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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
"He said exactly what he was going to do and did it"--Truman, June 5, 2005
This review is from: James K. Polk: The American Presidents Series: The 11th President, 1845-1849 (American Presidents (Times)) (Hardcover)
When I read about President James K. Polk's accomplishments in the swift overview history classes in school, I remember wondering why he is not more well-known. He set out four main goals that he would achieve in one term, was successful on each one, kept his promise in not running for President again, retired and died within three months of leaving office as if his life purpose was fulfilled and there was nothing more to give to the country. One cannot ask for anything more from a President. He is always highly listed in presidential rankings, but most Americans have probably never heard of him. Perhaps it is because he only served one term and succeeded and preceded two mediocre administrations (Tyler and Taylor). Serving almost 20 years before the Civil War may have also dimmed his legacy as many American history buffs focus their attention on the war years and those immediately preceding them. Secessionist grumbling, although very much present during Polk's political career, had not yet reached the boiling point. After reading the James Buchanan book of this American Presidents series, I looked forward to learning again about Polk's achievements in Seigenthaler's book.
Like all of the American Presidents series books, this biography is a brief (156 pages of actual text) overview of Polk's career. I do not fault Seigenthaler's work for being short and terse because these books are meant for the busy reader who does not have the time to read massive volumes. I do fault the author for concentrating so much on Polk's congressional career at the expense of what really made him great: his term as the 11th President of the U.S. In this book, Polk does not become President until page 102.
I agree with a previous reviewer. The one thing that sticks out in my mind after reading this book, besides Polk's extreme partisan politics and the control he wielded as President, was the urinary stone (not gallstone) operation he suffered through when 17 that probably left him sterile or impotent (pp. 19-20). On this point, Seigenthaler offers painful detail. For the rest of the book, Seigenthaler moves quickly through events, but the key things covered are how the "corrupt deal" of 1824 (putting John Quincy Adams in office) affected Polk's political aspirations (p. 33), his allegiance to Andrew Jackson in fighting Nicholas Biddle and the Second Bank of the United States (pp. 51-3), and events leading to his nomination for the Presidency. The initial front-runner for the Democratic party, former President Martin Van Buren, did not even want Polk as a VP candidate after Polk lost two gubernatorial bids in Tennessee. Van Buren and Whig candidate Henry Clay made nomination-killing decisions in opposing the annexation of Texas (a very popular cause). Polk was a Jackson disciple with the nickname "Young Hickory," but he was not a complete yes-man. For example, he sided with John C. Calhoun and against Jackson on the issue of state nullification (however, Polk was no secessionist) (p. 48). When he was elected President, Polk made his own choices when it came to the cabinet (actually, he probably favored running the entire administration himself) even when the choices disagreed with the aged Jackson's wishes (p. 112).
After describing how Polk put his cabinet together, Seigenthaler rushes through Polk's main achievements in 40 pages. His four goals were to (1) lower the tariff, (2) create an independent treasury (his Constitutional Treasury Bill would last until 1913 when it was replaced by the Federal Reserve System), (3) acquire Oregon from the British, and (4) acquire California from Mexico. One plus about this book was that I did come away from it with a greater understanding of who Polk was as a person and what motivated him. He was self-righteous almost to the point of humorless. He was a control-freak while in office and extremely partisan. He was highly critical of his generals Scott and Taylor during the war with Mexico, even though they were highly capable and successful, for no other reason than because they were Whigs. He was a strong Unionist and probably would have had a Lincoln-esque legacy if he (rather than Buchanan) were President when secessionist furor was at its height. His relationship with Secretary of State Buchanan is described here better than in the Buchanan biography in this series. The book is very well written but, content-wise, I think Polk's presidential years are found lacking.
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26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Admirable Portrait Of A Neglected President, December 31, 2003
This review is from: James K. Polk: The American Presidents Series: The 11th President, 1845-1849 (American Presidents (Times)) (Hardcover)
When the Democratic party nominated the nation's first dark horse presidential candidate in 1844, the opposition Whig party responded with the cry, "Who is James Polk?" Today, many people unfamiliar with this era of the nation's history might ask the same question. Veteran journalist John Seigenthaler provides the answer in this compact, well-organized biography, the latest entry in the "American Presidents" series.
Of course, the Whigs, and the rest of the country, knew who Polk was, but they were surprised to see him contending for the highest office in the land. As a young man, Polk had risen rapidly from the Tennessee legislature to the US House of Representatives, where he was a powerful and effective speaker. He returned home to run for governor of the state, seeing that position as his eventual springboard to the presidency. He served a single two-year term in the statehouse, but lost the next two elections. Most in the political arena thought Polk's fortunes were in eclipse before his surprising emergence as the Democratic nominee and subsequent victory over Henry Clay in the general election.
Polk promised to serve only one term in the presidency, a pledge that he kept. He also laid out four principal goals for his administration--a lower tariff, restoration of an independent national treasury, and securing Oregon and California for the United States. He accomplished all of these, the most challenging being the acquisition of California, which came at the price of an unpopular war with Mexico.
Historians have consistently rated Polk as among the presidential greats or near-greats. But he has little historical resonance with the public in comparison with outsized figures such as Washington, Jackson, Lincoln and the Roosevelts. Seigenthaler explains this as being a product of Polk's colorless, humorless, driven personality. He quotes extensively from Polk's presidential diary to illustrate the rivalries and jealousies that often seemed to control his thoughts and actions. While he may have been a small man in some ways, Polk accomplished great things, Seigenthaler concludes...and that's why his life and career are worthy of greater acknowledgment today.--William C. Hall
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the better presidents--but not so well known, April 8, 2008
Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. is the overall editor of the "American Presidents" series. This features short biographies of American presidents, their backgrounds, their accomplishments (or lack thereof), and their post-presidency lives. The purpose of this series, in Schlesinger's words (Page xvi): "It is the aim of the American Presidents series to present the grand panorama of our chief executives in volumes compact enough for the busy reader, lucid enough for the students, authoritative enough for the scholar."
Nicknamed "Little Hickory," after Andrew Jackson, as his political career matured, James K. Polk is routinely judged to be one of the better American presidents. However, for the most part, he is little known to most Americans. This book provides a basis for understanding why his reputation among historians is so positive. The author, John Siegenthaler, insists that (Pages 1-2): "In the nineteenth century, only Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, and Abraham Lincoln would wield the power of the office of chief magistrate as effectively."
The book discusses his family background and his youth. He had some serious medical problems, leading to surgery in a time where surgery was not far from butchery. He was intellectually rigid, not very imaginative, was incapable of thinking outside the box. Yet he was talented and determined to achieve his goals.
Early in his career, "Old Hickory" and Polk became allies. It was a relationship that would redound greatly to Polk's benefit. He was a firm Democrat, in Jackson's tradition. In the 1820s, he was elected to the House of Representatives. After Jackson's accession to the Presidency, Polk served as one of his champions in Congress, eventually becoming Speaker of the House.
Then, he returned to Tennessee to run for Governor. He triumphed. However, after this, his political luck disappeared, as he became a two time loser. In the run-up to the presidential race in 1844, his only desire was to become the Vice-Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party. He became the first "dark horse" candidate to be nominated as President (the machinations are worth reading!) and then elected to the highest office in the land. He had promised to serve only one time and listed 4 goals that he intended to achieve, including the admission of Texas into the Union.
After many struggles and much pain, he succeeded. However, the tough years in the White House had an effect on him, and he was dead shortly after his term ended.
This book is a good read; it is relatively brief (156 pages of text); it lays out why he is rated so highly, although one can surely disagree with his positions. I would recommend this highly for what it is--a brief introduction to a person who is rated as one of our better presidents.
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