James Knox Polk

1. James Knox Polk ~ 11th President ~ 1845-1849 ~ Democrat http://millercenter.org/president/polk

2. The Cabinet • Vice President: George M. Dallas • Secretary of State: James Buchanan • Secretary of War: William L. Marcy • Postmaster General: Cave Johnson • Secretary of the Treasury: Robert J. Walker • Attorney Generals: John Y. Mason (1845–1846) Nathan Clifford (1846–1848) Isaac Toucey (1848–1849) • Secretaries of the Navy: George Bancroft (1845–1846) John Y. Mason (1846–1849) http://millercenter.org/president/polk

3. Territory/ States Added • What is now Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, much of New Mexico, and portions of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado http://millercenter.org/president/polk • States Added • Iowa 1846, 29thstate • Wisconsin in 1848, 30th state http://ncpedia.org/biography/polk-james

4. The Lone Star State • Despite conflicting information, it can be assumed that Texas, the 28th state, was annexed during Polk’s presidency. http://ncpedia.org/biography/polk-james

5. Personal and Political Life • Born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina in 1795 • In 1816 went to University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and graduated in 1818. • In 1823 won election into Tennessee House of Representatives (1823-1825.) • He was a representative in the House of Representatives from 1825-1839. He was Speaker of the House from 1835-1839. • Died in Nashville, Tennessee on July 15, 1849 at the age of 53. http://ncpedia.org/biography/polk-james http://millercenter.org/president/polk

6. 1844 Election http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/index.html Why did Polk win? Polk won because of his platform. His main goal was to annex Texas. He also wanted to take control of the Oregon territory (which was controlled by the British) and he promoted Manifest Destiny. Liberty Party’s candidate, Birney, took away important votes from Clay, Polk’s major opponent. http://ncpedia.org/biography/polk-james

7. Map of Election Red-Polk Green- Clay http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/index.html

8. Important Events in Presidency • 1845 Slidell Mission to Mexico: John Slidell was sent to Mexico to negotiate recognition of Rio Grande as border, purchase of New Mexico area and California area. Slidell was not received by Mexican Government, and he recommended action be taken against Mexico. This created tension between the two countries, tension eventually led to the Mexican War. http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h158.html • 1845 Term “Manifest Destiny” Was Used for the First Time in an Article: John O’Sullivan casually coined the phrase “Manifest Destiny” in an editorial commenting on the annexation of Texas. The term fueled the idea of expansion and drew many people to the West. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/WWosullivan.htmd

9. 1845 Irish Potato Famine Begins: Because of the devastating famine, Irish immigrants start migrating to the US. However, they are not received with open arms and there is much prejudice. Because of the amount of immigrants, cultural diffusion occurs in the US. Also, immigrants start to realize that America is not as fantastic as it sounded. http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/triumphnationalism/timeline.pdf • 1846 Smithsonian Institution Was Created: On August 10, 1846, Polk signed the act creating the Smithsonian, a collection of museums, libraries and research programs. Today, it includes 19 museums and galleries, nine research facilities throughout the United States and the world, and the national zoo. These are important public works and informational centers. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/smithsonian-institution-created

10. 1846 Sewing Machine Invented by Elias Howe: Allowed for 250 stitches per minute, way faster than a person. Industrialization affected in America because of the invention. Also, more time for women to do other things such as leisure activities, and, later in history, find work. http://inventors.about.com/od/hstartinventors/a/Elias_Howe.htm • 1846 Steam Cylinder Press Invented by Richard Hoe: Invention made printing faster, increased spread of ideas and speed/ production of newspapers. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/telephone/timeline/timeline_text.html

11. 1846 Mexican War Begins: In May of 1846, US congress declares war against Mexico because of a dispute over territory (who did Texas belong to?) as well as other political tensions. US won the war, gained a lot of territory. Relates to manifest destiny and expansion of the United States. http://www.pbs.org/kera/usmexicanwar/timeline_flash.html

12. 1846 Bear Flag Republic established in California: On a map making expedition, Lieutenant John C. Fremont ordered his men to take the town of Sonoma, which was then control by Mexico, declared it the California Republic. Intensifies conflict and tension between the United States and Mexico. The bear also remains the symbol of the California flag. http://www.sonomavalley.com/index.php/Table/The-Bear-Flag-Republic/ • 1846 Oregon Treaty with England: Dispute between US and England over Oregon territory. Dispute ended peacefully after England realized they were losing the population race. US controlled land that later would be Oregon, Washington, Idaho and parts of Wyoming. • (An American Pageant, pages 375-376)

13. 1846 Wilmot Proviso: David Wilmot, a representative in the House, introduced a bill that slavery would not exist inlands won in the Mexican War. This created controversy in Congress. The bill did not pass, however, it made a significant mark in freeing slaves. http://www.ushistory.org/us/30a.asp • 1846 Walker Tariff: Also known as the American Tariff. Reduced tariff rates and helped stimulate the economy. More revenue was generated so the government could fund the war. http://en.citizendium.org/wiki/Tariff_of_1846,_U.S.

14. 1847 Mormons Migrate to Utah: They were the first non-Native Americans immigrants to settle the area. This caused conflict with Native American groups in the area. Also, many of the immigrants came from other countries such as Canada, Britain, Denmark and Norway. This would created cultural diversity and fusion. http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/i/IMMIGRATION.html • 1848 Seneca Falls Convention: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott wrote a Declaration of Sentiments, which was modeled off of the Declaration of Independence, to express equal rights for women. The declaration and eleven resolutions were presented to three hundred people in the town and its outskirts. All but ten resolutions were unanimously agreed upon. This is an important step in women’s right, and gave women hope for equality. http://www.npg.si.edu/col/seneca/senfalls1.htm

15. 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: Brought an official end to the Mexican War. It was signed on February 2, 1848. Under the treaty, the US received land from Mexico, called the Mexican Cession. This included Arizona, New Mexico and parts of Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Also, Mexico realized the Rio Grande as the southern border of the US. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/guadalupe-hidalgo/

16. 1848 Levi’s Introduced to the US: Levi Strauss went to San Francisco to sell goods and supplies to miners trying to make their fortune. He became well known in the area and in 1853 started “Levi Strauss and Co.” where he sold dry goods including the first pair of jeans, which have become extremely popular in the US. http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventors/strauss.htm • 1848 Free Soil Party Organized: A meeting of Whig and Liberty party members that opposed slavery in the Western territories created the Free Soil Party. This made slavery a major issue in future elections and was the first time anti-slavery made a real mark in American politics. http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USASfreesoil.htm

17. 1849 Elizabeth Blackwell Becomes the First Woman Doctor: She was the first woman to receive an M.D. degree from an American medical school. This was huge milestone women’s rights and women in the work force in America. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/changingthefaceofmedicine/physicians/biography_35.html 1849 California Gold Rush: In 1848, gold was found inside veins of quartz that was being mined. By 1849, there were mass migrations of people from all over the world to California to find gold. A diverse population formed in California because of cultural fusion from the different ethnic groups that had traveled to the area. Also, transcontinental railroads were built to allow people to travel across the country faster. http://ceres.ca.gov/ceres/calweb/geology/goldrush.html

18. Positive Quotes • “He believed in limited government, and yet he was one of the most effective presidents we’ve ever had.” O.E. MacDougal http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles/silveira32.html “Polk was, unabashedly, the president of Manifest Destiny and overcame considerable political opposition to achieve his vision of the country.” Robert W. Merry http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/MagazinesDetailsPage/MagazinesDetailsWindow?displayGroupName=Magazines&disableHighlighting=false&prodId=OVIC&action=e&windowstate=normal&catId=&documentId=GALE%7CA218196651&mode=view

19. Negative Quotes • “Polk’s plantation was troubled by slaves running away to nearby plantations, claiming mistreatment by the overseer. When Polk visited the plantation he had the most recent two brought back and whipped.” Charles Grier Sellers, author http://home.nas.com/lopresti/ps11.htm “He occasionally refused to provide information requested by Congress.” Encyclopedia Britanica http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/467822/James-K-Polk/5829/Presidency

20. Contributions • War with Mexico (positive): US gained a lot of territory, including Texas. The territory added made the United States go from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. • Smithsonian Created (positive): The Smithsonian created many museums, libraries and research centers that are still used today. • Oregon Treaty with England (positive): Polk was able to add territory to the US (northwest coast of the country today) without starting a war, which is costly. • Texas, Wisconsin and Iowa Added (positive): In four years, Polk was able to add three states to the Union. • He encouraged and promoted Manifest Destiny, and important ideology during the mid-1800s. This idea also led to the creation of other states. (positive)

21. Alisa Fried • Pd 7 • Mr. Hoefler