A Brief Biography of James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States (Annotated)

This easy-to-understand guide to the life and career of James K. Polk (equivalent in length to a physical book of approximately 16 pages) was written especially for the esteemed multi-volume “World Book: Organized Knowledge in Story and Picture” (1919 edition).

Includes supplemental material:

• About James Polk in Brief
• About the Mexican War

Sample passage:
The outstanding feature of Polk’s administration was the Mexican War. In his first annual message to Congress, the President declared that the annexation of Texas was a matter that concerned only the latter and the United States, no foreign country having any right to interfere. He also informed Congress that the American army under General Zachary Taylor had occupied the west bank of the Nueces River, beyond which Texas had never attempted to exercise jurisdiction. On December 29, 1845, Texas was admitted to the Union. The Mexican authorities, however, used every ingenuity to negotiate with the United States concerning the disputed territory east of the Rio Grande, but the negotiations came to naught. Thereupon General Taylor’s force advanced, and met the Mexican army at Palo Alto.

About the author:
W. F. Zimmerman was a staff editor of “World Book: Organized Knowledge in Story and Picture.”