Do you recognize this man? Probably not (and if you do, you are probably one of the few). That is the eleventh President of the United States, James K. Polk. He served 1845-1849. And while he actually had several major accomplishments while in office, he is one of those Presidents from the 19th century that, I think, most of don't know much about.
So in honor of the recent Presidential election, I decided to look at four 19th-century Presidents (all born in November, by the way) and give some bits of information and odd facts.
James K. Polk (1845-1849)
Polk was a Democrat from Tennessee who only served one term because he chose not to seek re-election. He died within a few months after leaving office. He was President during the Mexican War, which added a half-million square miles of new territory to the country.
- The first use of the telegraph for political news occurred with the announcement of Polk's nomination by the Democratic Party on May 29, 1844.
- At the age of 17, Polk became an early survivor of surgery. The year was 1812 and there was no anesthesia, so the doctor gave him some brandy, strapped him to a table, and removed gallstones that had been troubling him for most of his young life.
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
Taylor succeeded Polk as the twelfth President. He served during the time leading up to the Civil War, with the dispute over the expansion of slavery into the new territories.
- Was a member of the Whig party.
- Had been a professional soldier, and voted for the first time in 1848 when he ran for President.
- Despite being a slave holder himself, he was a firm nationalist and did not believe in sectionalism.
- Despite his opposition, Taylor's daughter Sarah eloped with Jefferson Davis, the future president of the Confederacy, in 1835. She died three months later of malaria.
- He died in office after serving one year, 127 days.
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
Pierce was the 14th President and served during the same turbulent period as Taylor leading up to the Civil War.
- Two months before he took office, his eleven year old son died, leaving both Pierce and his wife Jane grief-stricken and emotionally exhausted.
- Was a "dark horse" candidate for the Democratic party. He had served in both house of Congress by the time he was nominated, but he had been out of politics for about 10 years by the time of the convention.
- Pierce is the only elected President to not be renominated by his party.
James A. Garfield (1881)
Garfield was the 20th President of the United States. He is probably a bit more well-known than the other men profiled here, since he was the second president to be assassinated.
- Served as a brigadier general during the Civil War.
- Defeated General Winfield Hancock by only 10,000 popular votes in 1880.
- Was the last president to have been born in a log cabin.
- Term served was only 199 days.
- Garfield survived another 80 days after being shot by Charles Julius Guiteau.
-- Post by Tracy
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