He was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1795. Polk was curious and hardworking with honors in 1818 from the University of North Carolina attended. As a young lawyer he entered politics, served in the Tennessee legislature, and was a friend of Andrew Jackson.
In the Chamber of Polk was a chief lieutenant of Jackson in his Bank war. He served so that it become the governor of Tennessee as President, between 1835 and 1839.
To the circumstances raised Polk's ambitions, he was a leading contender for the Democratic nomination for the vice-president in 1844. Both of Martin Van Buren, of the Democratic nomination had been expected to win for president, and Henry Clay, the Whig candidate tries expansionist issue to be taken out of the campaign by declaring themselves to be against the annexation of Texas. Polk, however, publicly asserted that Texas should be "re-annex" and all of Oregon "re-occupied."
The old Jackson, just the feeling that the people favored expansion, urged the selection of a candidate committed to the nation's "Manifest Destiny". This view sat down at the Democratic Convention, where Polk was nominated on the ninth ballot.
"Who is James K. Polk?" Whigs jeered. Democrats said that Polk was the candidate who stood for expansion. He linked the Texas issue, popular in the south, with the Oregon question, attractive to the North. Polk also favored acquiring California.
Before he could, Congress passed a joint resolution of annexation of Texas. They can also bequeathed Polk the possibility of war with Mexico, which soon established diplomatic relations.
In his stand on Oregon, the President seemed to war with England as well as risk. The 1844 Democratic platform claimed the entire Oregon area, from the California border north, "declares the southern boundary of Russian Alaska. Extremists" of a width of 54'40 Fifty-four forty or fight, "but Polk, aware of diplomatic realities, knew that no course short of war was likely to get all of Oregon. Fortunately, neither he nor the British wanted a war.
He offered, through the expansion of the Canadian border along the 49th Latitude from the Rocky Mountains to be settled to the Pacific. When the British minister declined, Polk reiterated the American claim to the entire region. The British finally arranged for the 49th Latitude, with the exception of the southern tip of Vancouver Iceland. The contract was signed 1846th
Acquisition of California proved to be much more difficult. Polk sent an envoy to offer Mexico up to $ 20 million, plus the settlement of claims by the Americans in return for California and New Mexico State. Since no Mexican leader could not stay away half of the country and still in power, Polk had not received the ambassador. To bring pressure, Polk sent General Zachary Taylor to the disputed area on the Rio Grande.
The Mexican army was aggression, and they attacked Taylor forces.
Congress declared war, and despite much resistance the north, behind the military operations. Reaffirmed the American forces defeated and occupied Mexico City. Finally, in 1848, Mexico joined New Mexico and California in exchange for $ 15 million and the assumption of American claims.
President Polk added a vast area hit the United States, but the acquisition down a bitter quarrel between the North and South over expansion of slavery.
Polk, thereby undermining office with his health by hard work, died in June 1849.
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