James K. Polk
Awards & Honours
0
Awards Won
2
Honours
2
Rankings
3
Records
James K. Polk is consistently ranked among the top 15 presidents in historical surveys. In the 2021 Siena College Research Institute survey, he ranked 13th. In the 2018 C-SPAN survey of historians, he ranked 11th. He is frequently cited as the president who expanded the United States more than any other single executive prior to the 20th century. His ability to fulfill every campaign promise during a single term remains a unique achievement in American political history.
Honours & Distinctions
National Governors Association Hall of Fame
Inducted posthumously for his service as Governor of Tennessee.
Tennessee State Museum Honors
Recognized for his significant contributions to Tennessee and American history.
Rankings & Lists
Presidential Rankings Survey
C-SPAN Historians Survey
Records & Feats
Most Territorial Expansion in One Term
Acquired Texas, Oregon Territory, and the Mexican Cession, tripling the size of the nation.
First President Photographed
Taken a daguerreotype in 1849 shortly before his death.
Greatest Dark Horse Candidate
Won the 1844 nomination as a compromise choice and defeated Henry Clay.