James Knox Polk

Birth-Death: (1795 - 1849 ) Term: (1845-1849 )

Polk's response to the growing sectionalism was expansion. He felt that if he expanded the borders of the nation he could unite it. As time would show, the expanion would in turn provoke the Civil War.

Domestic Events of James Polk

    James K. Polk was the first dark horse candidate in the history of the United States. Martin Van Buren was expected to win the Democratic nomination, but at the convention Polk was elected on the 9th ballot. Polk would run against the Whig candidate, Henry Clay. As in 1840, the Whigs did have a platform, but it equivocated and said as little as possible. Clay was known to be against the annexation of Texas, and here he contrasted with the unknown Polk. Polk's platform was expansion. Under the cries of "Fifty-four forty or fight," regarding the Oregon question and his approval of Texas, he won the election. Clay switched his position on Texas at the last moment, and this cost him New York, as the only anti-Texas candidate, James G. Birney earned enough votes to give the majority to Polk, who received the 36 electoral votes and won the election.

    Polk's Presidency was uneventful with regard to domestic policy. The only spark of lurking trouble came at the end of his term, when David Wilmot introduced a resolution, which if passed, would prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude from the territories. The Wilmot proposal passed the House with a big margin, but never got through the Senate. The debate on the right of the government to limit slavery arose once again, and from here it would gradually escalate into the Civil War.