What does a name James K. Polk mean to you?

Probably not much of anything at all, and that's a shame, especially considering all he

accomplished in just four years from 1845 to 1849.

As the 11th President of the United States, he acquired the Oregon territory from the

British, carried out the annexation of Texas, and then waged a successful war with Mexico

that ended with the US acquiring California and the Utah and New Mexico territories,

in doing so he increased the nation's size by a third, transforming America into a truly

continental nation from sea to shining sea.

Just look at a map of the United States.

We have Polk to thank for much of it.

You'd think he'd have his own monument in Washington, D.C.

And that's not all he did as President.

He reduced taxes, stimulated the economy, and reformed the government's banking practices.

Plus, the California Gold Rush of 1848 made his acquisition of the Golden State look like

a stroke of genius.

Born on November 2nd, 1795, young James grew up marinating in the politics of his father,

Samuel Polk, a Tennessee County judge, and a devoted follower of Thomas Jefferson.

Samuel saw the world as a struggle between the virtuous farmer and the crafty banker,

the city versus the country, the common man versus the wealthy elite.

His son James never strayed far from this worldview.

After graduating with honors from the University of North Carolina in May 1818, Polk moved to

Nashville.

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