James K. Polk was considered by many to be the most successful president to ever hold office. Polk's intelligence, ethics, and leadership during his presidency were factors that contributed to a successful tenure in the White House in which he achieved all of the goals set out in his inaugural address. With a highly successful political career, as well as his confident actions as commander and leader of the United States, James K. Polk's importance became ingrained in American history after serving only one term. The 11th President of the United States, James Knox Polk, was born on November 2, 1795 in a small North Carolina farming town known as Pineville. His parents, Samuel and Jane Polk, were descendants of Scottish families who immigrated to America in the 17th century. Because he “was the eldest of ten children” (Gale), some might argue that Polk's leadership characteristics were innate. Almost contradictory to the future of this assertive leader, young Polk's body was frail and certainly unsuited to hard manual labor. Because of this physical damage, Polk abandoned the life of a hard worker and devoted himself to preparatory studies in the state of Tennessee. After completing preparatory school, Polk soon began further studies at North Carolina University in 1815, where he graduated with honors in classics and mathematics in 1818. Having completed a commendable undergraduate effort, the young man who would soon become president he began studying law. under the leadership of Felix Grundy, “a successful lawyer who had also served as a United States Congressman” (Carnegie and Howes 163). The young apprentice was very skilled in his experience and practiced law in Columbia for three years, besides settling...... middle of paper ...... permitting the admission of Texas into the Union. The Mexican-American War, 1846-1848, was the primary cause of the gain of over 1 million miles to the United States; the result of this was the future formation of today's states such as Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. This obtaining of such a large portion of land inaugurated one of the greatest migrations in American history in the famous gold rush of 1849. Polk's presidency and the political career that preceded it were so successful that the "fabulous 40s". From his modest upbringing to his successful role as an American leader, Polk displayed exceptional presidential qualities. Unquestionable competence, deep character and unassailable leadership led James Knox Polk to become America's most successful leader and set the standard for future presidents.