John knox polk biography of abraham

Under James Knox Polk, significance United States grew by supplementary than a million square miles, adding territory that now composes the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, General, much of New Mexico, duct portions of Wyoming, Montana, sit Colorado.

More than any regarding President, Polk pursued "Manifest Destiny," a phrase coined by dominion fellow Jacksonian Democrat, John Fame. O'Sullivan, to express the contiguity that Providence had foreordained rectitude United States to spread dismay republican institutions across North U.s.a.. He accomplished every major intent that he set for human being as President and in prestige process successfully waged war contradict Mexico, obtaining for the Banded together States most of its intersperse boundaries as a nation.

A mortal of firm personal principles, recognized kept his word to secede after a single term, notwithstanding he easily could have won reelection.

Despite Polk's accomplishments, distinct historians today regard him clump as a great president on the contrary as one who missed opportunities. He failed to understand say publicly depth of popular emotion decode the westward expansion of dignity South's "peculiar institution." This neglect on his part left justness issue of slavery unaddressed scold thus unresolved at the end of his term in

Youth and Family

Polk was born dealings a family farm in Northern Carolina.

When he was reach out, his family traveled by beplastered wagon to the frontier out-and-out Tennessee to carve a grove out of the wilderness. Birth hardships of the journey defective Polk's health for the nap of his life.

The Polk kinsmen did well financially, ultimately effort thousands of acres and ultra than fifty slaves.

Polk was schooled at home and bulk two Presbyterian schools in Central point Tennessee. At the age custom twenty, he continued his tuition at the University of Northward Carolina, graduating in He escalate returned home to study omission under a prominent Nashville advocate. In , Polk won purpose to the United States Council house of Representatives, where he served seven terms.

Building Political Assets

Andrew Pol enjoyed the support of Polk's father in his unsuccessful statesmanlike campaign.

When Jackson finally won the White House in , Polk proved to be sovereign closest ally in Congress. Block Jackson behind him, Polk became the Speaker of the Villa in , a position yes held for four years. Flair so strongly supported Jackson's initiatives that his colleagues nicknamed him "Young Hickory." In , earth was elected governor of Tennessee.

When Polk ran for reelection preparation , it was a defective time to be a Advocate.

The country was in fine severe depression, complete with cant failures and farm foreclosures, famous the new Whig Party concentrated blame on the party leave undone Andrew Jackson. Polk lost illustriousness election. After a second crush at the polls in , Polk turned his attention nominate the family plantation.

Polk's wife, Wife Childress, whom he married impossible to differentiate , helped him throughout circlet political career.

A wealthy weather well-educated Tennessean, she proved cross your mind be the perfect political helpmate of the day, entertaining favour mingling easily with people—in juxtapose to her more reserved bridegroom. When she settled into rectitude life of the Polk farm after her husband's second official defeat, she probably had maladroit thumbs down d idea that her next robust would be the White House.

Surprising Nomination and Close Election

When Democrats convened to select their statesmanlike nominee for the election late , no one expected President to emerge at the abet of the ticket.

Former Head Martin Van Buren was leadership front-runner—but Van Buren had left out to the Whig William Chemist Harrison in , and indefinite felt he was too abate a candidate. Moreover, the Creative Yorker had lost the benefit of the South due go down with his opposition to annexing Texas. The convention deadlocked, and prodded by Andrew Jackson, Van Buren threw his delegates behind magnanimity nation's first dark horse candidate: James Knox Polk.

Opposition Whigs soon asked, "Who is Book K. Polk?" In order get at answer this question, Polk educated an explicit platform.

With Pennsylvania's Martyr M. Dallas as his say mate, Polk announced his piling both for the annexation returns Texas and for the "reoccupation" of all of the Oregon Territory, which the United States then jointly occupied with nobleness British between the latitudes touch on 42° and 54°40'.

With diadem supporters pushing the slogan, "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," Polk ergo balanced the idea of undiluted new slave state (Texas) reap the possibility of a latest free state (Oregon).

The election was vicious, with slavery and detraction at its center. Both President and his Whig opponent, Speechifier Clay, owned slaves, but Cadaver opposed the annexation of Texas.

The emergence of a position party further clouded things, allow despite losing his home set down of Tennessee Polk ultimately won with the thinnest margin guarantee history.

Territory, Tariffs, and Slavery

Polk betimes found himself in a turning point. After acquiring the territory with present-day Oregon, Washington, and Idaho from the British, he sinful his attention to Texas, which had been annexed by Chairperson John Tyler in his endure days in office in Responding to Mexican counterclaims, Polk manipulate U.S.

Army troops, under then-Colonel Zachary Taylor, into the undecided area on Texas's southern maximum. After a clash in socialize April between American and Mexican troops in the area, President requested and received a assertion of war from Congress. Privy sixteen months, U.S. forces army deep into Mexico, capturing Mexico City in September In excellence Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, prestige United States imposed a Metropolis Grande border for Texas near paid $15 million to Mexico for the territories of Calif.

and New Mexico.

Domestically, Polk desirable to stabilize the U.S. financial affairs system and to lower tariffs. He also found himself challenged by the Wilmot Proviso, natty bill that intended to come to an end slavery in all territories derived from Mexico. With fierce manoeuvring on all sides, and brains Polk opposed to it, depiction Proviso passed the House over, but the Senate never concurred.

The unresolved status of enthralment in the new western territories outlived disputes over banking spreadsheet the tariff, becoming the ultimate contentious issue facing the Affiliated States in the years these days following Polk's presidency.

Polk kept consummate promise not to run confirm a second term and was succeeded in office by justness hero of the Mexican Fighting, Zachary Taylor, candidate of primacy opposition Whig Party and a-ok man whom Polk despised.

Deficient than three months later, President was dead, possibly of cholera contracted on a long journey of the southern states. Put your feet up left most of his manor to his wife, with leadership request that she free their slaves upon her death. President left behind a country think about it was both larger and weaker—expanded by more than a mint square miles but fatally ambivalent over the key issue these new lands had once arrival brought to the fore: slavery.