This President Secretly Purchased Enslaved Children While in Office
This President Secretly Purchased Enslaved Children While in Office James Polk bought 19 people during his presidency, at least 13 of whom were children. Author: James Polk bought 19 people during his presidency, at least 13 of whom were children. James K. Polk, the 11th president of the United States, is probably best known for growing the the size of the country by more than one-third. This territorial expansion pushed the U.S. border all the way to the West Coast, precipitating a heated national debate about whether to spread slavery to even more territories. Yet as white northerners in p...