James K. Polk papers, 1790-1889

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Summary

Creators:
Polk, James K. (James Knox), 1795-1849
Abstract:
This collection primarily consists of correspondence and notes of James K. Polk, dating from 1844 to 1849, and correspondence of his wife Sarah Childress Polk, dating from 1883 to 1889.
Extent:
2.34 Linear Feet (2 flat boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. James K. Polk papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection primarily consists of correspondence and notes of James K. Polk, dating from 1844 to 1849, and correspondence of his wife Sarah Childress Polk, dating from 1883 to 1889; a 19th century copy of Polk's 1849 will is also present. Polk's correspondence discusses politics, plans for his presidency, and the collectorship of New York. His notes on newspaper articles concern Martin Van Buren; Benjamin Tappan, Francis P. Blair and the annexation of Texas; and the Wilmot Proviso. The collection also contains several newspaper articles from 1846 regarding the Oregon boundary dispute, a copy of Senator Arthur Bagby's 1845 open letter to the people of Alabama concerning the annexation of Texas, and an 1849 extract from a French newspaper about events in the United States. Sarah Childress Polk's correspondence primarily concerns biographical sketches of herself and her late husband, with several letters from George Bancroft. In addition, the collection contains a note regarding a Congressional report on title endorsed by James Madison, 1790.

Biographical / historical:

James K. Polk (November 2, 1795-June 15, 1849), the eleventh President of the United States, was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, the son of a farmer and enslaver. The family relocated to Tennessee, where Polk was admitted to the bar in 1820 and was elected to the state legislature in 1823. He served as a congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1825 to 1839, becoming speaker of the house in 1835. Polk was elected governor of Tennessee in 1839 but failed in his bids for reelection in 1841 and 1843.

In 1844, he was elected president as a Democrat with an agenda that supported territorial expansion. Polk's administration was involved in a boundary dispute with Great Britain over the Oregon territory, settling the border with Canada at the 49th parallel in 1846 with the Oregon Treaty. That same year, the United States declared war on Mexico following the U.S. annexation of Texas in 1845 and the subsequent disputes with Mexico over national boundaries. The war ended in a U.S. victory with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February 1848, which gave the U.S. control over Texas and established the border at the Rio Grande River. The treaty also added the Mexican Cession territory to the U.S. which would comprise the future states of California, Nevada, and Utah; most of Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado; and portions of Wyoming, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Polk had opposed the Wilmot Proviso, a failed congressional provision to ban slavery from territories acquired from Mexico; he supported the expansion of slavery and the rights of enslavers. In financial matters, Polk secured passage of the Walker Tariff Act in 1846 and successfully reestablished an independent treasury. He created the Department of the Interior in March 1849.

Polk owned cotton plantations in Tennessee and Mississippi and enslaved over 55 laborers. Polk married Sarah Childress (1803-1891) in 1824; the couple had no children. He returned to Tennessee following his single presidential term and died there three months later of cholera.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Mrs. James W. Fertig, 1949.
Processing information:

This collection was reprocessed in 2021 by Melissa Haley as part of the American Presidential Papers Project. Previously assigned item-level call numbers have been retained; material was rehoused during reprocessing. The number of pages for each item is noted in parentheses in item-level Scope and Contents notes. Page count includes enclosures and envelopes if annotated by Polk.

Previously assigned legacy terminology regarding autograph status was retained; items marked autograph indicate the item is in the handwriting of the author of the letter or document. The term docket generally refers to an item's label created at the time for filing purposes.

Arrangement:

This collection is arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. James K. Polk papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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