1. President #11 James K. (Knox) Polk 1845-1849 Vice President: George M. Dallas Dallas was Mayor of Philadelphia, Senator from Pennsylvania and U.S. Ambassador to Russia and Great Britain. Although cities and counties in many states are named after him, including Dallas County in Texas, The city of Dallas may have been named after his brother, Alexander.

2. Manifest Destiny Key Events Mexican American War Mexican Cession 54-40 or Fight! Oregon Trail Gold Rush Bear Flag Republic Mexican Cession (525,000 Square Miles!)

3. President #12 Zachary Taylor 1849-1850 (Died) Vice President: Millard Fillmore

4. Old Rough and Ready Key Events Southerners threaten to secede. Taylor threatens to hang rebels. President refuses to support the Compromise of 1850. Taylor dies. Poisoned? General Taylor dies suddenly and mysteriously in July of 1850.

5. President #13 Millard Fillmore 1850-1853The Not So Great Compromise Fillmore had no Vice President.

6. Coming Apart at the Seams Key Events Wilmot Proviso Compromise of 1850 Wilmot Proviso Under Senator Wilmot’s Proviso, slavery would be banned from the new territory won from Mexico. Wilmot ProvisoWilmot Proviso: PA congressman, David Wilmot, proposed that a bill be amended to forbid slavery in any of the new territories from Mexico. The proviso was passed through the house twice, but was defeated both times.

7. President #14 Franklin Pierce 1853-1857 Vice President: William Rufus King William R. King and his close friend, James Buchanan were known as Miss Nancy and Aunt Fancy.

8. Bloody Kansas Key Events Kansas Nebraska Act Bleeding Kansas Sack of Lawrence John Brown’s Raid Brook’s attacks Sumner Gadsden Purchase Kansas Nebraska Act John Brown Preston “Bully” Brooks assaults Charles Sumner. The Gadsden Purchase was the last piece of the puzzle.

9. President #15 James Buchanan 1857-1861 Vice President: John C. Breckinridge 1.Senator from Kentucky 2.Came in third behind Lincoln and Bell in 1860 3.Fought for Confederacy 4.Fled to Cuba to avoid treason charges 5.Granted Amnesty in 1869 6.Spoke out against Ku Klux Klan

10. Defended the Constitution but not the Union Key Events Dred Scott decision South Carolina Secedes Battle of Fort Sumter American Civil War The Shooting Starts Buchanan felt that the Constitution did grant him the power to prevent South Carolina from seceding. December 1860 S.C. secedes. April 1861 battle begins.