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James K. Polk

21 quotesFarmer · Born Nov 2, 1795 · Died Jun 15, 1849 · United States Of America · Male

James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th President of the United States (1845–49). Polk was born in Pineville, North Carolina, and moved to Tennessee to study law. After building a successful law practice, he was elected to the Tennessee legislature and then to the United States House of Representatives in 1825. A leading Democrat and close ally of Andrew Jackson during the Second Party System, Polk served as the 13th Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1835 to 1839, making him the only president to have also served as Speaker. He left Congress to serve as Governor of Tennessee from 1839 to 1841. After losing re-election as governor in 1840, and losing in another gubernatorial election in 1842, Polk was a dark horse candidate for president in 1844. Though he entered the convention hoping to be nominated for vice president, he won the presidential nomination as a compromise candidate among the various party factions. In the general election, he defeated Henry Clay of the rival Whig Party in large part due to his promise to annex the Republic of Texas. True to his campaign pledge to serve only one term as President, Polk left office in March 1849 and returned to Tennessee. He died of cholera three months late

All Government (7)Presidency (4)Peace (3)Constitution (3)Fear (3)Law (2)Oppression (2)Ambition (2)President (2)Congress (2)Responsibilities (2)Minorities (2)Blessings (2)country (2)Military (2)

From “What Were The Dead Presidents' Last Words?”

I love you Sarah. For all eternity, I love you.

Beautiful Last Words Famous Death Last Words Love

From “First annual message to Congress”

It becomes us, in humility, to make our devout acknowledgments to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, for the inestimable civil and religious blessings with which we are favored.

Blessings Religous Belief Humility Supreme Ruler

From “Inaugural Address”

Although in our country the Chief Magistrate must almost of necessity be chosen by a party and stand pledged to its principles and measures, yet in his official action he should not be the President of a part only, but of the whole people of the United States.

Pledge Principles actions Presidency

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.

Government Law Military World Ambition

Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true character of our Government.

Foreign Power Government Law character

Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family.

Fear Tremble Responsibilities Peace prosperity

From “Diary entry”

I am heartily rejoiced that my term is so near its close. I will soon cease to be a servant and will become a sovereign.

Term Presidency End Servant Sovereignty

No president who performs his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure. If he entrusts the details and smaller matters to subordinates constant errors will occur. I prefer to supervise the whole operations of the government myself rather than entrust the public business to…

President Duties Leisure Errors

There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress, as well as others, than I had any conception [of], before I became President of the U.S.

selfishness Principle Congress Government President

Thank God, under our Constitution there was no connection between church and state.

God Constitution Connection Church state

The passion for office among members of Congress is very great, if not absolutely disreputable, and greatly embarrasses the operations of the government. They create offices by their own votes and then seek to fill them themselves.

Passion Embarrassment Government Operation voting

From “Fourth Annual Message to Congress”

Under the benignant providence of Almighty God the representatives of the States and of the people are again brought together to deliberate for the public good. The gratitude of the nation to the sovereign arbiter of all human events should be commensurate with the boundless blessings which we…

Divine Providence Public Good Gratitude nation Blessings

If a man . . . would shake and not be shaken, grip and not be gripped, taking care always to squeeze the hand of his adversary as hard as it squeezed him, then he suffered no inconvenience from it.

Man inconvenience

Minorities have a right to appeal to the Constitution as a shield against such oppression.

Minorities Constitution Oppression

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government.

Military Ambition Government

Peace, plenty, and contentment reign throughout our borders, and our beloved country presents a sublime moral spectacle to the world.

Peace Contentment country World

I cannot, whilst President of the United States, descend to enter into a newspaper controversy.

Controversy Presidency United States newspaper

The world has nothing to fear from military ambition in our Government. While the Chief Magistrate and the popular branch of Congress are elected for short terms by the suffrages of those millions who must in their own persons bear all the burdens and miseries of war, our Government can not be…

Fear Government Congress War

Well may the boldest fear and the wisest tremble when incurring responsibilities on which may depend our country's peace and prosperity, and in some degree the hopes and happiness of the whole human family."

Fear Responsibilities Peace country Happiness

With me it is emphatically true that the presidency is "no bed of roses."

Presidency Hardship Work Difficulty

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