Submitted by ke4ktza on Fri, 03/20/2009 - 21:18
James Knox Polk
11th President of the United States
(March 4, 1845 to March 3, 1849)
Nickname: "Young Hickory"
Born: November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Died: June 15, 1849, in Nashville, Tennessee
Father: Samuel Polk
Mother: Jane Knox Polk
Married: Sarah Childress (1803-1891), on January 1, 1824
Children: None
Religion: Presbyterian
Education: Graduated from the University of North Carolina (1818)
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Democrat
Other Government Positions:
- Member of Tennessee House of Representatives, 1823-25
- Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1825-39
- Speaker of the House, 1835-39
- Governor of Tennessee, 1839-41
Presidential Salary: $25,000/year
Vice President: George M. Dallas (1845-1849)
Cabinet:
- Secretary of State
- James Buchanan (1845-1849)
- Secretary of the Treasury
- Robert J. Walker (1845-1849)
- Secretary of War
- William L. Marcy (1845-1849)
- Attorney General
- John Y. Mason (1845-46)
- Nathan Clifford (1846-48)
- Isaac Toucey (1848-49)
- Postmaster General
- Cave Johnson (1845-1849)
- Secretary of the Navy
- George Bancroft (1845-46)
- John Y. Mason (1846-49)
- 1846
- A large crack in the Liberty Bell proves too large to permit the bell to be rung any more.
- Dispute with Britain over the Oregon Territory settled. Both nations get a part of the territory.
- 1848
- Treaty of 1848 with Mexico gave the U.S. control over California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and parts of Colorado and Wyoming.
- Gold discovered in California in December.
- A week before he died, Polk was baptized a Methodist.
- Gaslights were installed in the White House while Polk was a resident.
- Polk survived a gallstone operation at age 17 without anethesia or antiseptics. Those medical practices were not used at the time.
- The first annual White House Thanksgiving dinner was hosted by Sarah Polk.
- Sarah Polk was a devout Presbyterian. She banned dancing, card-playing and alcoholic beverages in the White House.
- News of Polk's nomination was widely disseminated using the telegraph. The first time his had been done.
Biographies: