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Polk Main navigation * Administration * Key Events * In-Depth Exhibits * About American President U.S. Presidents / James K. Polk 1795 - 1849 James K. Polk Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil. She has proclaimed that hostilities have commenced, and that the two nations are now at war. War Message to Congress Overview Under James Knox Polk, the United States grew by more than a million square miles, adding territory that now composes the states of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, much of New Mexico, and portions of Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. More than any other President, Polk pursued "Manifest Destiny," a phrase coined by his fellow Jacksonian Democrat, John L. O'Sullivan, to express the conviction that Providence had foreordained the United States to spread its republican institutions across North America. He accomplished every major goal that he set for himself as President and in the process successfully waged war against Mexico, obtaining for the United States most of its present boundaries as a nation. Life In Depth Essays * Life in Brief * Life Before the Presidency * Campaigns and Elections * Domestic Affairs * Foreign Affairs * Life After the Presidency * Family Life * The American Franchise * Impact and Legacy Fast Facts Full Name James Knox Polk Birth Date November 2, 1795 Death Date June 15, 1849 Birth Place Mecklenburg County, North Carolina Education University of North Carolina (graduated 1818) Religion Presbyterian Career Lawyer Political Party Democrat Nickname “Young Hickory” Marriage January 1, 1824, to Sarah Childress (1803–1891) Children None Inauguration Date March 4, 1845 Date Ended March 5, 1849 President Number 11 Burial Place State Capitol Grounds, Nashville, Tennessee Chicago Style Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia. “James K. Polk.” Accessed September 04, 2026. https://millercenter.org/president/polk. Historian, Director of Research John C. Pinheiro Acton Institute Professor Pinheiro is a historian and the Director of Research at the Acton Institute. Previously, he was a history professor and director of Catholic Studies at Aquinas College. He formerly served as a research assistant on the Correspondence of James K. Polk project at the University of Tennessee. Professor Pinheiro's writings include * Missionaries of Republicanism: A Religious History of the Mexican-American War * Manifest Ambition: James K. Polk and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexica… * "James K. Polk as War President," in Joel Silbey, ed., A Companion to the Anteb… Featured Insights US Presidents and Slavery Before the Civil War, many US presidents, including Polk, owned enslaved people, and all of them had to deal with slavery as a political issue James Knox Polk and the war with Mexico Watch Daniel Walker Howe, professor at Oxford University and UCLA, talk about President Polk and the Mexican War Remembering James K. Polk Commemorating our 11th US president The great historians Watch two renowned historians discuss why history matters and who decides what history gets written Speeches View His Speeches May 11, 1846: War Message to Congress transcript icon June 10, 1846: Message to Senate Regarding Oregon transcript icon August 14, 1848: Message Regarding Slavery in the Territories transcript icon Featured Publications The Fate of Their Country: Politicians, Slavery Extension, and the Coming of th… Manifest Ambition: James K. Polk and Civil-Military Relations during the Mexica… Disunion!: The Coming of the American Civil War, 1789-1859 The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset… University of Virginia Miller Center Main navigation * The Presidency * Issues & Policy * Experts * Events * Donate * Subscribe Footer * About * Contact Us * Miller Center Governing Council * Miller Center Foundation * Privacy Policy * Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity * Download millercenter.org Data Help inform the discussion Support the Miller Center * Facebook * X (Twitter) * YouTube * Instagram Join our email list © Copyright 2026. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia University of Virginia Subscribe to our email list Get notified about upcoming events and Miller Center news Subscribe