James Knox Polk facts for kids

James Knox Polk Facts For Kids -  social studies skills studied in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grades.

The 11th President of the USA

Every country has one great leader who has made a huge difference to it. In the United States of America, 44 people have held the prestigious office of the president so far, but the 11th President has been one of the most exceptional of them all. Imagine meeting him through a picture in your mind. If that is exciting, think of how it would be to read certain interesting facts on one of the most amazing US presidents.
James Knox Polk (the 11th US President)
Presidency term – 1845 to 1849
Party membership – The Democrat Party
Date and place of birth – November 2, 1795, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Date and place of death – June 15, 1849, Nashville, Tennessee
Cause of death – Cholera and stress due to excessive hard work
Spouse – Sarah Childress Polk
Texas would have never become a state if James K. Polk had not granted it such a status. He increased the size of the United States of America by more than 1.1 million square miles and was the first ever president to have had himself photographed inside the official quarters. Despite his health problems, he rose up in life and that is one of the things that make him epic.
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Interesting facts

1. James Knox Polk never served in the capacity of a public official before he served as the president of the country.
2. Even though his father passed on several slaves to him as an inheritance, he ordered that they all be released immediately by passing the Emancipation Proclamation throughout the United States of America.
3. He left the office after becoming sick and died just three months after resigning.
4. The tradition of singing the musical composition “Hail to the Chief” began only when James Polk was serving the country as the President.
5. The nickname that Polk earned after he was known as being an ardent supporter of Andrew Jackson was “Young Hickory” since the person Polk admired already had the nickname of “Old Hickory.”
6. Before he became the president, he served in 1839 as the Governor of Tennessee.
7. He managed to successfully prevent a war between America and Great Britain by having a border created between the United States of America and Canada.
8. James Polk was a graduate who completed college with honors in the year 1818. He then studied law, only to start practicing as a lawyer in his own law firm.
9.  He never had to take anesthesia or even a single painkiller while undergoing a gallstone removal surgery.
10. Since he was not for a war against Mexico, he sent the Senate the Treaty of Guadeloupe Hidalgo for approval.
11. He originally ran for the post of the Vice President of the United States of America in 1844 but he became the President instead after defeating all the candidates, who ran for presidency.
12. His excellent oratory skills were the result of becoming his college debate club member and acquiring them.

Being peace loving and a humanitarian, James Knox Polk banned dancing and liquor inside the official premises. He never quit his struggle to protect the interests of his country till his last breath