Changes

==Early life==  

==Early life==  

Polk, the first of ten children, was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1795. His father, Samuel Polk, was a slaveholder, farmer and surveyor of [[Scots-Irish]] descent, and related to Scottish nobility. His mother, Jane Polk (née Knox) was a descendant of the Scottish religious reformer [[John Knox]]. In 1806, the Polk family moved to Tennessee, settling near Duck River in what is now Maury County. The family grew prosperous, with Samuel Polk becoming one of the leading planters of the area. When James was 11, his family moved to [[Nashville, Tennessee]]

Polk, the first of ten children, was born in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, in 1795. His father, Samuel Polk, was a slaveholder, farmer and surveyor of [[Scots-Irish]] descent, and related to Scottish nobility. His mother, Jane Polk (née Knox) was a descendant of the Scottish religious reformer [[John Knox]]. In 1806, the Polk family moved to Tennessee, settling near Duck River in what is now Maury County. The family grew prosperous, with Samuel Polk becoming one of the leading planters of the area. When James was 11, his family moved to [[Nashville]], [[Tennessee]]

During his childhood, James suffered from poor health. In 1812, his father took him to Kentucky, where the famous surgeon Dr. Ephraim McDowell conducted an operation to remove urinary stones. The operation may have left James sterile, as Polk never had children. For the rest of his life, Polk did enjoy comparatively better health.  

During his childhood, James suffered from poor health. In 1812, his father took him to Kentucky, where the famous surgeon Dr. Ephraim McDowell conducted an operation to remove urinary stones. The operation may have left James sterile, as Polk never had children. For the rest of his life, Polk did enjoy comparatively better health.