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the Presidents: Polk, by Compiled by James D. Richardson

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Title: A Compilation of the Messages and Papers of the Presidents: Polk
Section 3 (of 3) of Volume 4: James Knox Polk

Author: Compiled by James D. Richardson

Release Date: May 28, 2004 [EBook #12463]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A COMPILATION OF THE MESSAGES AND PAPERS OF THE PRESIDENTS

BY JAMES D. RICHARDSON

James K. Polk

March 4, 1845, to March 4, 1849

James K. Polk

JAMES KNOX POLK was born in Mecklenburg County, N.C., November 2, 1795.
He was a son of Samuel Polk, a farmer, whose father, Ezekiel, and his
brother, Colonel Thomas Polk, one of the signers of the Mecklenburg
Declaration of Independence, were sons of Robert Polk (or Pollock), who
was born in Ireland and emigrated to America. His mother was Jane,
daughter of James Knox, a resident of Iredell County, N.C., and a
captain in the War of the Revolution. His father removed to Tennessee in
the autumn of 1806, and settled in the valley of Duck River, a tributary
of the Tennessee, in a section that was erected the following year into
the county of Maury; he died in 1827. James was brought up on the farm;
was inclined to study, and was fond of reading. He was sent to school,
and had succeeded in mastering the English branches when ill health
compelled his removal. Was then placed with a merchant, but, having a
strong dislike to commercial pursuits, soon returned home, and in July,
1813, was given in charge of a private tutor. In 1815 entered the
sophomore class at the University of North Carolina. As a student he was
correct, punctual, and industrious. At his graduation in 1818 he was
officially acknowledged to be the best scholar in both the classics and
mathematics, and delivered the Latin salutatory. In 1847 the university
conferred upon him the degree of LL.D. In 1819 he entered the law office
of Felix Grundy, then at the head of the Tennessee