Is this the only president to have achieved all of their campaign promises? James K. Polk, the 11th Commander-in-Chief successfully led the nation through ambitious expansion during his single term.

Don is joined for this episode by Professor Amy Greenberg to find out about Polk's presidency and successes, his warmongering, his lies and his workaholic tendencies. They also discuss his wife, Sarah, and her political influence.

Amy is head of the Department of History at Pennsylvania State University and author of 'Lady First: The World of First Lady Sarah Polk', and 'A Wicked War: Polk, Clay, Lincoln and the 1846 U.S. Invasion of Mexico'.

Produced by Freddy Chick and Sophie Gee. Edited by Anisha Deva. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.

Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.

Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORYHIT1 sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/

You can take part in our listener survey here.

President James K. Polk: Lies, Warmongering & the Myth of Success