James_Knox_Polk

Short Paper “James Knox Polk” name here Student ID # Professor XXXX HIST101 American History to 1877 March 06, 2011 In 1844, a young lawyer born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, challenged the well-known Presidential Whig candidate Henry Clay. Under the Democratic ticket and with the promise to actively encourage the United States westward expansion, the election of 1844 gave birth to our youngest president (at that time), and the last strong President until the Civil War. Acting as the eleventh President of the United States, James Knox Polk expanded our boarders to the Pacific Ocean, joined three new States to the Union, and lowered taxes and numerous other recognizable achievements. The son of a farmer and surveyor, James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795. At the age of ten, he and his family moved across the Appalachian Mountains to the Tennessee frontier. Learning the resourcefulness and work ethic of the frontiersmen, but lacking the physical stamina, James Polk pursued his education with enthusiasm. He attended formal schooling in Tennessee for two and a half years and then transferred to the University of North Carolina, where he graduated with top honors in mathematics. During his college studies, James Polk developed an interest in law and government. After graduation, he returned to Tennessee to begin legal training under the renowned trial attorney Felix Grundy. James Polk’s ambition and diligent work ethic under Mr. Grundy quickly paid off and he opened his own legal practice in Columbus, Tennessee. Pleased with his successful life, and his desire to excel, James Polk focused his sights on politics. At the age of twenty-seven, James Polk became a Tennessee Legislature. Then at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected to the United States Congress. He served fourteen years as a Congressman, and during this period, he served two terms as Speaker of the House. James Polk kept close political interest in Tennessee Politics, so he ended his career in Congress to return home to Tennessee. He successfully ran for Tennessee Governor, but failed to be re-elected twice. Despite James Polk’s failure to be re-elected as Governor of Tennessee, Delegates of the Democratic Convention viewed him as an excellent candidate for Vice President. Fortunately for James Polk, the Presidential contenders for the Democratic Party in 1844 failed to meet the public’s expectations. Therefore, under the urging of Andrew Jackson, James Polk was nominated by the Democratic Party, as the Presidential Candidate for the 1844 election. In James Polk campaign, he focused on expansion of the United States. To win support from the South, he supported the annexation of Texas, and to win support from the North, he favored the acquisition of the Oregon territory and California. To battle James Polk’s successful campaign strategy, the Whigs in Congress passed a resolution that offered annexation to Texas. The Whigs also argued that the acquisition of Oregon would cause another war with Great Britain. Once James Polk was elected to President, he aggressively pursued his campaign promises of extending United States to the Pacific Ocean. His aggressive negotiations with Great Britain and threat to wage war to obtain the Oregon territory that reached from California to Alaska yielded a compromise of all land below the 49th parallel without a single shot fired. His aggressiveness wasn’t as successful with Mexico. Instead his tactics resulted in a two year war with Mexico, which ended in American troops in Mexico City and rewarded the United States California and the New Mexico territory. Unfortunately, the United States had to pay fifteen million dollars and the assumption of all damages. James Polk’s success in building the United States to a country that spanned coast to coast began a bitter argument between the North and South. The conflicted that was raised was the expansion of slavery into the new territories. This dispute raised tensions in the country and could be attributed to the beginning of the Civil War. James Knox Polk was a man of his word, he held true to many of his campaign promises, such as only serving one term, working with his administration to successfully lowered tariffs, and expansion of the United States. His actions were a true testament to his character and the character of the United States. Unfortunately for the United States and its people it represents, James Polk died soon after he left office in June of 1849; becoming the youngest President to die outside of assassinated. Bibliography "James Knox Polk." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (July 2010): 1. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 5, 2011). "James Knox Polk (1845-49)." World Almanac & Book of Facts (January 2008): 519. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 5, 2011). Shattan, Joseph. "One-term wonder." American Spectator 29, no. 10 (October 1996): 32. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 5, 2011). “James K. Polk.” The White House. Web (accessed March 5, 2011) .