James K. Polk is our top ranked president who was born on November 2, 1795 in North Carolina who was the eldest of 10 children. As a child he consistently was sick and as a teen had to go through a major operation for urinary stones. Polk then married Sarah Childress, a well-educated Tennessean who never had children and was Polk's closest adviser. Polk's ideas were based on states' rights and disagreed the Bank of the United States and turn it into a government banking system when he was in Congress. After he went to become governor of Tennessee and then after lost two times. When James Polk came into his first term and faced cutting high tariffs, establish an independent U.S. Treasury, sure Oregon Territory and conquer California and New Mexico territory controlled by Mexico. Throughout Polk's four-year presidency he completed all these issues which he personally set as his goals. Soon after the Mexican-American War began in 1846 and the United States won which then they could claim Texas and after paid $15 million to recognize the southern border as Rio Grande. An act he passed was the Oregon Treaty of 1846 to settle a border for full control against the British and without war. Polk reduced tariffs to assist in trade and created an independent U.S. treasury. After Polk's term ended he honored his promise about only running for one term. Our reason for ranking James K. Polk as our top president is because he showed his flaws or made himself look bad in the public's eyes and he only went through conflict if he had to. Also when comparing James K. Polk to John Adams, the terms show many differences on how James K. Polk was a better president.