James K. Polk

Supreme Court:. He is of Manx descent, as evidenced by his surname. Polk appointed the following Justices to the U.S. He particularly enjoys watching his children as they participate in team sports.
. Quayle enjoys golf, tennis, basketball, skiing, horseback riding, fly fishing, and reading. The song is a surprisingly complete account of his presidential nomination and subsequent career, ending with a lament of his continued obscurity. They are the parents of three children: Tucker, Benjamin, and Corinne.

It originally appeared on their 1990 ep Istanbul (Not Constantinople) as a b-side, and later appeared with the same lyrics but a different musical arrangement on their 1996 album Factory Showroom. In November 1972, Quayle married the former Marilyn Tucker of Indianapolis. Polk," by American pop group They Might Be Giants. He is the son of Jim and Corinne Quayle of Huntington, Indiana. Polk is the subject of a song, "James K. Quayle, the oldest of four children, has two brothers and a sister: Chris, Mike, and Martha. Polk. The former vice president also writes a nationally syndicated newspaper column, serves on a number of corporate boards, chairs several business ventures, and was chairman of Campaign America, a national political action committee.

When the Missouri legislature acted to create the county, they chose to honor the then current Speaker of the House, James K. His second book, The American Family: Discovering the Values that Make Us Strong, came out in the spring of 1996 and Worth Fighting For came out in 1999. Polk County, Missouri, founded in 1835, was originally named in honor of a Revolutionary War hero Ezekiel Polk. Dan Quayle is the author of Standing Firm, a vice-presidential memoir that became a nationwide bestseller. Polk County, Nebraska was the fourth county founded West of the Missouri River in 1870. He is an Honorary Trustee Emeriti of the Hudson Institute. Polk County, Florida was founded ten years later in 1861. Former Vice President Dan Quayle is an advisor to the firm Cerberus Capital Management and president of Quayle and Associates.

Polk County in Northwest Georgia, was founded in 1851. He is sometimes mentioned as a possible presidential candidate in 2008. These include Polk County, Oregon, originally established in 1845. He withdrew from the race the following month. A number of United States counties are named after Polk. In the first contest among the Republican candidates, the Iowa straw poll of August 1999, he finished 8th. President Polk is also notable for his support for the concept of Manifest Destiny—the idea that it was the United States' divine mission to expand westward—and for his affirmation of the Monroe Doctrine—the doctrine, first propounded by President James Monroe in 1823, that the Americas should be free from European colonization or other interference. In April 1999 he announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for the 2000 Presidential Election.

Disputes over slavery in the West, together with other inflammatory events of the 1850s, contributed to the American Civil War, which began in 1861. However, it was ultimately a minor factor in the election, which Bush and Quayle went on to lose. The Compromise of 1850, however, failed to satisfy extremists on both sides. Republicans were largely relieved and pleased, and Quayle's camp hailed his performance as an upset triumph against a veteran debater. The Compromise of 1850 temporarily settled the dispute; California was admitted to the Union as a "free state," while the other territories carved out of the Mexican Cession were allowed to permit or prohibit slavery as they saw fit. Quayle faced off against Gore in the vice-presidential debate, and, due in part to exceeding low expectations and staying on the offensive by tactics such as criticizing passages in Gore's book Earth in the Balance [During planning negotiations for the upcoming televised debates, Vice-President Quayle's team insisted that he be able to hold a copy of Gore's book for dramatic effect- the Gore team retorted that Gore ought to be able to hold up a potato.] Quayle was generally seen to have at least tied Gore, faring much better than he had against Bentsen four years earlier. Though the House passed the Proviso on numerous occasions, it was blocked by southern Senators. Al Gore.

territory acquired in the course of the war. Bill Clinton and Sen. In 1846, Congressman David Wilmot of Pennsylvania introduced a proposal known as the Wilmot Proviso, which would have outlawed slavery in any U.S. During the 1992 election, Bush and Quayle were challenged in their bid for reelection by Democrats Gov. Polk's actions in relation to Mexico involved significant consequences for the United States. In 2002, Candice Bergen, the actress, made the comment, "I never have really said much about the whole episode, which was endless, but his speech was a perfectly intelligent speech about fathers not being dispensable and nobody agreed with that more than I did.". Moreover, his decision to send Zachary Taylor into disputed territory, and his subsequent justification of the Mexican-American War, have been condemned by many historians. In the 1992-93 season premiere of Murphy Brown, Brown, the character, watched Quayle's comments on television and responded on the show.

One could argue, however, that Polk failed to acquire the whole of the Oregon Country, as he promised during his campaign. The "Murphy Brown speech" and the resulting media coverage damaged the Republican ticket in the 1992 presidential election and became one of the most memorable incidents of the 1992 campaign. Many historians rank Polk as a near-great President, certainly the greatest between Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln lauding the extent of his achievements in a single term: Polk had attained all four of his primary policy objectives. In an aside, he specifically cited the fictional title character in the television program Murphy Brown as an example of how popular culture contributes to this "poverty of values", saying: "[i]t doesn't help matters when primetime TV has Murphy Brown—a character who supposedly epitomizes today's intelligent, highly paid, professional woman—mocking the importance of fathers, by bearing a child alone, and calling it just another 'lifestyle choice.'" Quayle drew a firestorm of criticism from feminist and liberal organizations and was widely ridiculed by late night talk show hosts for this remark. Both James and Sarah are buried in a tomb on the grounds of the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville. on a decay of moral values and family structure in American society. His post-presidential life was, furthermore, the shortest in the history of the United States. In this speech Quayle blamed the violence in L.A.

Kennedy, both of whom were assassinated during their presidencies. On May 19, 1992 Quayle gave a speech to the Commonwealth Club of California on the subject of the Los Angeles riots. Garfield and John F. The misspelling remains a source of intense criticism of Quayle's leadership abilities. He was the youngest President to die, until James A. It was widely lambasted by comedians and commentators, and purportedly demonstrated defective execution of official duties. For all eternity, I love you." She lived at Polk Place for over forty years after his passing, a retirement longer than that of any other First Lady of the United States. The event became the single most memorable and lasting part of Quayle's career.

Polk's devotion to his wife is illustrated by his last words: "I love you, Sarah. Quayle was allegedly relying on a spelling-bee card on which the word had been misspelled by the teacher. Polk died only 103 days after leaving the White House, at his new home, Polk Place, in Nashville, Tennessee, at 3:15 on the afternoon of Friday, June 15, 1849. Most famous was his correcting a student's spelling of potato as potatoe at an elementary school spelling bee in Trenton, New Jersey on June 15, 1992. Although Polk expected a peaceful retirement, he contracted cholera in New Orleans, Louisiana on a good will tour of the South. Other critics facetiously remarked that he was a good reason for even Bush's critics to pray for his health and that he was only Vice President to make Bush "impeachment-proof". He was succeeded in office by the hero of the Mexican-American War, the Whig General Zachary Taylor. He received the satirical Ig Nobel Prize for "demonstrating, better than anyone else, the need for science education" in 1991.

Full of enthusiasm and vigor when he entered office, Polk left the White House on March 4, 1849, exhausted by his years of public service. Bush. He became more tired and lost weight, and deep lines and dark circles etched his face. [1] Some of the comments he actually did make have been attributed to other politicians, such as George W. Polk is very arguably the only president ever to keep all of his campaign promises, however these considerable political accomplishments took their toll on his health. One reason was that he sometimes made confused or garbled statements, although this tendency led to his being "credited" with apocryphal quotations. The war involved less than 20,000 American casualties, but over 50,000 Mexican ones; it had cost the United States nearly $100 million. Throughout his time as Vice President, Quayle was widely ridiculed in the media and by some of the general public as a mental lightweight.

Mexico, in turn, received the sum of $15 million. On February 9, 1989, President Bush named Quayle head of the Council on Competitiveness. The treaty also recognised the annexation of Texas, and acknowledged American control over the disputed territory between the Nueces and the Rio Grande. As Vice President, Quayle was the first chairman of the National Space Council, a space policy body reestablished by statute in 1988. California, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming were all carved from the Mexican Cession. Quayle was the 44th Vice President of the United States from January 20, 1989, to January 20, 1993. The treaty added 1.2 million square miles (3,100,000 km²) of territory to the United States; Mexico's size was halved, whilst that of the United States increased by a quarter. Although Republicans were trailing by up to 15 points in public opinion polls taken prior to the convention, the Bush/Quayle ticket went on to win the November election by a convincing 54-46 margin, sweeping 40 states and capturing 426 electoral votes.

Trist successfully negotiated the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which Polk agreed to ratify, ignoring calls from Democrats who demanded the annexation of the whole of Mexico. The ads, however, seemed to have little effect. Delays in the process prompted the President to order Trist to return to the United States, but the diplomat ignored the instructions, staying in Mexico to continue bargaining. Ads supporting Michael Dukakis and Bentsen showed a beeping heart monitor and an announcer saying, "Quayle: just a heartbeat away," with the implication that Quayle was not up to the job of the presidency should he have to assume it. Polk sent a diplomat named Nicholas Trist to negotiate with the Mexicans. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." Quayle sheepishly responded, "That was uncalled for, Senator," in one of the defining moments of the 1988 campaign. Santa Anna's efforts, however, were in vain, as Generals Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott destroyed all resistance. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine.

Once he reached Mexico, however, he reneged on his agreement, declared himself President, and tried to fight the American invaders back. I knew Jack Kennedy. Santa Anna agreed that, if given safe passage into Mexico, he would attempt to persuade those in power to sell California and New Mexico to the United States. Democratic candidate Lloyd Bentsen said in rebuttal, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. The United States also negotiated a secret arrangement with Antonio López de Santa Anna, the Mexican general and dictator who had been overthrown in 1844. This came to a head in the 1988 vice-presidential debate, in which Quayle compared his experience to that of John Kennedy when he became president. General Zachary Taylor, at the same time, met with success on the Rio Grande. Many in the media also portrayed him as a lightweight unable to handle the job.

Frémont, rebelled against Mexican rule, and established the independent California Republic. Questions were raised about Quayle's apparent use of family connections to get into the Indiana National Guard and thus avoid possible combat service in the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, American settlers in California, led by John C. This decision was criticized by many who felt that Quayle did not have enough experience to be president should something happen to Bush. Kearny. Bush called on Quayle to be his running mate in the general election. By the summer of 1846, New Mexico had been conquered by American forces under General Stephen W. W.

Congress easily approved the declaration of war, with many Whigs fearing that they would have lost the support of their constituents had they voted for peace. In August 1988, at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, George H. Such technical points, however, were largely ignored by the public, especially in the South and the West. The nomination was later withdrawn. A Whig congressman, future President Abraham Lincoln, introduced the "Spot Resolutions," which demanded that Polk point out the precise "spot" where American blood had been spilt. It was later revealed that Manion was a member of the John Birch Society and that the American Bar Association had evaluated him as unqualified. Polk amended his planned speech and changed his casus belli, stating that Mexico had "invaded our territory and shed American blood upon the American soil." However, he ignored the point that the territory in question was disputed, and did not unequivocally belong to the United States. In 1986, Quayle received much criticism from his fellow Senators for championing the cause of Daniel Manion, who was a candidate to be a federal judge.

Serendipitously, mere days before Polk intended to make his request to Congress, he received word that Mexican forces had crossed the Rio Grande area and killed eleven American troops. This was the only major legislation that ever bore Quayle's name the entire time he served in both the House and the Senate. As negotiations continued to prove fruitless, Polk prepared to ask Congress for a declaration of war. In 1982, working with Senator Edward Kennedy, Quayle authored the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). In January 1846, Polk ordered General Zachary Taylor to lead his troops into the area between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande—territory that was claimed by both Texas and Mexico. With his service on the Armed Services Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Labor and Human Resources Committee, he became an effective Senator, respected by colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Although Slidell was prepared to offer up to $40 million, the Mexicans, angered by the annexation of Texas, refused to bargain. Senate, Quayle became widely known for his legislative work in the areas of defense, arms control, labor, and human resources.

In 1845, Polk had sent a diplomat, John Slidell, to Mexico to negotiate the purchase of California and New Mexico. During his tenure in the U.S. The President turned his attention to the acquisition of California, and in this case, he was prepared to go to war if necessary (see the Mexican-American War). Making Indiana political history again, Quayle was reelected to the Senate in 1986 with the largest margin ever achieved to that date by a candidate in a statewide Indiana race. The portion of Oregon acquired by the United States would later form the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and parts of the states of Montana and Wyoming. Senate from the State of Indiana, defeating three-term incumbent Democrat Birch Bayh. Although there were many who still clamored for the whole of Oregon, the treaty was approved by the Senate. In 1980, at age 33, Quayle became the youngest person ever elected to the U.S.

The treaty divided the Oregon Country between the two countries along the 49th parallel. He won reelection in 1978 by the greatest percentage margin ever achieved to that date in the northeast Indiana district. Polk preferred to accept a compromise offered by the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Aberdeen, and ratified the Oregon Treaty. Congress from Indiana's Fourth Congressional District, defeating an eight-term incumbent Democrat. Though he had campaigned on the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," Polk was not prepared to wage war with the British, especially when the acceptance of Texas into the Union had already made Mexico a hostile power. In 1976, Quayle was elected to the U.S. Since 1818, Oregon had been under the joint occupation and control of Britain and the United States; Polk, however, demanded sovereignty over the whole territory. Upon receiving his law degree, Quayle worked as associate publisher of his family's newspaper, the Huntington Herald-Press, and practiced law with his wife in Huntington.

Polk also sought to address the Oregon boundary dispute. From 1973-1974, he was the Director of the Inheritance Tax Division of the Indiana Department of Revenue. This move, however, angered Mexico, which had offered Texas its independence on the condition that it should not attach itself to any other nation. Later that year, he became an administrative assistant to Governor Edgar Whitcomb. The Republic of Texas did not accept the offer until later in the year, after Polk entered office; it officially became a part of the Union only on December 29, 1845. Quayle's public service began in July 1971 when he became an investigator for the Consumer Protection Division of the Indiana Attorney General's Office. Tyler had acted quickly because he feared British designs on Texas. While serving in the Guard, he earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree in 1974 at Indiana University School of Law Indianapolis through an experimental program intended to offer "equal opportunity" to minorities, the economically disadvantaged and other students of different viewpoints and backgrounds.

President Tyler urged Congress to pass a joint resolution admitting Texas to the Union; Congress complied on February 28, 1845. After receiving his degree, Quayle joined the Indiana National Guard and served from 1969-1975. Before Polk entered office, his predecessor, John Tyler, interpreted his victory as a mandate for the annexation of Texas. degree in political science in 1969, and where he was a member of the fraternity Delta Kappa Epsilon. The Independent Treasury Act, however, incurred the displeasure of many pro-bank Democrats. He then matriculated at DePauw University, where he received his B.A. After Polk re-established it, the Independent Treasury continued to remain in existence until 1920. After spending much of his youth in Arizona, he graduated from Huntington High School in Huntington, Indiana in 1965.

The Independent Treasury, created by the Democrats in 1840, had been abolished by the Whigs in 1841. Quayle moved his family to Arizona in 1955 to run a branch of family's publishing empire. In the same year, Polk also approved an enactment restoring the Independent Treasury system, under which government funds were held in the Treasury, rather than in banks or other financial institutions. James C. Polk's actions were popular in the South and West; however, they earned him the contempt of many protectionists in the Northeast. Pulliam, was a wealthy and influential publishing magnate who founded Central Newspapers, Inc., owner of over a dozen major newspapers such as the Arizona Republic and The Indianapolis Star. The new law abandoned ad valorem tariffs; instead, rates were made independent of the monetary value of the product. His maternal grandfather, Eugene C.

Walker, the Secretary of the Treasury), which represented a substantial reduction of the high Whig-backed Tariff of 1842. In his memoirs, Dan Quayle points out that his birth name was simply James Danforth Quayle. Congress approved the Walker Tariff (named after Robert J. He has often been incorrectly referred to as James Danforth Quayle III. In 1846, Polk proceeded to carry out his domestic agenda, but at the cost of much discontent in his own party. Quayle and Corrine Pulliam Quayle. In just four years, he would oversee the accomplishment of all his objectives. Quayle was born in Indianapolis, Indiana to James C.

Resolved to serve only one term, Polk acted swiftly to fulfill his campaign promises. . Polk set four clearly defined goals for his administration: the re-establishment of the independent treasury, the reduction of tariffs, the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute, and the acquisition of California from Mexico. In 2000, he was an unsuccessful candidate to win the Republican nomination for President of the United States. When he took office on March 4, 1845, Polk, at 49, became the youngest man to assume the presidency up to his time. Bush (1989-1993). Polk was the first, and as of 2005 the only, former Speaker of the House of Representatives to be elected President. W.

Dallas, became Vice President. James Danforth Quayle (born February 4, 1947) was the 44th Vice President of the United States under George H. Polk's fellow Democrat, George M. hardcover, ISBN 0060177586; mass market paperback, May, 1995; ISBN 0061093904; Limited edition, 1994, ISBN 0060176016. Polk won the popular vote by a margin of over 38,000, and took the Electoral College with 170 votes to Clay's 105. Dan Quayle, Standing Firm: A Vice-Presidential Memoir, Harper Collins, May 1994. Birney.

Polk won the crucial state of New York, where Clay lost supporters to the third-party candidate James G. In the election, Polk won in the South and West, while Clay drew support in the Northeast. Polk's consistent support for westward expansion—in the words of John O'Sullivan, the "Manifest Destiny" of the United States—proved beneficial to his campaign. His campaign slogan became "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight.".

Polk again vigorously championed the cause of expansion, forcefully suggesting that the United States acquire the entire territory, whose northern boundary was the parallel 54°40'. Another significant campaign issue, also relating to westward expansion, involved control of the Oregon Country, then under the joint occupation of the United States and the United Kingdom. Polk was a strong proponent of immediate annexation, while Clay seemed more equivocal and vacillating. The question of the annexation of Texas, which was at the forefront during the Democratic Convention, once again dominated the campaign.

Tyler, however, had become estranged from his party, and did not seek a second term; Polk's Whig opponent was, instead, Henry Clay of Kentucky. The Whig incumbent, John Tyler, had become President when William Henry Harrison died a month after assuming office. I have never sought it, nor should I feel at liberty to decline it, if conferred upon me by the voluntary suffrages of my fellow citizens.". When advised of his nomination letter, Polk replied: "It has been well observed that the office of President of the United States should neither be sought nor declined.

Polk?". Despite having served as Speaker of the House of Representatives, he was relatively unknown, leading many Whigs to snipe, "Who is James K. The eighth ballot was also indecisive, but on the ninth, the convention unanimously nominated Polk, who had by then obtained Van Buren's endorsement. After six more ballots, when it became clear that Van Buren would not win the required majority, Polk was put forth as a "dark horse" candidate.

Van Buren won a simple majority on the convention's first ballot, but did not attain the two-thirds supermajority required for nomination. Van Buren opposed the annexation, but in doing so lost the support of many Democrats, including Andrew Jackson. The primary point of political contention involved the Republic of Texas, which, after declaring independence from Mexico in 1836, had asked to join the United States. The leading contender for the presidential nomination was former President Van Buren; other candidates included Lewis Cass and James Buchanan.

As the Democratic convention began on May 27, 1844, Polk hoped for the vice-presidential nomination. He challenged Jones in 1843, but was defeated once again. Jones, in 1841. Polk lost his own gubernatorial re-election bid to a Whig, James C.

In the presidential election of 1840, Van Buren was overwhelmingly defeated by a popular Whig, William Henry Harrison. Though he revitalized Democrats in Tennessee, his victory could not put a stop to the political decline of the Democratic Party elsewhere in the nation. Leaving Congress in 1839, Polk became a candidate in the Tennessee gubernatorial election, defeating fellow Democrat Newton Cannon by about 2,500 votes. In 1838, the political situation in Tennessee—where, in 1835, Democrats had lost the governorship for the first time in their party's history—convinced Polk not to seek another term in the House of Representatives.

Van Buren's term was a period of heated political rivalry between the Democrats and the Whigs, with the latter often subjecting Polk to insults, invective, and challenges to duels. Soon after Polk became Speaker in 1835, Jackson left office, to be succeeded by fellow Democrat Martin Van Buren. As Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, he lent his support to the President in the conflict over the National Bank. This behavior earned him the nickname "Young Hickory," an allusion to Andrew Jackson's sobriquet, "Old Hickory." After Jackson defeated Adams in the presidential election of 1828, Polk rose in prominence, becoming the leader of the pro-Administration faction in Congress.

In Congress, Polk was a firm supporter of Jacksonian principles; he opposed the Second Bank of the United States, favored gold and silver over paper money, and preferred agricultural interests over industrial ones. In his first speech, Polk expressed his belief that the House's decision to choose Adams was a violation of the will of the people; he even proposed (unsuccessfully) that the Electoral College be abolished. Crawford) had obtained a majority of the electoral vote, allowing the House of Representatives to select the victor. Though Jackson had won the popular vote, neither he nor any of the other candidates (John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and William H.

Polk succeeded, but Jackson was defeated. In 1824, Jackson ran for President, while Polk campaigned for the House of Representatives. Polk became a supporter and close friend of Andrew Jackson, then the leading politician of Tennessee. Polk's oratory became popular, earning him the nickname "Napoleon of the Stump." He courted Sarah Childress, and they married on January 1, 1824.

The first public office he held was that of Chief Clerk of the Senate of Tennessee (1821–1823); he resigned the position in order to run his successful campaign for the state legislature. Polk was brought up as a Jeffersonian Democrat, for his father and grandfather were strong supporters of Thomas Jefferson. Polk was admitted to the bar in 1820, and established his own practice in Columbia. He graduated in 1818, returning to Nashville to study law under Felix Grundy.

After less than three years at the school, he left Tennessee to enroll in the University of North Carolina. He later attended a school in Murfreesboro, where he met his future wife, Sarah Childress. His formal education began at the age of 18, when he joined a religious school near his home. Polk was only educated informally during his childhood.

Polk survived the risky surgery, enjoying better health during the rest of his life. Ephraim McDowell conducted an operation to remove his gallstones. In 1812, his father took him to Kentucky, where the then-famous surgeon Dr. During his childhood, Polk suffered from poor health.

The family grew prosperous, with Samuel Polk becoming one of the leading gentlemen of the area. In 1806, the Polk family moved to Tennessee, settling near Duck River in what is now called Maury County. His father, Samuel Polk, was a farmer and surveyor of Scots-Irish descent, and related to Scottish nobility; his mother, Jane Polk (née Knox) was a descendant of the Scottish religious reformer John Knox. Polk, the first of ten children, was born on his family's 250 acre (1 km²) farm in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina.

. Naval Academy and the Washington Monument, and the issuance of the first postage stamps in the United States. He also oversaw the opening of the U.S. His term is remembered for the largest expansion of the nation's boundaries since the Louisiana Purchase, through the negotiated establishment of the Oregon Territory and the acquisition of 1.2 million square miles (3,100,000 km²) through the Mexican-American War.

He is noted for his expansionist beliefs, for his pledge to serve only one term, and for becoming the first "dark horse" (a candidate who unexpectedly gains the party nomination) to win the presidency. He is (as of 2005) the only former Speaker of the House to become President. A Democrat, Polk served as Speaker of the House (1835–1839) and Governor of Tennessee (1839–1841) prior to becoming president. Polk was born in North Carolina, but mostly lived in and represented the state of Tennessee.

James Knox Polk (November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the eleventh President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1845 to March 4, 1849. Wisconsin – May 29, 1848. Iowa – December 28, 1846. Texas – December 29, 1845.

Robert Cooper Grier (1846). Levi Woodbury (1845).