James K. Polk was born on 2 November 1795 in Pineville. The 11th President of the United States, Polk was a Tennessee Democrat and protégé of Andrew Jackson, who had served as Speaker of the House and governor of Tennessee. He won the 1844 election as a dark horse candidate promising territorial expansion and pledged to serve only one term. His presidency settled the Oregon boundary with Britain at the 49th parallel in 1846 and led the country into the Mexican-American War, which brought California and the Southwest under American control. He also lowered tariffs and restored an independent treasury. He kept his word and left office in 1849, dying a few months later.
Before and after
- from 17 November 1794 to 20 November 1794Battle of the Black Mountain
- from 19 January 1795 to 5 June 1806Batavian Republic
- from 8 September 1795 to 11 September 1795Battle of Krtsanisi
- 31 October 1795Birth of John Keats
- 2 November 1795Birth of James K. Polk
- 1796Georges Cuvier shows that extinction is real
- 14 May 1796Edward Jenner performs the first smallpox vaccination
- 25 June 1796Birth of Nicholas I of Russia
- from 18 August 1796 to 1 July 1808Anglo-Spanish War
More in Wars, politics & history
- from 1765 to 1783American Revolution
- from 18 June 1812 to 18 February 1815War of 1812
- from 18 March 1871 to 28 May 1871Paris Commune
- from 1885 to 1914Scramble for Africa
- from 25 April 1898 to 11 August 1898Spanish–American War
- from 8 February 1904 to 5 September 1905Russo-Japanese War
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 18th century.