James K. Polk (130)
Polk was the 11th President of the US, and was a protege of Andrew Jackson. He was previously Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor of Tennessee. He is chiefly remembered for extending the territory of the US during the Mexican-American War. Historians consider him as the most effective president of the pre-Civil War era. He achieved all the domestic and foreign policy goals he set. He was a slaveholder most of his adult life, and even bought slaves while he was President. He left office in 1849, and died 3 months later. He is often referred to as the “Dark Horse” President. Polk was the last strong President until the Civil War.
