Early life and career

James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. He was the eldest child of Samuel and Jane Knox Polk. At age 11 he moved with his family to Tennessee, where his father operated a successful farm. As a boy James was not schooled formally because of his poor health. He was eager to learn, however, and in 1815 he was admitted to the University of North Carolina as a sophomore. He graduated in 1818 as a scholar in both mathematics and the classics.

After graduation Polk returned to Tennessee and studied law for two years. In 1820 he started a successful practice in Columbia, Tennessee. Four years later he married Sarah Childress, the daughter of a wealthy farmer. They had no children.

State and national politics

Polk's skill as a speaker led him naturally into politics. A Democrat, he was elected to the Tennessee legislature in 1823. Two years later he entered the United States House of Representatives, where he served 14 years. For four of those years Polk was speaker of the House. After every session of Congress he returned to Columbia to practice law.

In 1839 Polk was elected governor of Tennessee. He failed to win reelection in 1841 and again in 1843. After these defeats he decided to return to Washington.

Surprising nomination

To reward Polk for his service to the party, the Democrats planned to nominate him for the vice presidency in 1844. Former president Martin Van Buren was expected to be named the presidential candidate. At the Democratic National Convention, however, a bitter dispute arose over the presidential nomination. The Democrats eventually selected Polk as a compromise candidate. His opponent was Henry Clay of the Whig party.

Polk was well known to other politicians but not among the public. During the campaign the Whigs taunted the Democrats with the cry “Who is James K. Polk?” Nevertheless, Polk defeated Clay in a close election. He took office in 1845 at the age of 49, becoming the youngest president up to that time.

Presidency

The Polk Administration was marked by large territorial gains for the United States. During his campaign Polk had called for the annexation of both Texas and Oregon. As president he followed through on both counts.

Oregon was the subject of a boundary dispute between the United States and Great Britain. The Democratic slogan during the presidential campaign had been “Fifty-four Forty or Fight!” This meant that the United States should receive the whole Oregon Territory as far north as 54 degrees 40 minutes latitude (54° 40'). Polk, however, knew that neither nation had a valid claim to the entire territory. He proposed a compromise boundary at the 49th parallel. When the British minister refused, Polk then claimed the whole territory. Although some of Polk's advisers protested that this might lead to war with Britain, he stood firm. Britain then accepted Polk's first offer, and in 1846 the boundary was set at the 49th parallel.

The admission of Texas to the United States in 1845 caused a boundary war with Mexico. The United States easily defeated Mexico in the conflict of 1846–48, which is known as the Mexican War. The treaty that ended the war gave Mexico's northern provinces of California and New Mexico to the United States. These provinces included parts of the present states of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Another achievement of the Polk Administration was the passage of an 1846 bill that lowered taxes on imports. This law was the nation's first real step toward free trade. In the same year Polk established the national treasury.

Retirement

During Polk's term, the office of the president was more accessible than it is today. Along with his official duties, Polk spent much time dealing with people seeking political office. He found the presidency exhausting and chose not to seek reelection. At the end of his term in 1849, Polk retired to his Nashville home. He died three months later, on June 15, 1849.