I'll admit I knew very little about our eleventh President James K. Polk before we visited his home and gravesite.
The Polk portion of our tour began at the Tennessee state capitol grounds where he is buried. Quite an impressive location. Nearby is an equestrian statue of President Andrew Jackson, also very impressive. Irises were in bloom, so it was especially pretty. I was distracted by the views, so I don't recall much of what our tour leader Richard Norton Smith was telling us at the time. I'll have to catch it on C-SPAN when it's broadcasted.
Our tour continued to the home where President Polk resided, about 95 miles away in Columbia, TN. Again, I was impressed ~ a comfortable home, ca 1816, federal-style architecture. There are over 1,000 personal objects here that belonged to the Polks. This truly seemed more like a home than a museum.
I liked seeing the inaugural gown of Sally Polk and a fan given to her, I think, by her husband, with images of the 11 presidents on it. Now that's a real gem of political memorabilia! Also fascinating is the daguerreotype of President Polk's Cabinet, the first ever image of the inside of the White House.
Polk's accomplishments? During his administration:
* He kept his promise of running and being office for just one-term;
* Three new States were added, so the U.S. extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific;
* The very first U.S. postage stamp was issued;
* Construction was begun on the Washington monument;
* The custom of holding elections the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November
was initiated.
From their portraits, the Polks seem to have been a handsome couple.Their time in the White House was very austere ~ no drinking, no singing, no dancing, and strict observance of the Sabbath. They had no children. Mrs. Polk outlived her husband by many years, and was most highly respected by all who knew her. She died in 1891.
Then it time to board our bus once again. We were going Shiloh.
No comments:
Post a Comment