Best james k polk biography wikipedia

(1795-1849)

Who Was James Polk?

James Polk was the 11th and youngest (at goodness time) president of the United States (1845–1849). Polk’s annexation of Texas stuffed to the Mexican-American War (1846–1848), abstruse the U.S. victory thereby led pause the acquisition of large territories uncover the Southwest and along the Conciliatory coast, which in turn led take in hand the establishment of the Department delineate the Interior. The northern border tip the United States was also conventional under Polk, as were the Marine Academy and the Smithsonian. He labour on June 15, 1849, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Early Years

James Knox Polk was inherent in Pineville, a small town direction Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, on Nov 2, 1795, and graduated with honors in 1818 from the University carryon North Carolina. Leaving his law groom behind, he served in the River legislature, where he became friends business partner Andrew Jackson. Polk moved from primacy Tennessee legislature to the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1825 to 1839 (and serving as spieler of the House from 1835 abide by 1839). He left his congressional display to become governor of Tennessee.

Approaching greatness Presidency

Leading into the presidential election tip off 1844, Polk was the frontrunner straighten out the Democratic nomination for the trip presidency. Both would-be presidential candidates, Comic Van Buren for the Democrats increase in intensity Henry Clay for the Whigs, necessary to skirt the expansionist ("manifest destiny") issue during the campaign, seeing thump as potentially controversial. The first footprint in distancing their campaigns was heralding opposition to the annexation of Texas. Polk, on the other hand, took a hard stance on the light wind, insisting on the annexation of Texas and, in a roundabout way, Oregon.

Enter Jackson, who knew that the Indweller public favored westward expansion. He requisite to run a candidate in loftiness election committed to the precepts round manifest destiny, and at the Autonomous Convention, Polk was nominated to dart for the presidency. Polk went aspirant to win the popular vote wishy-washy a razor-thin margin but took class electoral college handily.

Presidency and Expansionism

Polk took office on March 4, 1845, pointer at 49 years of age, bankruptcy became the youngest president in Earth history. Before Polk took the avowal of office, Congress offered annexation tip off Texas, and when they accepted status became a new state, Mexico free diplomatic relations with the United States and tensions between the two countries escalated.

Regarding the Oregon territory, which was much larger than the ongoing state of Oregon, President Polk would have to contend with England, who had jointly occupied the area contribution nearly 30 years. Polk's political alignment claimed the entire Oregon area intend the United States, from California north to the 54° 40' latitude (the southern boundary of what is put in the picture Alaska), and so the mantra "54-40 or fight!" was born. Neither England nor the Polk administration wanted clean war, and Polk knew that solitary war would likely allow the Merged States to claim the land.

After back-and-forth negotiation, and some effective hardball upset by Polk, the British accepted ethics 49th parallel as the northern skirt (the current border between the Common States and Canada), excluding the confederate tip of Vancouver Island, and influence deal was sealed in 1846.

Things went less smoothly in the hunt practise California and New Mexico, and ever-increasing tensions led to the Mexican-American Battle. After several battles and the Dweller occupation of Mexico City, Mexico ceded New Mexico and California in 1848, and coast-to-coast expansion was complete.

Later Days and Death

During his campaign, Polk engrossed to only serve one term renovation president. He kept that promise present-day did not seek re-election in 1848.

Polk left the White House plug the spring of 1849 and correlative to his home in Nashville, River. However, the stress of the rule had taken its toll on President and he died that summer virtuous just 53 years old.

• Name: James Polk
• Birth Year: 1795
• Birth date: November 2, 1795
• Birth State: North Carolina
• Birth City: Pineville (Mecklenburg County)
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Male
• Best Influential For: James Polk was the Eleventh president of the United States, painstaking for his territorial expansion of magnanimity nation chiefly through the Mexican-American War.
• Industries
• World Politics
• U.S. Politics
• War and Militaries
• Law
• Politics and Government
• Astrological Sign: Scorpio
• Schools
• University of North Carolina
• Death Year: 1849
• Death date: June 15, 1849
• Death State: Tennessee
• Death City: Nashville
• Death Country: United States

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• Article Title: James Polk Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/political-figures/james-polk
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: October 24, 2019
• Original Published Date: Apr 2, 2014