Description
Book SynopsisJames K. Polk’s ascension to the White House was a pivotal moment in propelling the US towards civil war, and the 1844 election expanded the vigorous campaigning that had been growing since 1824. Mark Cheathem examines the transition from traditional political issues, such as banking and tariffs, to newer ones, like immigration and slavery.
Trade Review"Who Is James K. Polk? is essential reading for every political junkie, for anyone interested in presidential campaigns, and for all who seek to understand antebellum America and the road to civil war."—Real Clear Books
"Elections matter. And few have mattered more in US history than the 1844 election, which elevated to the White House a leader whose aggressive policies inadvertently helped set the nation on a path to civil war. In Who Is James Polk?, historian Mark Cheathem harnesses his unrivalled command of the politics of the 1830s and 1840s to give us the definitive account of this pivotal, if too often neglected, election. A must-read addition to this justly acclaimed series on America’s presidential elections."—Richard J. Ellis, author of Old Tip vs. the Sly Fox: The 1840 Election and the Making of a Partisan Nation
"This will be the standard work on the election of 1844. It is also the model for how presidential elections should be studied and discussed. Cheathem gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of all the campaigns during the 1844 election. Any reader will feel like a political insider after reading this excellent work."—William K. Bolt, professor of history, Francis Marion University, and former assistant editor of the James K. Polk Project
"Mark Cheathem’s account of the election of 1844 tells us who James K. Polk was, how he earned the Democratic nomination for president, how he won the White House, and why it matters. Deeply researched and engagingly written, the book places this often-overlooked election into the wide sweep of antebellum politics and explains that Polk’s election represented a ‘tipping point’ for the United States. Indeed, Cheathem makes clear that the sectional conflict over slavery that put the nation on the path to civil war cannot be fully analyzed without an understanding of this election. Historiographically significant, this book is a worthy contribution to the American Presidential Elections series."—Christopher J. Leahy, professor of history, Keuka College, and author of President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler
Table of Contents
- Editors’ Foreword
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Abbreviations
- 1. “A Political Saturnalia”: Jacksonian Party Politics, 1824–1840
- 2. “Oll for Klay”: The Whig National Convention
- 3. “An Entirely New Man”: The Democratic Convention
- 4. “:In the Hands of the Slave Power”: The Campaigns of Joseph Smith, John Tyler, and James G. Birney
- 5. “A National Festival”: The 1844 Campaign
- 6. “The Republic Is Safe”: Understanding Polk’s Victory
- Epilogue
- Appendix: James K. Polk’s Inaugural Address, March 4, 1845
- Notes
- Bibliographic Essay
- Index
