Spiritually Related
• Squidoo Lens Tips & Tricks ~ Squidoo Lensmastering
• Work At Home Group ~ Working From Home, The Self Employed, and Affiliates
• Everything Christian ~ The God Of The Bible Group