Signature Program: Lifelong Learning

James K Polk, the 11th President of the United States, was an Andrew Jackson protégé, and the leader of Jackson’s Democratic Party. Polk waged war with Mexico that resulted in the securing of the entire Southwestern United States, he annexed the Oregon Territory, and the assimilation of the Republic of Texas into the Union -- all in one four-year term. He also built the Independent Treasury, separating the US Treasury Department from the Central Bank. But Polk was a Southerner, and like his predecessors and successors, made little progress on the issue of slavery. We will examine the remarkable successes of James K Polk, and how he changed America during his short tenure.

The industrial revolution drove the expansion of opportunity and wealth beyond anyone’s imagination. But with this expansion came a spectacular increase in the demand for laborers who were often treated as merely disposable tools. Labor unions successfully evolved to establish work standards and protect worker’s safety. But with that success also came socialism and corruption. We will examine the history of labor unions including an in-depth look at their structure and function and which ones were most influential.