During the Administration of President Polk Texas was finally annexed to the United States; Texas, Iowa, and Wisconsin were admitted into the Union; the Oregon boundary was settled; the independent-treasury system was reenacted; the Naval Academy was established; acts were passed establishing the Smithsonian Institution and creating the Department of the Interior; the war with Mexico was successfully fought, and the territory known as New Mexico and Upper California was acquired.  The acquisition of territory by Mr. Polk’s Administration added to the United States California and New Mexico and portions of Colorado, Utah, and Nevada, a territory containing in all 1,193,061 square miles, or over 763,000,000 acres, and constituting a country more than half as large as all that held by the Republic before he became President.  This addition to our domain was the next largest in area ever made.  It was exceeded only by the purchase by President Jefferson of the Louisiana Territory, in which was laid so deep the foundation of the country’s growth and grandeur.  If our country had not already attained that rank by the acquisition of the Louisiana Territory, the further additions made by Mr. Polk’s Administration advanced it at once to a continental power of assured strength and boundless promise.

James D. Richardson.

April 27, 1897.

William Henry Harrison

March 4 to April 4, 1841

William Henry Harrison

William Henry Harrison, third and youngest son of Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was born at Berkeley, Charles City County, Va., February 9, 1773.  Was educated at Hampden Sidney College, Virginia, and began the study of medicine, but before he had finished it accounts of Indian outrages on the western frontier led him to enter the Army, and he was commissioned an ensign in the First Infantry on August 16, 1791; joined his regiment at Fort Washington, Ohio.  Was appointed lieutenant June 2, 1792, and afterwards joined the Army under General Anthony Wayne, and was made aid-de-camp to the commanding officer.  For his services in the expedition, in December, 1793, that erected Fort Recovery he was thanked by name in general orders.  Participated in the engagements with the Indians that began on June 30, 1794, and was complimented by General Wayne for gallantry in the victory on the Miami on August 20.  On May 15, 1797, was made captain and given the command of Fort Washington.  While there he married Anna, daughter of John Cleves Symmes.  Resigned his commission on June 1, 1798, peace having been made with the Indians, and was immediately appointed by President John Adams secretary of the Northwest Territory, but in October, 1799, resigned to take his seat as Territorial Delegate in Congress.  During his term part of the Northwest Territory was