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Presents a biography of James K. Polk ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very simplistic overview
This book is a very simplistic overview of the life of James Polk.It is suitable for those looking to find out the BAREST MINIMAL details of this great man's life.

Instead, I recommend _James K. Polk_ by Sean McCollum. For juvenile non-fiction, it gives the same information, but with more detail... just enough to give a sense of the man and the time he lived. ... Read more

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Every President of the United States gives an Inaugural Address once sworn into office. This book has compiled every Inaugural Address from every President in American History.

It is fascinating to read each Presidents perception of America's greatest strengths, weaknesses, trials, and joys in their speeches.

The entire American history can be chronicled through these speeches - everything from George Washingtons explanation of the monumental task of nation-building that lies before him, to Abraham Lincolns somber speech explaining the enormous challenge of maintaining a unified nation, to Franklin D. Roosevelts unprecedented four Inaugural Addresses, each detailing the Great Depression, World War II, and The New Deal. In more recent history, it is striking to read Bill Clinton's and George W. Bush's promises to the nation and compare their statements to how events and decisions have made (or not made) these promises reality. America's newest President, Barack Obama, delivers a monumental inauguration speech that is a milestone for not only the Civil Rights Movement, but for any American that believes in liberty and justice for all.

Women's Suffrage, the Civil Rights Movement, various wars, presidential assasinations, economic situations, and various threats and treaties with other countries come to life within this presidential context.

Anyone who is interested in American History will find this book to be worth beyond measure. Through their own words, each American President's distinct character comes alive in these pages; even the most uninterested person will become completely engaged in this book, which will most certainly make a great addition to any collection.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Inagural Addresses, Return to Sender.
OK, at first I thought it would be interesting to read all the Inagural Addresses from Washington to Obama. Well I thought wrong. First, there is no Table, so you can not use the "joy" button to navagate to the next chapter. So if you are reading Lincoln's address & you want to go to JFK, you have to do a Search, then chose from the many Kennedy choices.
The chapters between the addresses run together so you may be reading Washington & all of a sudden you are reading Adam's address. They could have made the reading interesting, but most of the Inagural Addresses were very dull. the book it is mind numbing long, drawn out & reads like a Who's, Who of Who cares.
For a few dollars I still do not feel the the price is right. this book should not be in the Kindle book format, but maybe a small paperback where one can thumb through the chapters & pages. I would not recommend this in Kindle format. Get up off the couch, get a little fresh air, walk to the book store & buy the book. ... Read more

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It is to me a source of unaffected satisfaction to meet the representatives of the States and the people in Congress assembled, as it will be to receive the aid of their combined wisdom in the administration of public affairs. In performing for the first time the duty imposed on me by the Constitution of giving to you information of the state of the Union and recommending to your consideration such measures as in my judgment are necessary and expedient, I am happy that I can congratulate you on the continued prosperity of our country. Under the blessings of Divine Providence and the benign influence of our free institutions, it stands before the world a spectacle of national happiness.

With our unexampled advancement in all the elements of national greatness, the affection of the people is confirmed for the Union of the States and for the doctrines of popular liberty which lie at the foundation of our Government.

It becomes us in humility to make our devout acknowledgments to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe for the inestimable civil and religious blessings with which we are favored.

In calling the attention of Congress to our relations with foreign powers, I am gratified to be able to state that though with some of them there have existed since your last session serious causes of irritation and misunderstanding, yet no actual hostilities have taken place. Adopting the maxim in the conduct of our foreign affairs "to ask nothing that is not right and submit to nothing that is wrong," it has been my anxious desire to preserve peace with all nations, but at the same time to be prepared to resist aggression and maintain all our just rights.

In pursuance of the joint resolution of Congress "for annexing Texas to the United States," my predecessor, on the 3d day of March, 1845, elected to submit the first and second sections of that resolution to the Republic of Texas as an overture on the part of the United States for her admission as a State into our Union. This election I approved, and accordingly the charge d'affaires of the United States in Texas, under instructions of the 10th of March, 1845, presented these sections of the resolution for the acceptance of that Republic. The executive government, the Congress, and the people of Texas in convention have successively complied with all the terms and conditions of the joint resolution. A constitution for the government of the State of Texas, formed by a convention of deputies, is herewith laid before Congress. It is well known, also, that the people of Texas at the polls have accepted the terms of annexation and ratified the constitution. I communicate to Congress the correspondence between the Secretary of State and our charge d'affaires in Texas, and also the correspondence of the latter with the authorities of Texas, together with the official documents transmitted by him to his own Government. The terms of annexation which were offered by the United States having been accepted by Texas, the public faith of both parties is solemnly pledged to the compact of their union. Nothing remains to consummate the event but the passage of an act by Congress to admit the State of Texas into the Union upon an equal footing with the original States. Strong reasons exist why this should be done at an early period of the session. It will be observed that by the constitution of Texas the existing government is only continued temporarily till Congress can act, and that the third Monday of the present month is the day appointed for holding the first general election. On that day a governor, a lieutenant-governor, and both branches of the legislature will be chosen by the people.


Download Papers Of Presidents Polk Now! ... Read more

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State of the Union Address by James K. Polk

Here it is, the State of the Union Address. Every president makes them.

Kids need a quick and easy school report, trying reading these in class.

Need a quote to spruce up any report or presentation then this is for you.


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The Inaugural Speeches of the President -JAMES KNOX POLK ... Read more

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A highly acclaimed biography of a much neglected president, a gripping narrative that illuminates a crucial epoch in U.S. history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Polk
I wanted to fill in some gaps in my US history knowledge but got a pleasant surprise.This book is a fascinating story of how a narrowly focused President was crucial in making the US territory into what we know today. An interesting account of the collection of characters that came together to accomplish the feat of extending the US from sea to shining sea.

A Perfect Biography of a "Forgotten" President
Merry's A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (Hardcover) is an excellent biography of a vastly under-appreciated American president.I had always wondered why - among all of our presidents - Polk regularly rates in the top 10 by historians, especially since he had only served one term.Merry's book admirably answers that question.And in reading it, I suspect you will begin to wonder why Polk ONLY rates in the top 10 and not in the top five.

Polk promised one term and in that single term set out to accomplish four goals:
1. Increase American prosperity
2. Settle the joint occupation of Oregon with Great Britain
3. Expand the US to the Pacific ocean by acquiring at least California
4. Ensure currency stability

And in four years, Polk accomplished every single one of those tremendous goals.

A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (Hardcover) walks the reader through how, from Polk's political apprenticeship under Andrew Jackson through his deft handling of both his own party and Congressional dawdling, Polk accomplished all of the above and led the nation to victory in a war with Mexico.Along the way, we glimpse why the Founding Fathers had struggled with the slavery issue, put it aside, and how it was roaring back into life as the US expanded.Midway through Polk's term in the 1840s, Southern senators and representatives were threatening violence and disunion to retain their "peculiar institution."

Polk had to juggle strong emotions, a back-biting cabinet, and a nation still searching for its way.It was a period when the phrase "manifest destiny" was coined and the US increasingly pushed the old European powers out of North America.

Merry's book is extremely well written and sourced, with just the right amount of digression to help a reader understand the backdrop and complexities of an issue like Texas annexation.Indeed, it is the mark of a good biography that the reader finds himself unwittingly hoping the subject will change ("Fire Buchanan this time, please - he's just going to backstab you again") even though the events took place 160 years ago!And this Merry is able to accomplish.

Indeed, I was a bit disappointed when this book ended and frustrated that Merry ended it so quickly after Polk left office - but then *chagrin* I realized that Polk died suddenly 4 months after leaving office, so how much longer could the biography of Polk gone on?

And finally, Merry includes what I personally like to see in a good biography - a section on the legacy of the person profiled.

Merry's biography of Polk, A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the Mexican War and the Conquest of the American Continent (Hardcover), is incredibly well worth your time and should be high on your list of non-fiction to read this year.

My New Favorite President
He did everything he said he was going to do.He won every fight he didn't ask for.He did it in a single term as planned.Certainly as a model of execution for a particular job, Polk's presidency should rank very high.Merry's book presents clear perspective from 32 presidents beyond Polk's administration yet includes the detailed political melee that would be found in newspapers of the day.Polk's plain views, the circumstances of the Mexican war and slavery have rendered him an obscure president, until now.

A Luckyand Successful President
A Country of Vast Designs by Robert W. Merry, is subtitled James K Polk, the Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent. During Polk's single term as president, the US annexed the Republic of Texas (which contained parts of the current states of New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado, and Wyoming. Texas had defeated Mexico and established its de facto independence in 1836, but Mexico refused to recognize that status and a technical state of war still existed between them. Mexico had stated that US annexation of Texas would be cause for renewal of the war. To complicate matters, Texas claimed the Rio Grande as its southwest border while Mexico claimed that the Nueces River, about 100 miles further northeast, was the border. Simultaneously, Britain was negotiating with the Texans with an eye to establishing a British protectorate. Separately, Britain and the US were trying to negotiate a settlement to their joint occupation of the Oregon Country between California and Russian Alaska. The annexation of Texas by the US and its admission as a state were actually completed as a last act of the administration of John Tyler, the Democrat-turned-Whig VP that succeeded William Henry Harrison upon the latter's death a month after his inauguration. This was the situation that Polk inherited upon his inauguration in 1845.

Polk was a sober, serious, and hard working president, and, in my view, blessed with an inordinate degree of good luck. After a successful career in congress as a protégé of Andrew Jackson, he was elected governor of Tennessee. After this success, his luck left him, temporarily, and he was twice defeated in successive runs for governor. With this negative momentum behind him, he decided to attempt a comeback by seeking the vice presidency in 1844. The presumed Democratic nominee was Martin Van Buren, the former president who had been defeated by Harrison in 1840. Shortly before the Democratic Convention, Van Buren, a New Yorker, announced his opposition to the annexation of Texas, which cost him the support of the southern and western Democrats who supported annexation. The demise of the presumed nominee threw the convention into chaos. After several ballots, Polk, at Jackson's urging, agreed to allow his name to be considered for the presidential nomination, rather than the vice presidency. He was nominated as a compromise candidate favored by the south and west and acceptable to the northeastern Van Buren block. Given his status as no one's first choice, Polk pledged to serve a single term, leaving the next election open to his many rivals. In the general election, the Whig candidate, Henry Clay, took a page out of Van Buren's playbook by opposing Texas annexation, and followed Van Buren into defeat.

Upon winning the presidency, Polk set about achieving his four primary goals: (1) Obtaining California from Mexico, (2) resolving the Oregon dispute with Britain in a manner favorable to the US, (3) eliminating tariffs designed to favor certain domestic interests, replacing them with uniform percentage on the value of all goods, and (4) establishing an independent treasury to handle the finances of the government.

With war brewing with Mexico, Polk sought a negotiated settlement of the Oregon issue with Britain. A US proposal to divide the territory at latitude 49 North was summarily rejected by the British ambassador to Washington without referral back to London. The ambassador sought to make the Columbia River (between the current states of Oregon and Washington) the boundary. Polk rejected Secretary of State Buchanan's strong advice to continue negotiations and waited for the British government to make the next move. The president's fortitude was rewarded when the British government overruled its ambassador and offered to accept 49 North as the boundary with the small modification that left the southern tip of Vancouver Island that extends south of 49 North as British territory.Polk had achieved one of his four goals.

To deal with the Mexican threat he inherited, Polk sent a diplomatic mission to Mexico with instructions to seek a peaceful resolution and full powers to negotiate a settlement within predefined bounds. The Mexican governments in the 1940s were a chaotic lot, sometimes vaguely democratic, often outright despotic, usually put in power by military force. Constitutions were changed almost as often as governments. The Mexican government of the day refused to receive Polk's emissary, making war unavoidable. Polk sent Gen Zachary Taylor with a small army to the northeast bank of the Rio Grande, US territory. Soon after its arrival, a Mexican force crossed the river and attacked a small detached US force and inflicting casualties. The Mexican War was on.

Prior to the onset of war, a small US force under Col John C. Fremont was mapping western territories and had entered the Mexican territory of California. Fremont, exceeding his authority and aided by US Naval forces under Commodore Robert F. Stockton, seized control of California soon after the war started. Simultaneously, an expeditionary force under Gen Stephen Kearny departed from Kansas and seized Santa Fe, the capital of the Mexican territory of New Mexico (essentially all the Mexican territory between Texan and California).

California and New Mexico were sparsely populated and minimally defended territories that fell easily to small US forces. After these initial successes, the war turned into a slugging match in which repeated US victories were met by increasing Mexican determination not to accept defeat. To end the war, Polk sent a large force under Gen Winfield Scott to take the port of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico and then march west to take Mexico City. Scott succeeded in these assignments but got himself into hot water by offering an unauthorized bribe to Mexican General Santa Anna to accept defeat. Santa Anna took the bribe but kept on fighting. After Mexico City fell, the Moderado Party came to power and accepted Polk's terms of peace: (1) US annexation of Texas and (2) Mexican cession of California and New Mexico to the US in exchange for US assumption of Mexican government debts to US citizens and the payment of $15 million for the ceded territories. Polk had achieved a second of his four goals.

Meanwhile, in the midterm election of 1846, the Whigs took control of the House of Representatives. As the advocates of protective tariffs, they were ill disposed to support Polk's goal of low, uniform tariffs. Furthermore, as successors to Alexander Hamilton and the Federalist Party, they were supporters of the Bank of the United States, quasi-governmental national bank that Andrew Jackson had abolished. They were equally ill disposed to support Polk's establishment of an independent treasury. By seemingly miraculous legislative maneuvering, Polk succeeded in pushing his two remaining goals through the congress and signed them into law.

Throughout his presidency, Polk was burdened by a Secretary of State, James Buchanan, whose first loyalty was to his own presidential ambition, and a senior Army commander, Winfield Scott, whose exalted self-opinion resulted in repeated temper tantrums and insubordination. If Polk had a significant failing, it was his inability or unwillingness to rid himself of these two disloyal subordinates. In Scott's case, he was a spectacularly successful field commander. Buchanan seems to have had no such mitigating virtues. Polk kept both of them them in their key positions and achieved all his goals despite their troublesome conduct.

Polk has been portrayed in the modern popular press as an aggressive imperialist waging an unjust war on a weak neighbor. The author refutes these characterizations and notes that Polk is ranked among the top ten presidents by a significant number of eminent historians.

Great book!
Excellent narrative flow. Good insight into an under researched topic. A 'must have' for anyone interested in James K. Polk and the Mexican-American War. ... Read more

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James Polk was President of the United States from 1845 to 1849, a time when slavery began to dominate American politics.Polk's presidency coincided with the eruption of the territorial slavery issue, which within a few years would lead to the catastrophe of the Civil War. Polk himself owned substantial cotton plantations-- in Tennessee and later in Mississippi-- and some 50 slaves. Unlike many antebellum planters who portrayed their involvement with slavery as a historical burden bestowed onto them by their ancestors, Polk entered the slave business of his own volition, for reasons principally of financial self-interest.Drawing on previously unexplored records, Slavemaster President recreates the world of Polk's plantation and the personal histories of his slaves, in what is arguably the most careful and vivid account to date of how slavery functioned on a single cotton plantation. Life at the Polk estate was brutal and often short.Fewer than one in two slave children lived to the age of fifteen, a child mortality rate even higher than that on the average plantation.A steady stream of slaves temporarily fled the plantation throughout Polk's tenure as absentee slavemaster.Yet Polk was in some respects an enlightened owner, instituting an unusual incentive plan for his slaves and granting extensive privileges to his most favored slave. Startlingly, Dusinberre shows how Polk sought to hide from public knowledge the fact that, while he was president, he was secretly buying as many slaves as his plantation revenues permitted.Shortly before his sudden death from cholera, the president quietly drafted a new will, in which he expressed the hope that his slaves might be freed--but only after he and his wife were both dead.The very next day, he authorized the purchase, in strictest secrecy, of six more very young slaves. By contrast with Senator John C. Calhoun, President Polk has been seen as a moderate Southern Democratic leader. But Dusinberre suggests that the president's political stance toward slavery-- influenced as it was by his deep personal involvement in the plantation system-- may actually have helped precipitate the Civil War that Polk sought to avoid. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Silly Spoutings of a Race-Baiting Fool
I would most certainly award this poor excuse for a book with no stars, if only I could. Mr. Dusinberre is quite obviously a dirty race-baiter. Try and focus on the real achievements of James Polk, the man. Any one who isn't a complete moron will realize that he was the greatest cheif executive that this nation has ever had, and probably ever will have. The fulfillment of the annexation of Texas, the aquisition of the Oregan Territory, the aquisition of nearly all of the American west and southwest, the establishment of an independant national treasury, the lowering of tariffs, the establishment of the naval academy, the selection for the sites of both the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian, the signing the bill creating the Department of the Interior. And all of that in one four year term, as he'd pledged from the beginning. Let's not forget also that Polk was a micro-manager who worked on and carried out many of the duties of his cabinet, in addition to his own as President. Those are the facts one should focus on, Mr. Dusinberre. Not the dredging up of old issues. It's books like this that ruin what society is trying to do now...Patch up our differences and live together as what each and every one of us are...human beings.

JP
I give it four stars because this is a very interesting book, but I felt it was little about Polk and more about his slaves and their overseers.I need to read another Polk book if I want a better look at his Presidency.The book is true to its name, I just need to research the content better.

Not without interest.
This is a not uninteresting, well written and well researched look at a very narrow aspect of the life and career of James Polk, detailing very thoroughly his role as an owner of a deep-south plantation and his relationships with his slaves. If that interests you, this is an ideal book for you to read. If you're looking for an in-depth full life biography of James Polk, or even a book that gives much insight into his career as a politician and president, or any other facet of his life than that of slaveowner, this is definitely NOT what you're looking for.

An interesting and biased view of James polk.
I'm not sure if I would have been better off reading a general bio on Polk first, becuase this book is very biased, as the author admits. The argument is that Polk's policy was stronly influenced by him being a slaveowner. That Polk had conflicting interests because he ran several plantations in Tn and Miss and he was using the money from the plantations to secure himself a post-presidential retirement.

The book is organized in an interesting way. It begins by describing Polk's plantations and what it was like for the slaves , plus gives details regarding the overseers,a nd Polk's policies regarding purchasingand selling of slaves. Polk endeavored to hide what he was doing from the general public and his reasons for selling and guying were definitley not always patriarchal, but monetary.

Polk died a few months after leaving office, and none or few of his papers were destroyed, hence we have a record of what ocurred on the plantations.

the second half of the book covers the main aspects of Polk's presidential career --annexation of Tx and the MX War. The author discusses the events through the lens of slavery and tried to argue Polk's descisions were heavily influenced by Polk being a slaveowner. the author presents many what-ifs, discussing a vairety ofother scenarios that could have happened during Polk's presidency had he made other choices. I found these diversions to be a strength of the book instead of an irritant. The book gave me a lot to think about,a nd it was particulary interesting to learn the details of what Polk plantation life was like.

Not a page turner,but certainly a worthwhile read.
For American history buffs in general, and Civil War enthusiasts in particular, William Dusinberre has produced a volume worthy of your attention.Dusinberre argues with great vigor that James Polk helped to plant the seeds of civil war while he was President during the late 1840's.While pursuing the Presidency,Polk presented himself as a moderate on the issue of slavery. All the while,he was quietly engaged in the buying and selling of slaves for his Mississippi plantation.Dusinberre argues that throughout his four years in office,Polk advocated policies designed to perpetuate slavery for the forseable future. He cites in particular the annexation of Texas as a major issue.The book also chronicles the appalling working and living conditions many slaves were forced to live under and the total disregard that most slavemasters (Polk included) for the slaves family lives.In most instances,if it was a profitable transaction, slaves were sold off to the highest bidder and families were torn apart.Polk always portrayed himself as the benevolent master but the facts seem to dispute his claims.The book can be slow moving and at times I wondered if I would have the endurance to finish it.But I am glad I did.This book gives us an entirely new perspective on the events of that period and as such is a welcome addition. ... Read more

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James K. Polk chapter from the book-Facts about the Presidents, featuring data on the president-s background, life, and administration. Here you will find comprehensive,-uniformly arranged data on birth, family, education, nomination and election, congressional sessions, cabinet and Supreme Court appointments, vice president, first lady, and more--highlighting both the personal and political. Bibliographies guide readers to additional information on the president. ... Read more

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It was the Era of Good Feelings, but all was not well with the young Republic. From 1825 to 1849, presidents John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and James K. Polk grappled with the legacy of the Monroe Doctrine, Indian removal, territorial expansion, the National Bank, tariffs, economic depressions, War with Mexico, near war with Great Britain, and the place of slavery in the growing nation.

As one would expect from confident citizens of the burgeoning young country, conflicting arguments swirled around the hot-button issues of the day. This rich resource of primary documents enables students to read these arguments first hand, and feel the passions and study the logic driving their often forceful positions.

All of the primary documents are annotated and placed into historical context. A thorough index concludes the work.

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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1. George Washington
2. John Adams
3. Thomas Jefferson
4. James Madison
5. James Monroe
6. John Quincy Adams
7. Andrew Jackson
8. Martin Van Buren
9. William Henry Harrison
10. John Tyler
11. James K. Polk
12. Zachary Taylor
13. Millard Fillmore
14. Franklin Pierce
15. James Buchanan
16. Abraham Lincoln
17. Andrew Johnson
18. Ulysses S. Grant
19. Rutherford B. Hayes
20. James Garfield
21. Chester A. Arthur
22. Grover Cleveland
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This historic volume was published in 1855.

Contains:

- The Declaration of Independence
- The lives of the signers
- The Constitution of the United States
- The Inaugural Addresses and First Annual Messages of all the
Presidents, from Washington to Pierce
- The Farewell Addresses of George Washington and Andrew
Jackson
- Sketches of the Lives of the Presidents - Washington to Pierce
...............................................................................

Contents:

J. Q. Adams's Inaugural Address
J. Q. Adams's First Annual Message
Jackson's Inaugural Address
Jackson's First Annual Message
Jackson's Farewell Address
Van Buren's Inaugural Address
Van Buren's First Annual Message
Harrison's Inaugural Address
Tyler's Address to the People of the United States
Tyler's First Annual Message
Polk's Inaugural Address
Polk's Mexican War Message
Taylor's Inaugural Address
Taylor's First Annual Message
President Fillmore's Message
Fillmore's First Annual Message
Pierce's Inaugural Address

Sketches of the Lives of the Presidents from Washington to Pierce:

George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
James Monroe
John Quincy Adams
Andrew Jackson
Martin Van Buren
William Henry Harrison
John Tyler
James Knox Polk
Zachary Taylor
Millard Fillmore
Franklin Pierce








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John C. Frémont, the Pathfinder, was a bright mathematician and cartographer, a persistent and courageous adventurer, a quixotic man with more ups and downs in a lifetime than the New York Stock Exchange suffers in a year. He was also stubborn - stirring a whirlwind of passion and controversy with his contemporaries and, since his death in 1890, with historians and biographers. Undoubtedly talented, and with his marriage to Sen. Thomas Hart Benton's daughter Jessie, politically well connected, Frémont was the flint that ignited California's Bear Flag Revolt. But his actions were controversial and in the process he developed more enemies than friends. In his roller coaster life Frémont suffered through a nationally publicized court martial, gained promotion to major general before being forced to leave the Army and ended up as governor of the Arizona Territory working with Barry Goldwater's grandfather. He was California's first Senator and the Republican Party's first presidential candidate; yet he seemed to always fall just short of success.Author Daniel Alef tells the story of a man driven by ambition and talent who faltered and stumbled as much by tactlessness and arrogance as by circumstance. Yet his impact on history is unimpeachable and his biographical profile a fascinating tale of an American legend.[1,398-word Titans of Fortune article]

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