The people have spoken:
In our "Obscure Presidents" poll you democratically elected James K. Polk as the President you wanted to know more about!

Enjoy this Polk THREAD!

#POTUS

James Knox Polk
- Born November 2nd, 1795 in Pineville, North Carolina
- Moved to Tennessee when he was ~10 years old
- Shortly before his seventeenth birthday he needed surgery for stones in his bladder - this possibly left him sterile and thus, he never had children
#POTUS

James K. Polk's father Samuel Polk refused to affirm his faith in Jesus so the pastor refused to baptize baby James.

While Polk didn't say a lot about faith in his writings or during his Presidency, he was, however, baptized shortly before his death in 1849.
#POTUS

The Polks were hardcore Jeffersonian Republicans , which definitely influenced James K. Polk's personal politics and future policies during his Presidency
#POTUS

Despite not starting a formal education until he was 17 years old, James K. Polk graduated from the University of North Carolina (1818) with honors, delivering a commencement speech in Latin as valedictorian of his class.
#POTUS
@UNC
#TarHeels

James K. Polk the Lawyer
- passed the Tennessee bar in 1820
- his first case involved defending his own father against a public fighting charge (he secured a dismissal with a fine for $1)

James K. Polk & Sarah Childress
- Married 1824
- allegedly set up by his mentor Andrew Jackson
- after his death in 1849, Sarah Polk lived another 42 years, making her the longest widowed First Lady of all time
#POTUS
#FLOTUS

Political Résumé
- 7x Member of the House of Representatives (Tennessee, 1825-39)
- Speaker of the House (two terms,1835–1839)
- Only President to have been the Speaker of the House
- Governor of Tennessee (1839-41)
(One of 16 Presidents who was a state Governor)
#POTUS

President Polk
1844 Election poster
James K. Polk and running mate George Dallas.
This style of campaign poster would eventually become the standard for campaign posters.
#POTUS

PRESIDENT POLK
- Defeated Whig Henry Clay
- 1st President under the age of 50
- promised if elected he would only serve one term

CAMPAIGN GOALS:
- Promoted America’s westward expansion (Texas annexation & acquisition of the Oregon Territory).
AKA: "Manifest Destiny"
#POTUS

The oldest photograph of the White House was taken during James K. Polk's presidency by John Plumbe in 1846.
#POTUS

The use of postage stamps were authorized by Postmaster General Cave Johnson during the James K. Polk presidency.

Previous resistance to stamps had its roots in England's "Stamp Act" which helped drive the colonies to start the American Revolution.
#POTUS

James K. Polk was a notorious workaholic.
He often worked 12 hour days, rarely delegating anything to anyone else - except social responsibilities.
Those he delegated to his wife, First Lady Sarah Polk.
#POTUS
#FLOTUS

James K. Polk's annexation of Texas led to the unpopular "Mexican War"
- it was opposed by congressmen (former President) John Quincy Adams & Abraham Lincoln
- Zachary Taylor served during the war with Ulysses S. Grant serving under him
#POTUS

PRESIDENT POLK
- Est. the Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland
(: USS James K. Polk)
- Oversaw the opening of the Smithsonian Institution
- Oversaw groundbreaking for the Washington Monument
#POTUS
@smithsonian
@USNavy @USNHistory @NavalAcademy

PRESIDENT POLK
It's argued that Polk achieved every single one of his campaign goals, including:
- Manifest Destiny
- Lower tariffs
- Establish an independent federal Treasury, so as not to rely on private institutions (was replaced by the Federal Reserve Act (1913))
#POTUS

"Polk exercised the powers of the Presidency...as they should be exercised: He knew exactly what he wanted to do in a specified period of time and he did it, and when he got through with it, he went home."
- Harry Truman
#POTUS

Polk died at "Polk Place" of cholera on June 15th 1849 (Nashville, TN) - 3 months after leaving office.

Because of the cholera he was buried for a year in a mass grave in the Nashville City Cemetery, adhering to laws made to prevent diseases spreading from corpses.
#POTUS

James K. Polk's current burial site is at the Tennessee State Capitol (Nashville).

Why "current?" Because there is currently a legal battle around moving his and Sarah's bodies to his home and museum in Columbia, TN.
#POTUS