James K. Polk Born in North Carolina

Summary

James Knox Polk was born on November 2, 1795, in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. His family moved to Tennessee during his childhood, and Polk later graduated from the University of North Carolina and became a lawyer. A political ally of Andrew Jackson, he served in the Tennessee legislature, fourteen years in the U.S. House of Representatives, four of them as speaker, and one term as governor of Tennessee. Polk won the presidency in 1844 after campaigning on territorial expansion. During his single term from 1845 to 1849, the United States settled the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain and fought the Mexican-American War. The resulting Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo transferred an enormous area from Mexico to the United States, including present-day California and much of the Southwest. Polk's administration also reduced tariffs and established an independent treasury system. He declined to seek another term and died only months after leaving office.