(b. November 2, 1795; d. June 15, 1849) Member of House of Representatives, including speaker of the House; eleventh president of the United States (1845–1849).

James Knox Polk was born November 2, 1795, in North Carolina and raised in Tennessee. He graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1818, practiced law, and was elected to the Tennessee Assembly in 1823. Polk's political career ascended with his serving seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives (1825–1839), including four years as Speaker of the House (1835–1839). After leaving Congress, he served as governor of Tennessee (1839–1841). Polk was elected president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A life-long devotee of Thomas Jefferson's political creed and a loyal son of Andrew Jackson's democracy movement, Polk holds a unique place in American history as the first "dark horse" candidate for president, the first former Speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as president, and the...