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Samuel Polk (July 5, 1772 – December 3, 1827) was an American surveyor and the father of U.S. President James Knox Polk. [3] His slaves included Elias Polk. [4]
- Polk’s Early Life
- Polk’s Parents
- Marriage
- Becoming A Politician
- The Campaign Begins
- The Hardest Working Man in The United States
- After The Presidency
- Sarah Childress Polk
- Polk Historic Residence
- Living Room
James was born in a log cabin in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in August 1795. He was one of ten children born to Jane and Samuel Polk. James was ten years old when his father wanted to move west. The family trekked some five hundred miles from North Carolina to Maury County, Tennessee, where the family settled. Today, a historical marker mar...
Polk’s mother, Jane, was alive when James became President. His father Samuel died in 1827 at age 55. All of Samuel and Jane’s ten children lived to adulthood. Jane lost three boys in 1831, and six of her children died before she did in 1852. Although she outlived her son, she never lived in the White House. Several of the Polk family members are b...
James married Sarah Childress on January 1, 1824. Sarah was eight years younger than James. She was educated and from a prominent family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Sarah was indispensable to James. Both James and Sarah had many relatives that lived nearby in Columbia. James’ father owned a whole block where the house is located. When Polk was away...
In 1820, Polk was admitted to the bar and had a successful law practice in Columbia. His first case was defending his father in an assault case. Polk developed a love politics while in college. He was a gifted orator. At age 28, Polk was elected to the state legislature. Just two years later, he was elected to his first term in the U.S. House of Re...
In 1839, James returned to Tennessee to run for governor, and Sarah served as his campaign manager. Polk won his first election but lost the next two. Popular thought of the day was that he was politically dead. Polk’s ascent to high office would begin at the Baltimore Democratic presidential convention in 1844. The party convention was deadlocked....
Polk often referred to himself as the ‘hardest working man in the United States.’ He was a workaholic. Sarah handled all the social news and occasions when they were in the White House. While Polk micromanaged the government, he did reduce taxes on imports and form an independent treasury. One of Polk’s main objectives was to expand the U.S. territ...
James and Sarah moved to the house they built in Nashville, Polk Place in 1849. James died on June 15, 1849, at age 53, after contracting cholera. He and Sarah had no children, and James’ will was declared invalid. Upon James’ death, Sarah’s mother sends Sally, a great-niece, for Sarah to bring up. Sarah remained in mourning for 42 years until her ...
Sarah defined the role of the First Lady. She was outgoing, educated, and sociable. Politicians could tell her things they wouldn’t tell James. James and Sarah were a good team. The venerable Dolly Madison was Sarah’s mentor in Washington. Sarah lived in Nashville at Polk Place during the Civil War. There she entertained generals from both sides of...
There are several original items from Polk Place, including the Hall tree and table, grandfather clock, and hall light fixture. The light fixture looks quite contemporary. The home reflects the style of the 1840s, the era of Polk’s Presidency. Much of the furniture displayed was purchased while the Polk’s were in the White House. The wallpaper and ...
Deep red was Sarah’s favorite color. She helped design the Red room in the White House. The Piano Forte was shipped from England in 1815 to Sarah’s parents in Murfreesboro. She played beautifully. There are tall windows throughout the rooms of the home, which provided both light and airflow. The chandeliers were bought for $54 apiece while the Polk...
Ezekiel Polk, grandfather to the future President, was named a clerk in Tryon and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Samuel Polk, the father of James K. Polk, had amassed a 150-acre cotton farm in Mecklenburg County (Pineville) by the birth of his son on November 2, 1795. James Polk spent the first eleven years of his childhood in Pineville.
Oct 8, 2017 · James K. Polk was attending the University of North Carolina in 1816 when his father Samuel built the two-story, Federal-style house on Market Street (now Seventh Street). The fine brick structure reflected Samuel Polk's success as a farmer, surveyor, and land speculator. After graduating from college in 1818, James Polk returned to Tennessee ...
1816, Samuel Polk, builder. 301 W. 7th St. Built by Samuel Polk, a prosperous farmer, surveyor, and slaveholder, this house was the home of future President James K. Polk (1795–1849) during his early adult years. James, the eldest of Samuel and Jane Knox’s ten children, was raised in a log cabin in Pineville, North Carolina, until 1806 ...
1 In 1824, newlyweds James and Sarah Polk were settling into their new home in Columbia, Tennessee. Elias was sent to live with them as a wedding gift from James’s father, Samuel. 2 Upon his arrival in Columbia, Elias began working as a valet for James, who had recently been elected to the United States House of Representatives. As an ...
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Jan 3, 2020 · President Polk projected the persona of a benevolent and paternalistic slave owner who kept enslaved people because they were inherited from family members. In actuality, Polk was a profit-hungry slave owner, ripping apart families for his own personal gain. 1. James Knox Polk was born in Pineville, North Carolina, in 1795 to Samuel and Jane ...
