James K Polk

James Knox Polk

Term: 1845-1849

President James K. Polk

Background Info:

• Birth: November 2, 1795 (Mecklenburg, NC); Death: June 15, 1849 (Nashville, TN)

• Served one term as the United States’ 11th President, after being elected at the age of 49

• Political Party: Democratic

• Religion: Presbyterian, converted to methodism at 38 years of age

• Served only one term because his electoral promise (Term: 1845-1849); Elected at age of 49

• Ancestry: Scottish-Irish

• Had no children

• Political Career:

  • entered politics, served in the Tennessee legislature, and became a friend of Andrew Jackson

  • House of Representatives, Polk was a chief lieutenant of Jackson in his Bank war

  • served as Speaker between 1835 and 1839, leaving to become Governor of Tennessee

leading contender for the Democratic nomination for Vice President in 1844

• Sarah helped him with his speeches, coping his correspondence, and gave him advice

• Guided Polk’s policies and especially regarding Manifest Destiny and the Mexican-American War

• Managed enslaved and free laborers at the Executive Mansion

First Lady: Sarah Childress Polk

Birth: July 10, 1792; Death: December 31, 1864 (Philadelphia, PA)

• Had cordial relationship with President James K. Polk, but was never part of the President’s inner circle

• 1846 - Casted the deciding vote in the Senate for the Walker Tariff (unpopular and ended his political career)

Vice President: George Mifflin Dallas

President Polk's Relations

Multiple Select

What was the relationship between James K. Polk and Mifflin?

• 1. Had a close brotherly relationship 

• 1. Had cordial relationship

• Mifflin was never part of the President’s inner circle

• Mifflin was a family friend, so close to the point they got married

• James Polk’s inauguration: March 4, 1845; slogan: “50-40 or fight”

• John Tyler prioritized the annexation of Texas. Texans approved of the bill which was signed by President Polk on December 29th, accepting Texas as the 28th state of the Union

• John L. O’Sullivan first used the phrase ‘Manifest Destiny’- belief that white Americans were destined by God to conquer the territories of North America and clear the native population from the land

• Ireland’s “Potato Famine”- number of Irish that immigrated to the United States skyrocketed to 845,000. This was a result from a 5 year blight that turned potato crops black. Between 1845-1850 1 million Irish died of starvation and another 2 million fled the country

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​1845 - Significant Events

Multiple Choice

What was James K. Polk’s democratic slogan?

• “50-40 or fight"

• 1. 40-50 or fight”

• 1. “Bring out the potatoes!”

• “Manifest your destiny”

Established by James K. Polk on July 30, 1846

• Moved rates downward towards revenue-only levels and dropped the policy of an ad valorem rate (a percent of the value of the goods) in favor of a set rate regardless of the value

• Repealed the 40% tariff rate established by the Black Tariff of 1842, lowering the rate to 25%

• Provided flat rates for items according to their broad grouping rather than taxing items separately

• Signaled to his Southern supporters his commitment to looking out for American agricultural society

​Walker Tariff of 1846

Multiple Choice

What did the Walker Tariff show Polk's supporters in the south?

• It showed Polk's supporters in the South that he was committed to their economic interests (agriculture).

• It showed Polk's supporters in the South that he was planning to raise tariffs even higher.
• It showed Polk's supporters in the South that he enjoyed Popeye's and polka dots.

• It showed Polk's supporters in the South that he was not committed to their economic interests.

• General Zachary Taylor clashed with Mexican troops on the north bank of the Rio Grande

• On May 13, 1846, Polk signed a declaration of war on Mexico in response

• For the war, Polk and his cabinet split into three:

  • Northern Mexico - General Zachary Taylor

  • New Mexico/California - Stephen Kearney

  • Mexico City - Winfred Scott

War with Mexico

• Many Whigs (including Abraham Lincoln) opposed the war - voices lost under the upsurge of nationalism​

• As more American victories mounted, nationalism became greater in the US

• The Penny Press: these journalists send field reporters to make sure that the war was well reported - helped spread awareness and increase nationalism

Views of the War:

Multiple Choice

What was the effect of the Penny Press on American's view of the war?

• The Penny Press had no effect on American's view of the war.
• The Penny Press decreased awareness and discussion of the war among Americans.
• The Penny Press caused confusion and misinformation about the war among Americans.
• The Penny Press increased awareness and discussion of the war among Americans as well as nationalism.

• supporters (1844 campaign) promoted the occupation of the entire territory (slogan (Polk did not disavow): "54°40' or Fight")

• Both Great Britain and the United States jointly occupied this region (since 1818)

• Polk wanted the west coast of North America for the United States (possibly even including Mexican-controlled California)

• (beginnings of negotiations) Polk bluffed to Britain that he wanted all the territory up to 54°40'

  
  

Negotiation and Treaty for Oregon Territory (1846)

• Polk agreed to a boundary at the 49th parallel, giving the United States present-day Oregon, Idaho, and Washington, as well as control of the Columbia River

• (June 15, 1846) Signed Treaty of Oregon and ended 28 years of joint occupancy of the Pacific Northwest

• James K. Polk and most of the United States government in 1845 did not actually want to go to war over the Oregon territory; Fighting a war with Great Britain would be far more costly than one against the fledgling Mexican Republic, and there was more land to be gained from Mexico than there was from Britain; more hawkish members of congress favored only a war with Mexico, not one with Britain as well

Negotiation and Treaty for Oregon Territory (cont)

Multiple Choice

President Polk accepted a compromise with Britain on the Oregon dispute because…?

• 1. the United States was facing problems with Mexico

• the British offered a large payment

• 1. the Russians were becoming involved

•  the people who settled in California were successful

• January 8, 1848, gold was discovered in California by James W. Marshall while overseeing the construction of a sawmill at Sutter’s Mill.

• This discovery led to massive migration of settler and miners into California

• Gold rush transformed the landscape and population of California

• Improvements of steamship and railroad technology facilitated over 300,000 migrants, known as “forty-niners”.

• Effects of the migration: lack of housing, sanitation, law enforcement in mining camps, and high crime rates and violence

• Nativist (anti-immigrant) sentiment led to taxes and laws to target immigrants

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The California Gold Rush

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Multiple Choice

Who and where was gold discovered?

• James Marshall at the Sutter’s Mill

• Mr. Person at his potato farm

• Andrew Jackson at Suttor's Hill

• Henry Clay at Suttir's Bill

Multiple Select

What were some of the effects of the migration?

• Lack of housing, sanitation, high crime rates

• Laws targeting immigrants

• emigration

• increased birth rate

Multiple Choice

Which of the following changes in westward migration is most likely to have occurred in the 1840s?

• The first great wave of migration ended, and the number of migrants remained extremely low until after the Civil War.

• Large numbers of free blacks, unwelcome in the East, began to resettle in the West.

• 1. The number of pioneers headed for the Oregon territory decreased while the number headed for California greatly increased.

• 1. For the first time, pioneers began to settle areas west of the Mississippi River.