James K. Polk

1795-11-02 - 1849-06-15 Contemporaries

James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protege of Andrew Jackson, he was an advocate of American expansionism: Texas joined the Union in his first year, the Mexican-American War expanded U.S. territory to the Pacific, and the Oregon dispute with Britain was settled, creating the present U.S.-Canadian border. He was previously Speaker of the House, the only person to serve both as Speaker and as president.