Main Character: James K. Polk

James K. Polk was born on November 2, 1795 right outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Polk was the first of 10 children. He lived with his father and mother. His father, Samuel Polk, was a slave owner and successful farmer. In 1803 most of his family moved to what is now called Duck River, in Tennessee. His immediate family didn't follow until 3 years later. In Tennessee, his father became a very successful farmer, one of the most successful in the area, and a county judge. James was not a healthy as a child. Just before he turned 17 his father took him to a doctor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His pain became of such multitude that he was taken to a nearer doctor. The doctor did an operation, which removed urinary stones. When he recovered, his normal education began at the age of 18. He studied at the Zion Church near his home. He later attended an academy in Murfreesboro. There were rumors that he met his future wife there, but it hasn't been proved. He then attended the University of North Carolina as a second-semester sophomore. His family had connections with the university. While at college, he joined the Dialectic Society, where he learned the art of oration; he became a good public speaker. James' roommate William Dunn Moseley at college later became the first governor of Florida. Polk graduated in May 1818 at the top of his class. After he graduated he went to Nashville Tennessee to study law. He studied under a well known Nashville trial attorney Felix Grundy. While working for him, he worked as the Tennessee state clerk for a few years. At the age of 28 he married a woman named Sarah Childress. They married on January 1, 1824. What a great start to a new year! At that point, he became a supporter of Andrew Jackson. Jackson ran for President, while James ran for the House of Representatives. James succeeded at age twenty-nine, but Jackson did not. Though Jackson had won the popular vote, neither he nor any of the other candidates had owned a majority of the electoral vote. The House of Representatives then had to select the winner. In his first speech, James said that the House's decision to choose Adams was a violation of the will of the people. He even proposed, although it did not follow through, that the Electoral College to be abolished. At that point he ran to be the governor of Tennessee, wanting to retain democrats the lead seat in Tennessee's government. He had fought hard against the other party, gaining him national attention which may have helped him win the Presidential Election. He hoped to be nominated for vice-president for the past president Martin Van Buren. The Democrats went through 9 ballots and it finally came to a conclusion that James would be the best candidate. He was supported by a past president, Andrew Jackson, who still had a lot of influence on people's descisions in the government. He later won the election by popular and electoral votes. As President of the United States he delt with many problems; slavery, foreign policy, Oregon territory, the war with Mexico, etc. He delt with many problems through his presidency and I think he goes down as one of the most well known Presidents of the United States of all time.