James K. Polk

About James K. Polk

James K. Polk, the 11th President of the United States (1845–1849), ranks #209 globally for historical influence, largely due to his administration's aggressive territorial expansion. A key figure in Jacksonian Democracy, Polk oversaw the successful annexation of Texas, the settlement of the Oregon boundary dispute with Britain (securing the Pacific Northwest), and the Mexican-American War, which resulted in the U.S. acquiring California and much of the Southwest. His single-term presidency achieved all four of his stated major goals, making him a profoundly consequential figure in shaping the modern map of the United States.

Despite this high historical rank, Polk's 2025 internet attention appears disproportionate to his impact. He garnered approximately 1.0 million Wikipedia views this year. This places him in an overattention category (+2x based on his rank), suggesting a modern resonance greater than his historical standing might predict, especially when compared to figures ranked significantly higher who receive less traffic. For instance, Mehmed the Conqueror, ranked #128, receives under 100,000 views, highlighting a significant contemporary online focus on American political history.

Polk's momentum is slightly declining; his 2025 momentum score shows a -22% drop between Q1 and Q3 views, and his year-over-year change is -1.9%, indicating a slight erosion of current online interest compared to the previous year, even while maintaining a generally high traffic level for a 19th-century president.