Atkins , Jonathan M .  Parties, Politics and the Sectional Conflict in Tennessee, 1832-1861.  This work discusses the divisive and acrimonious political rivalries that took place in Tennessee between the Democrats and the Whigs from 1832-1861.  A number of politicians and citizens from the Duck River area figure into the discussion.

Atkins, Jonathan M.  "Politicians, Parties and Slavery:  The Second Party System and the Decision for Disunion in Tennessee."  Sam Watkins of Columbia, Tennessee, is one of the personalities discussed in the article.

Bailey, Fred Arthur.  Among the people discussed in this document are some residents of Maury County, Tennessee.

Baumgarner, John R.  The book focuses upon the fascinating life of Sarah Polk, wife of James K. Polk of Columbia, Tennessee.  

Baxter, Nathaniel.  Baxter practiced law in Columbia, Tennessee, in the 1830s.

Bergeron, Paul H.  "All in the Family: President Polk in the White House."  This essay discusses how James and Sarah Polk interacted, entertained, and spent their time in the White House during Polk’s presidency.

Bergeron, Paul H.  Antebellum Politics in Tennessee.  Seeks to redress the neglect of attention directed to the puzzles of Tennessee’s political loyalties during the two-party period; provides an overview of the electoral behavior, the political revolution (1834-39), political maturity (1840-49), and the transformed politics of 1850-59.

Bergeron, Paul H.  "The Election of 1843:  A Whig Triumph."  This work examines significant issues leading to the second defeat of Governor James C. “Lean Jimmy” Jones to his Democratic opponent, James K. Polk.

Bergeron, Paul H.  "James K. Polk and the Jacksonian Press in Tennessee."  James K. Polk was instrumental in launching Tennessee's principal Democratic paper, the Nashville Union.  Samuel H. Laughlin was appointed editor of the new Union in 1835, but he was a financially inept alcoholic. Polk replaced him with John O. Bradford, who took up the editorship for five months, followed by the controversial Joshia Cunningham. With Jeremiah George Harris, the Union finally gained an editor acceptable to Polk and the Tennessee Democracy.

Bergeron, Paul H.  "My Brother's Keeper:  William H. Polk Goes to School."  This is a series of letters to and from James K. Polk concerning the upbringing and education of his younger brother, William. The letters indicate the closeness of family ties in the 19th-century South.

Bergeron, Paul H.  The Presidency of James K. Polk.  This is the standard one-volume history of Polk's presidency.

Bergeron, Paul H.  "President Polk and Economic Legislation."  This work examines Polk’s attitudes toward various pieces of economic legislation during his administration.  Polk was strongly committed to two economic measures: downward revision of the tariff and the creation of an independent treasury.  Polk opposed legislation designed to improve rivers and harbors.

Berhman, Carol H.  This is a new popular biography of James K. Polk, but it is not as incisive or as compelling as Siegenthaler’s biography of Polk.

Bonner, James C., ed.  This is a reproduction of a memorial written by Andrew Jackson concerning the viability of Polk’s cabinet.  Andrew Jackson was the first president in U.S. history to have his entire cabinet resign, and he wanted “Young Hickory” to avoid the problems that plagued his own cabinet.

Brestrup, Craig.  The author discusses the historic importance of the Natchez Trace, which passed through several counties in the Duck River area.

Bright, John M.  The American Party, better known as the Know-Nothing Party, was a Nativist party advocating immigration quotas and expelling the Irish and Catholics from the United States.

Brown, Joseph.  "Autobiographical Sketch of Joseph Brown."  Brown was the first settler in Maury County, and his autobiography details his trials, tribulations, and prejudices.

Brown, Joseph.  "Captivity Narrative:  Lessons in Cherokee Ethology from the Captivity Narrative of Joseph Brown."  Joseph Brown, the first settler in Maury County, Tennessee, was captured by the Cherokee in 1788 and held prisoner until the spring of 1789.  In the 1850s, he dictated three versions of his captivity narrative for publication.  Over the years, the narrative has been used as a source of information on Cherokee history and ethnology.  Analyzing Brown's narrative provides a clearer understanding of Cherokee laws, living patterns, and attitudes of the 1780s.

Buchanan, John.  An interesting, and in many cases over-written, examination of frontier life in Tennessee, this work includes a discussion of Indian hostilities in the Duck River region.

Buchannan, Patrick J.  This work examines Texas's struggle for independence from Mexico during 1835-36, the U.S. decision to annex Texas, and the subsequent war between Mexico and the United States (1846-48) declared by President James K. Polk after Mexican troops crossed into Texas.

Byrnes, Mark Eaton.  This is an accessible scholarly treatment of Polk’s life, career, and times.  It is intended for students writing papers and the general public curious about Polk. For many, it is a good starting place to familiarize the reader with the eleventh president.  Organized according to topics, each entry details the significance of it to Polk’s public and personal life and places it in historical context. The work includes a chronology of important events, some of Polk’s writings, pertinent primary documents, and an annotated list of print and non-print sources.

Carr, John.  This is an anecdotal amalgam of stories about Middle Tennessee’s Frontier period.  The material is not always reliable.

Castel, Albert.  Nicholas Trist, under President Polk, negotiated a treaty with Mexico recognizing the Rio Grande as the boundary of Texas and defied Polk's order to recall him for the treaty.

Chase, Lucien B.  The work is a serious defense of the administration of President Polk.  “There are many circumstances in the history of a people,” says the author, “which are regarded of secondary importance, that seem nevertheless to illustrate their career, and indicate their destiny. Such events signalized each year of Mr. Polk’s administration...”.

Coates, Robert M.  Robert Coates discusses outlaws who preyed on traffic along the Natchez Trace to 1885.  Among the crimes committed, some brigands attempted to build an empire using the labor of stolen slaves.  The author catalogs the amount and types of crimes committed along the trace as land pirates roamed the country in search of plunder.

Cooper, James Carlisle.  Cooper and seven other men from Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, headed to California to seek their fortune.  This is a collection of his letters home.  

Crutchfield, James A.  The Natchez Trace:  A Pictorial History.  The beauty, intrigue, history, and significance of the Natchez Trace are all portrayed in text and over 200 illustrations. This is a contemporary, up-to-date account of the human and natural history--an accurate and authentic account of the entire 10,000 years of the Old Natchez Trace and the modern parkway.

Crutchfield, James A.  Timeless Tennesseans.  The book is filled with short biographies of important Tennesseans, including James K. Polk among others.

Cutler, Wayne.  Andrew Jackson, James K. Polk, and Andrew Johnson opposed government interference in the market revolution, often to the detriment of yeoman farmers and craftsmen.  They used the veto as a means of repressing government intervention into the economy.  Jackson vetoed  rechartering the Bank of the United States; Polk vetoed a rivers and harbors bill; and Johnson vetoed the New York and Montana Iron Mining and Manufacturing Company Bill.  All three placed independence ahead of national markets and impersonal corporations.  Tennessee's presidents were in the forefront of the Antebellum debate about the American character.

Davis, William C.  Settlers came overland from Nashville to Natchez, Mississippi, through part of the Duck River country.  This is a lively, entertaining history of the Trace and its importance to Antebellum America.

Defense of Major General Pillow Before the Court of Inquiry at Frederick, Maryland: Against the Charges Preferred Against Him by Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott.  This is the transcript of Pillow’s defense against General Winfield Scott’s charges of incompetence and insubordination.

Durham, Walter T.  This book covers the methods that Tennesseans used to get to the California Gold Rush, naming names and parties as well as routes, but not the entire diaries. This work is very helpful for anyone doing genealogy whose ancestors came from Tennessee to California because it is meticulously researched.

Dusinberre, William.  This is a controversial book that overstates Polk's life as a slave-holder.  Though well-researched and containing a good deal of overlooked material, the book is quite biased.

Eisenhower, John S.D. When the 1844 Democratic convention in Baltimore drew near, James K. Polk had ambitions to win the nomination for the vice presidency.  Martin Van Buren, who had lost the 1840 election to Whig candidate William Henry Harrison, was expected to be the nominee. Southerners, displeased with the former president's opposition to the annexation of Texas, took control of the convention on the first day by having one of its own elected convention chairman.  The faction kept Van Buren from winning on the first ballot.  Polk entered the race on the sixth ballot and won the nomination on the seventh, when Van Buren supporters, strongly opposed to the nomination of front-runner Lewis Cass, stampeded to the Polk camp.  Polk won the support of Van Buren, Cass, and other presidency seekers by announcing he intended to serve only one term.

Ellis, Jerry.  The author, part Cherokee, walked the 900-mile Trail of Tears in reverse.  It is a meandering, informal account that tells more about the author than where he went.

Gilley, B.H.  Despite the state's long association with Texas and the large number of Tennesseans who volunteered for service, the state parties argued bitterly over the war. Whigs accused President Polk of starting the war and claimed that he suppressed the news and played politics with military appointments.

Gower, Herschel, and Jack Allen, eds.  This work discusses the life of Randal W. McGavock; it includes his early journals (1848 and 1851), political journals (1852-1860), and his Civil War journals of 1862.

Greninger, Edwin T.  Includes the travels of Bishop James H. Otey of Columbia, Tennessee.

Guardian--A Family Magazine Devoted to the Cause of Female Education on Christian Principles.  This was the official publication of the Female Institute at Columbia.

Hackney, Annie, ed.  This is a compilation of the minutes from Maury County’s Chancery Court proceedings and is of particular interest to people researching genealogy.

Hague, Harlan.  President James K. Polk neither initiated new Western policies nor formulated different ideas about the place of the West, but took the popular attitude regarding westward expansion and capitalized upon it.

Hall, R.G., ed.  This is a reprint of the only inaugural address of President Polk; it mapped out his intentions as the chief executive of the United States.

Hanson, Lawrence Douglas.  This work examines the failed efforts of U.S. expansionists to take control of the British-ruled region of Canada during the 1845-49 administration of President James K. Polk.  Although many Americans felt a growing affinity with Canadians during the 1840s, the Oregon Territory was perceived as a dangerous flashpoint at the start of Polk's presidency.  Canadians' continuing fear of annexation by their powerful southern neighbor, however, eventually inspired the Confederation of East and West Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

Haynes, Sam. W.  This biography explores the controversies, triumphs, and failures of the presidency of James K. Polk.  Haynes places Polk's expansionist agenda in both political and social contexts.

Haywood, John.  This is the first comprehensive history of Tennessee and is filled with a great deal of fascinating, though somewhat arcane, information about the history of the Volunteer State.  The Duck River crops up repeatedly throughout the work.

Haywood, William Thomas, Jr.  This document discusses the fates of some of the first women to settle in Maury County, Tennessee.

Henry, Robert S.  This work argues that westward expansion of the U.S. up to 1850 was achieved under southern leadership. Louisiana was purchased and explored by Virginians. Sam Houston of Tennessee, John Tyler of Virginia, and James K. Polk of Tennessee added Texas.  Generals Winfield Scott of Virginia and Zachary Taylor of Louisiana conducted the war which represented the final step to the Pacific.

Hinshaw, Jane S.  This report was prepared for Amon Carter Evans, 1979.

Hirsch, John C.  This document focuses on a letter from John Lothrop Motley to Thomas Bradford written July 15, 1846.  Motley vents his anger at James K. Polk and Congress for attempting to place New England in an unfavorable position concerning the Oregon Territory.  Second, he reveals his disgust at the admission of Texas as a slave state and at Polk's independent treasury. Finally, Motley criticizes Polk's tariff policy, which he believed hurt New England interests.  

Horn, James J.  This work analyzes the rehabilitation of James K. Polk as President. Little is regarded by his contemporaries and hostile Whigs who maligned him as "Polk the Mendacious."  The publication of Polk's diary in 1910 preceded the seminal work in the reevaluation of Polk, Eugene I. McCormac's James K. Polk: A Political Biography.  Later scholars have emphasized Polk's role in enlarging presidential executive authority, and Polk is fairly treated even by textbooks in American history.

Hoyt, Edwin Palmer.  This is a short biography of Polk written for children.

Ikard, Robert W.  "Surgical Operation on James K. Polk by Ephraim McDowell or the Search for Polk's Gallstones."  Tradition maintains that the childhood lassitude of James K. Polk was solved in 1812 by the surgical removal of a gallstone by Dr. Ephraim McDowell in Danville, Kentucky. Although it is likely that Polk underwent surgery, Ikard argues that McDowell did not remove a gallstone.  More likely is that the operation was for a urinary bladder stone.  Side effects of surgery may have caused Polk to have a childless marriage, however.  

Ikard, Robert W.  "The Walker Boys:  Were Maury Countians at the Alamo?"  This work briefly comments on the 1836 battle for the Alamo and reviews available information on Jacob and Asa Walker, who also died there.  The Walkers are thought to have been cousins and former residents of Maury County, but records are inconclusive.  Asa may have been the youngest to die at the Alamo, while Jacob's wife, Sarah, became a heroine in the campaign for Texas independence.

Jacobs, Lucille Frizzell.  This is an interesting, though erratic, compendium of facts about the frontier period in the Duck River watershed.

Jernigan, V.H.  This work concerns a frontier fortification in Coffee County, Tennessee.

"John Gordon, Captain of the Spies."  Gordon acted as a spy during the War of 1812.  

Kanon, Tom.  The article discusses the kidnapping of Martha Crawley, who lived near the Duck River, and the mounting violence between frontiersmen and Native Americans.  The Duck River area was a particularly contested region of the mid-state.

Lacy, Eric Russell.  This is a collection of primary documents concerning the history of Tennessee prior to the Civil War.

Lee, Ronald C., Jr.  The imperialism of Periclean Athens and the continental expansion of 19th-century America provide empirical case studies to lay bare this moral dilemma that empire poses for democracy and the distinctive ways in which a premodern and a modern democracy dealt with it. This article compares President James K. Polk's 1840s justifications of empire with those of Pericles. In trying to justify empire, both democracies appealed to universal principles--one in terms of natural necessity, the other in terms of natural rights.

Leonard, Thomas M. This highly readable, well-researched, and tightly argued study focuses on the political abilities of President James K. Polk.

"Lyman C. Draper's Interview with Col. Joseph Brown."  Draper is better known as the man responsible for the legend that Daniel Boone became.  He interviewed Maury County's first permanent resident, Joseph Brown, about his life on the frontier.  

McCollom, Sean.  This is a biography of James K. Polk targeted at children in the fourth through sixth grades.

McCormick, Eugene Irving.  This is a dated biography of Polk that fails to live up to scrutiny after the work of such people as Paul Bergeron and John Siegenthaler.  The prose is often stilted and tedious.

McCoy, Charles Allan.  This work explains how and why James K. Polk became the eleventh president of the United States and how he responded to the challenges of his time, thereby increasing the authority and importance of the Presidential role for future incumbents.

Merk, Frederick.  This work examines, in detail, the prolonged debate following President Polk's request that Congress terminate joint Anglo-American occupation of Oregon.  Reasons for the extended debate were an "epidemic of presidential fevers" arising from Polk's one-term pledge, Democratic intra-party doubt and strife, and sectional antagonisms.

Miller, C. Somers.  This work relates the life of the first settler of Maury County, Tennessee, and his violent interaction with Native Americans.

Morgan, Marshall.  Murrell was a notorious thief who preyed upon travelers throughout Middle Tennessee, including the Duck River region.  

Nelson, Anna Kasten.  This work discusses President James K. Polk's diplomatic attempts to end the war with Mexico.  War correspondents and the telegraph made secret diplomacy difficult.  Attempted secret missions were quickly reported by the press; however, Polk managed to send Moses Y. Beach, owner and publisher of the New York Sun, to Mexico in secrecy.

Owsley, Harriet C., ed.  Eakins, an Irish immigrant, lived in Bedford County, Tennessee, in the 1840s and worked in the tanning industry.

Paz, Guadalupe.  This work analyzes the 1844-45 electoral debate in the United States and explores the complex political realities that led to James K. Polk's election to the presidency.  The nomination and election of Polk resulted from economic and social schisms between the North and the South.  A closer look at these forces deepens understanding of the events and circumstances that ultimately led to war with Mexico.

Penick, James Lal.  Murrell was a notorious outlaw who preyed on citizens who traveled the Natchez Trace, the Walton Road, and other roadways in Middle and East Tennessee.

Polk, James K.  This is the publication of the proceedings of the two courts of inquiry investigating the actions of Major General Pillow.  The first took place in  Mexico; the other began in Mexico but was completed in the United States.  During the Mexican War, Pillow’s former law partner, President James K. Polk, appointed him to command Tennessee’s volunteers.  Pillow participated in the battles leading to the surrender of Mexico City and was awarded a battlefield commission as a major general. General Winfield Scott found Pillow incompetent, however, and charged him with insubordination.  Though a figure of controversy, Pillow was acquitted.

Pukl, Joseph M., Jr.  "James K. Polk's Early Congressional Campaigns in 1825 and 1827."  In 1824, James K. Polk declared his candidacy for the 19th Congress.  His campaign in Tennessee's Sixth district endorsed internal improvements, with the qualification that a state must grant permission for federal improvements within its borders. He won election and kept in touch with his constituents, using every advantage of incumbency to keep his name before the public.

Pukl, Joseph M., Jr.  "James K. Polk's Congressional Campaigns of 1829-1833."  James K. Polk developed his political acumen in Tennessee congressional politics during his 1829, 1831, and 1833 campaigns. Due to his popularity, he often ran unopposed.

Pukl, Joseph M., Jr.  "James K. Polk's Congressional Campaigns of 1835 and 1837."  While James K. Polk ran unopposed in the 9th Congressional District of Tennessee in the campaigns of 1835 and 1837, he created controversy.  In 1835, Polk tried to side-step manifesting his support for Andrew Jackson's handpicked successor, Martin Van Buren, over Tennessee's favorite son, Hugh Lawson White (1773-1840).

Quaife, Milo Milton, ed.  This edition is one of the earliest collected volumes of Polk’s diaries compiled during his political career.

Quillen, Eva Pearl.  Smith was the rector and principal of the Columbia Female Institute from 1827-1852.

Ramsey, J.G.M.  This work includes an account of Joseph Brown, the first inhabitant of Maury County, Tennessee.

Rohrs, Richard C.  This document examines American women who, prior to the Civil War, appealed for assistance to U.S. presidents.  Specifically, James K. Polk entertained requests on matters related to women's roles as familial care givers that reached him either through the mail or in person.  The "begging letters" typically sought money or jobs, especially government posts for husbands, fathers, brothers, or sons.

Satterfield, R. Beeler.  Beeler blames the defeats of the State Democratic Party in 1836 and 1837 on the incompetent management of its newspaper, the Nashville Union. In 1839, after its reorganization, the paper helped to elect James K. Polk as governor.  In 1844, it caused the split between Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren in the National Party that resulted in the nomination of Polk for president.

Schlup, Leonard.  The only 19th-century presidential campaign that was dominated by a foreign affairs issue was the 1844 contest between James K. Polk of Tennessee and Henry Clay of Kentucky. The controversy was based on the general theme of Manifest Destiny and, specifically, the annexation of Texas and war with Mexico. Clay wavered in his position, but Polk endorsed the annexation; Polk defeated Clay with a 38,000-vote margin.

Schroeder, John M.  "Major Jack Downing and American Expansionism:  Seba Smith's Political Satire, 1847-1856."  Seba Smith (1792-1868) combined a Yankee sense of humor and a basic conservatism to lampoon partisan politics during 1830-60. "Major Jack Downing's" letters of 1847-56 criticized Manifest Destiny.  "Downing" depicted favorite target James K. Polk as a political schemer who started the Mexican War and hoped to use the annexation of the entire country to propel himself into a second term as president.

Schroeder, John M.  Mr. Polk's War:  American Opposition and Dissent, 1846-1849.  This book treats the antiwar dissent from 1846-1848 in a detailed and comprehensive manner.

Scott, Prudence Polk.  This document concerns a Maury County, Tennessee, family, their house, and their relationship to James K. Polk.

Siegenthaler, John.  Siegenthaler argues that Polk deserves to be considered one of America's best presidents because he achieved his four major objectives:  (1) lowering the tariff, (2) creating an independent federal treasury, (3) acquiring Oregon from Britain, and (4) winning the Mexican War, which added Texas and California to the Union.  

Smith, Dwight L.  Tillman grew up near Shelbyville, Tennessee.

Smith, James N.  Smith discusses his experiences as a teacher in Maury County, Tennessee, noting that one pupil was James K. Polk.

Stamper, James C.  Zollicoffer edited the Columbia Observer before moving to Nashville, Tennessee.

Stonesifer, Roy P., Jr.  This work evaluates Pillow's personality and its effects on his actions in the Mexican and Civil Wars.  Commissioned a Brigadier General by his friend and former law partner, President James K. Polk, Pillow blamed his failures on his superiors--Winfield Scott in the Mexican War and Leonidas Polk in Civil War.

Theisen, Lee Scott.  This Revisionist article studies the political strategies of James K. Polk.  Called the first dark horse in American politics, Polk won the nomination through astute politics.

Tibbits, Allison Davis.  This is a biography of Polk for children in the fourth through sixth grades.

Trickley, Katherine Shelburne.  This work describes the relationship of James K. Polk and his wife, Sarah, while in Washington D.C.

“Wagon Train from Tennessee.”  This work concerns the log of a trip to East Texas that originated from Bell Buckle in 1811.

"The 'War' in Columbia."  This concerns an incident in 1852 when the Rector of Columbia Female Academy purportedly had an affair with one of the school's graduates, creating a public scandal.

Watson, Elbert L.  This work examines the differences James K. Polk had, in both state and federal politics, with his brother-in-law, who was a merchant, banker, and newspaper publisher.  Even though James K. Polk was more rigidly Jacksonian, his brother-in-law supported his political efforts.  His son, Joseph Knox Walker, became Polk's law partner and presidential secretary. It also notes the death of another son, Brigadier General Lucius M. Walker, September 7, 1863, after a duel with Brigadier General John S. Marmaduke over the Battle of Reed's Bridge.

Weaver, Herbert, Paul Bergeron, and Wayne Cutler, eds.  Correspondence of James K. Polk. These nine volumes contain the edited collected correspondence of James K. Polk with other politicians, friends, business associates, and family.  The primary documents reproduced provide a window into the world in which Polk operated, how he thought, and what motivated him.  His correspondence is essential for anyone conducting research about Polk and his impact upon the United States.

Weaver, Herbert, and William G. Eidson.  This is the history of the family home of the 11th president, built in the late Federal period architecture style of 1816 in Columbia, Tennessee.  The house has been state property since 1929 and was restored by the Polk Memorial Association (Nashville, Tennessee) and the Polk Memorial Auxiliary (Columbia, Tennessee).

West, Carroll Van.  This work looks at the Whig party in Davidson and Maury Counties, Tennessee.

West, Earl Irvin.  This work evaluates the influence of religion on the personality of James K. Polk.  It also discusses his family background, home life and education, adult interest in Methodism in adulthood, and his deathbed baptism by Preacher McFerrin.  Though he attended church regularly, he was not deeply religious. Calvinist training is evident in Polk's humorless personality.  Scots Presbyterianism may account for his lifetime habit of establishing clearly defined goals and striving for their realization.

Williams, Derita Coleman, and Nathan Harsh.  This pioneering study has been meticulously assembled through extensive fieldwork throughout Tennessee. Featuring many pieces from private collections never before documented, it chronicles the originality of design and decoration, the choices of woods, and the simplicity and sophistication that signifies "made in Tennessee." Sources of labor, location of shops, volume of production, and marketing techniques are considered. Exhaustive research has been conducted into the identities of Tennessee artisans and the furniture industry, and the book includes a checklist of 1,400 furniture makers who worked in Tennessee prior to 1850.  This will be the definitive study for years to come.

Williams, Samuel Cole.  "Major-General Richard Winn: South Carolinian and Tennessean."  Winn was a Revolutionary War veteran who settled in Maury County, Tennessee.

Williams, Samuel Cole, ed.  Early Travels in Tennessee, 1540-1800.  This is a collection of primary documents of travelers who traversed the state, including some early accounts of the environment around the Duck River.