Date: 15.10.2020
Topic: James Knox Polk – the 11th president of the United States.
Teacher: Before reading about James Knox Polk, let’s check your language guess.
Work the following words out and do the tasks.
Match the words with their definitions.
1.
Tension
2.
Legislature
3.
To
grant
4.
Contiguous
5.
Gallstone
a)
Next
to or touching another, usually similar, thing.
b)
A
small piece of hard material that sometimes forms in the gall bladder (= an
organ in the body) and can cause great pain.
c)
An
elected group of people in a country or part of a country who have the power to
make and change laws.
d)
To
give or allow someone something, usually in an official way.
e)
A
feeling or nervousness before an important or difficult event.
Fill the words above in the sentences.
1.
The
examination may be used to locate, and in some cases remove, ___________ stuck
in the bile duct.
2.
After
the arrival of the United Nations soldiers, ___________ in the area began to
ease.
3.
They
___________ her an entry visa.
4.
The
two states are ___________ to each other, but the laws are quite different.
5.
Republican
leaders in the ___________ said they will appeal the court decision.
Teacher: Find the words while reading the biography.
Served as President: 1845-1849
Vice President: George Dallas
Party: Democrat
Age at inauguration: 49
Born: November 2, 1795 in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Died: June 15, 1849 in Nashville, Tennessee
Married: Sarah Childress Polk
Children: none
Nickname: Young Hickory
What is James K. Polk most known for?
James K. Polk is
mostly known for expanding the territory of the United States. He added Texas
and Wisconsin as states and secured land to the west that would one day make up
the entire 48 contiguous states of the United States.
Growing Up
James grew up in
a big family. He was the oldest of 10 children. He first lived in North
Carolina and then his family moved to Tennessee. He was a sickly child and even
had to have his gallstones removed in a surgery without any type of pain
killers or anesthesia.
James graduated
with honors from the University of North Carolina in 1818. He then went on to
study law and became a lawyer in 1820. From there he started his own successful
law practice.
Before He Became President
Polk soon
decided to enter politics. He was a good speaker, a skill which he had learned
from being part of the debate club in college. His political career began when
he was elected to the Tennessee state legislature. Next, he became a member of
the U.S. House of Representatives. Polk was a supporter of fellow Tennessean
Andrew Jackson. Andrew Jackson's nickname was "Old Hickory" and Polk
ended up with the nickname "Young Hickory" because he supported
Jackson and was also from Tennessee.
Polk served in
the House for 14 years. He was a respected member and was eventually elected to
Speaker, or leader, of the House. In 1839 he became governor of Tennessee.
In 1844, Polk
entered the presidential race hoping to be nominated for vice president. Most
people expected that former president, Martin Van Buren, would get the
Democratic Party nomination for president. However, Van Buren was not popular
and Polk ended up being nominated by the Democrats for president. He defeated
Whig leader Henry Clay in the general election and became president in 1845.
James K. Polk's Presidency
When Polk became
president, his main goal was to expand the borders of the United States all the
way to the Pacific Ocean. He also wanted to settle border disputes with Great
Britain regarding the Oregon Territory.
Polk threatened
Great Britain with war over the northern boundary to the west. He said that the
U.S. wanted the territory all the way to the 54-40 line, just south of Alaska.
A popular slogan of the day was "54-40 or fight". Britain later
agreed to a border at the 49th parallel, which is today the border between the
U.S. and Canada. Polk was happy about this settlement as he never really wanted
to go war with Britain.
Mexican-American War
One of the first
things Polk did when he became president was to grant Texas statehood. This
made the Mexican government angry. Tensions began to mount at the border and it
wasn't long before the Mexican-American War broke out. The Americans dominated
the war and eventually took over much of the land that became the Southwest of
the United States including New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
No Second Term
Polk decided not
to run for a second term as president. He felt that he had accomplished his
goal of expanding the territory of the U.S. to the Pacific Ocean and there was
no need for another term.
How did he die?
Polk had worked
very hard at being president and was exhausted and sickly. Just three months
after leaving office, he died of cholera.
Test Quiz
1) James K. Polk
was the _______ President of the United States.
Eleventh
Twelfth
Thirteenth
Fourteenth
Fifteenth
2) Who was James
K. Polk's wife?
He never married
Sarah Childress
Margaret Mackall Smith
Abigail Powers
Jane Means Appleton
3) Who was the
Vice President of the United States under James K. Polk?
William Rufus De Vane King
John Cabell Breckinridge
George Dallas
Millard Fillmore
None
4) What was
James K. Polk's nickname?
Last of the Whigs
Handsome Frank
Ten-Cent Jimmy
Young Hickory
Old Rough-and-Ready
5) Where was
James K. Polk born?
Virginia
Massachusetts
Ohio
New York
North Carolina
6) What
political position did Polk hold before becoming President of the United
States?
Governor of Tennessee
Speaker of the House
Member of the Tennessee state legislature
All of the above
None of the above
7) What was
Polk's main goal as president?
To expand the borders of the United States to the Pacific Ocean
To defeat Great Britain in war
To establish national healthcare
To conquer Canada
To serve for at least 3 terms
8) What major
war was the U.S. a part of during James K. Polk's presidency?
War of 1812
Mexican-American War
French Revolution
American Civil War
Spanish-American War
9) What was the
slogan '54-40 or Fight' about?
Making Texas a state
The revolution in California to break from Mexico
The border between the U.S. and Great Britain in the Oregon Territory
It was a political slogan against the Whig party
10) James K.
Polk earned his nickname because he supported what U.S. president?
John Tyler
William Henry Harrison
Martin Van Buren
Zachary Taylor
Andrew Jackson
Homework: Read the biography about James Knox Polk, do the tasks and send your
answers through my e-mail (elenakozak90@gmail.com)