James Polk: Our Eleventh President [Large Print]

A long time ago I was convinced that James K. Polk was the most successful one term President in American history, not that this is something to which anyone elected to the office would actually aspire. The rationale for this appellation was that Polk in 1844 on four specific points, accomplished all of them within the four years of his terms, and declined to run for re-election. However, I learned from this juvenile biography by Ann Graham Gaines for the Our Presidents series that while Polk did indeed have a successful tenure in office, he had promised to only serve one term. He also was becoming so ill that he would die a few months after leaving office. Another cherished belief bites the dust.From the start Gaines makes it clear that Polk worked hard and accomplished a great deal, long before he was elected President. One of the interesting things about the treatment of Polk's early years is how little is known; e.g., he had surgery when he was 17, but no one knows for what. His political career in Tennessee is easier to document as he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and then became Governor of the state. Young readers will be surprised to learn that not only did Polk lose his bid for reelection in 1841, he was defeated again in 1843. Despite these defeats, and the fact that Polk was hoping to run for Vice-President, he was nominated by the Democrats and elected President in 1844 as the first "dark horse" candidate.Polk was the youngest president ever elected up to that point in American history. His key policy goals were (1) admitting Texas to the Union; (2) acquiring the disputed area of the Oregon Territory, which spawned the famous "Fifty-four forty or fight" slogan of Polk's campaign, along with the area west to California; (3) establishing a treasury that would handle the nation's money matters; and (4) lowering tariffs to make it chapter for Americans to buy foreign goods. Clearly the idea of "manifest destiny" was the primary goal of the Polk presidency and the amount of territory added to the United States during his term is second only to the Louisiana Purchase. Gaines makes a point of showing how each of these goals was accomplished.Like all volumes in the Our Presidents series this one is illustrated with historic paintings and etchings, as well as some very early photographs, including the first one ever taken inside the White House of Polk with his Cabinet and one outside with guests including future president, James Buchanan and Dolley Madison. There are sidebars that provide an in-depth look at topics such as Texas, California, and the Mexican War. The margins of the book often include Interesting Facts, such as Polk's political nickname of "Young Hickory." The back of the book contains a Time Line from Polk's birth in 1795 to his death in 1849, a glossary of terms from "allies" to "values," and basic information about the Presidents. This look at James Polk is one of the best in the Our Presiden