James K. Polk

James K. Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. His administration annexed Texas, acquired Oregon territory, and fought the Mexican–American War, greatly expanding U.S. territory.

Mexican Cession: The territory Mexico ceded to the United States in 1848 under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The war Polk began produced this vast territorial acquisition, reopening disputes over slavery’s expansion.
Texas annexation: The incorporation of the Republic of Texas into the United States in 1845. Polk made annexation an early priority, despite its risks of war with Mexico.
Zachary Taylor: A U.S. Army general and the 12th president of the United States. Polk ordered Taylor’s forces to the disputed Texas border before fighting began.
John Tyler: The 10th president of the United States, whose administration secured the joint resolution annexing Texas. Tyler initiated Texas annexation, but Polk inherited the issue and completed it.
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo: The 1848 treaty that ended the Mexican–American War and transferred extensive Mexican territory to the United States. It formalized the principal territorial gains of Polk’s war.
Oregon Treaty: The 1846 agreement that established the U.S.–British boundary in the Oregon Country. Polk resolved the Oregon boundary dispute through negotiation rather than war.
Winfield Scott: A U.S. Army general who led the 1847 campaign that captured Mexico City. His campaign delivered the military victory that strengthened Polk’s negotiating position.
Millard Fillmore: The 13th president of the United States, who succeeded Zachary Taylor in 1850. Fillmore governed amid disputes over the territories acquired during Polk’s presidency.
Wilmot Proviso: An 1846 proposal to prohibit slavery in territory acquired from Mexico. The land Polk sought intensified congressional conflict over whether slavery could expand westward.
Mexican–American War: The 1846–1848 war between the United States and Mexico over territory and sovereignty. Polk requested war after a border clash, opening the path to major territorial gains.

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