James Knox Polk was my second cousin to my great great, great,

great, grandfather, Charles Ross Polk. They shared the same great
grandfather, William Bruce Polk. James had health problems as a child
and he had surgery at the age of seventeen to remove his urinary
stones and as a result, he could not have children. Therefore he does
not have any direct descendants.
Lets start from the beginning. His name was James Knox Polk.
He was born in Pineville, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina on
November 2, 1795. Rumor has it, when he was born a family friend,
Mrs. Susan Barnett Smart, said he was reported to have an enormously
large head; so large that the doctors, as well as the old women,
thought he had dropsy of the brain, or that he would be an idiot. As
soon as that report reached her, she ordered her carriage and drove to
Charlotte to see the child. When she had thoroughly inspected it, she
said to Mrs. Polk: Your child is alright, and he will someday be
president of the United States. He was homeschooled by his very
strict mother. His father, Samuel Polk acquired a farm on the south side
of Big Sugar Creek, near the present town of Pineville, in the south
western part of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. In addition to his
occupation as a farmer he acquired the art of surveying and being
thrifty, energetic, and intelligent, he prospered in both occupations,
laying the foundation of a substantial fortune. When James was ten the
family moved to Tennessee. On January 1, 1824 he married Sarah
Childress Polk. He ran and became president in 1824. Andrew Jackson
also ran for president. Same with John Quincy Adams, Henry Clay, and
William Crawford.
James was the 11th president. He lived near where my cousins
and grandparents live, Charlotte, North Carolina. He was in the
Democratic Party. He also was governor of Tennessee. When he took
office on March 4, 1845, Polk, at 49, became the youngest man at the
time to assume the presidency. According to a story told decades later
by George Bancroft, Polk set four clearly defined goals for his
administration:
Reestablish the Independent Treasury System.
Reduce tariffs.
Acquire some or all of Oregon Country.
Acquire California and New Mexico from Mexico.
Pledged to serve only one term, he accomplished all these objectives
in just four years. By linking acquisition of new lands in Oregon (with
no slavery) and Texas (with slavery), he hoped to satisfy both North
and South.
During his presidency James K. Polk was known as "Young Hickory", an
allusion to his mentor Andrew Jackson, and "Napoleon of the Stump"
for his speaking skills.

Partially From Wikipedia and The Boyhood of President Polk by Albert V. Goodpasture. Research could
not be possible without ancestry.com