In 4th grade, before the days of internet searches, I had to do a paper on Polk. I didn’t have a clue so wrote what I could remember about Lincoln and held up a picture of Jefferson. The teacher never made a comment. Poor Polk never gets any respect.
They’re coming after him though. Bet on it. The conqueror of Mexico He is on the Re Conquista list
When I taught Jr High history, I told my students that Polk was the most important President they had never heard of. In just 4 years, he negotiated a treaty with Britain for the lower half of the Oregon Country (even though campaign said “54º 40’ or fight!). Annexed Texas, won the Mexican war and gained the rest of the American southwest (except for the Gadsen Purchase). Because of Polk, the U.S. stretched from sea to sea.
He called himself the hardest-working man in the U.S. Reminds me a bit of President Trump (although Time or Newsweek calls him “lazy”).