波克

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波克(1795～1849年)

Polk, James K(nox)

美国第十一任总统（1845～1849）。原为田纳西州律师，杰克森的朋友及支持者。在後者的帮助下当选众议员（1825～1839）。後任田纳西州州长（1839～1841）。在1844年民主大会出现僵局时，他被提名为折衷候选人。被视为总统大选中的第一匹黑马，他支持西进运动，提出“Fifty-four Forty or Fight”为口号展开竞选活动，解决奥瑞冈问题。四十九岁时当选总统，是当时最年轻的总统。他成功地解决了与英国之间的奥瑞冈边界纠纷（1846），并在同年通过「瓦克尔关税法」，该法案降低了进口关税，促进了美国对外贸易的发展。领导了对墨西哥战争的诉讼，虽使美国在领土上获益不小，但也重新引发了扩展奴隶制的讨论。在执政期间还设立了内政部，创办了美国海军军官学院和史密生学会，监督对财政制度的修改，宣布门罗主义的合法性。尽管是一位能力出众的总统，在处理国会事务方面游刃有余，但终因精力不支，而没有争取连任。退休後三个月便去世。

English version：

1795～1849年

Polk, James K(nox)

11th president of the U.S. (1845-49). Born in Mecklenburg Co., N.C., he became a lawyer in Tennessee and a friend and supporter of Andrew Jackson, who helped Polk win election to the U.S. House of Representatives (1825-39). He left the House to become governor of Tennessee (1839-41). At the deadlocked 1844 Democratic convention Polk was nominated as the compromise candidate; he is considered the first dark-horse presidential candidate. A proponent of western expansion, he campaigned with the slogan “Fifty-four Forty or Fight,” to bring a solution to the Oregon Question. Elected at 49, the youngest president to that time, he successfully concluded the Oregon border dispute with Britain (1846) and secured passage of the Walker Tariff Act (1846), which lowered import duties and helped foreign trade. He led the prosecution of the Mexican War, which resulted in large territorial gains but reopened the debate over the extension of slavery. His administration also established the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the Smithsonian Institution, oversaw revision of the treasury system, and proclaimed the validity of the Monroe Doctrine. Though an efficient and competent president, deft in his handling of Congress, he was exhausted by his efforts and did not seek reelection; he died three months after leaving office.