( James Knox Polk 1795–1849)
the 11th US President (1845–9) and a member of the Democratic Party . He had earlier been in the US House of Representatives (1825–39), the last four years as the Speaker of the House , and was then Governor of Tennessee (1839–41). During his time as President, the US added Texas to the Union and fought the Mexican War which also added California and most of the South-West.