James Knox Polk was born 2 November 1795, near Charlotte, North Carolina. The man who was destined to give practical expression to the phrase 'manifest destiny' was descended from a Robert Polk from Londonderry, who had arrived in the American Colonies about 1680. It is likely that the surname Polk was a corruption of the name Pollock after James Polks ancestors had arrived in America.

Like Andrew Jackson, Polk began his career as a lawyer and soon became an active member of the Democratic Party. His presidency is remembered chiefly for the successful war against Mexico (1846 - 48) resulting in the acquisition of much of what now forms the south-western United States, ie Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and California. The result was that the United States doubled in size under Polk's presidency, an increase greater than under any other president.