James K. Polk | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/tag/james-k-polk/RSS feed for James K. PolkenMon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000One Was a Teenage Diplomat. Another Was a Nuclear Engineer. Here's How Eight Presidents Made Their Mark Outside of the White Househttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-was-a-teenage-diplomat-another-was-a-nuclear-engineer-heres-how-eight-presidents-made-their-mark-outside-of-the-white-house-180988146/From Abraham Lincoln's patent to James A. Garfield's geometry proof, learn how these 19th- and 20th-century commanders in chief shaped their legacies beyond politicsMon, 09 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/one-was-a-teenage-diplomat-another-was-a-nuclear-engineer-heres-how-eight-presidents-made-their-mark-outside-of-the-white-house-180988146/During the Mexican-American War, Irish-Americans Fought for Mexico in the 'Saint Patrick's Battalion'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/mexican-american-war-irish-immigrants-deserted-us-army-fight-against-america-180971713/Anti-Catholic sentiment in the States gave men like John Riley little reason to continue to pay allegiance to the stars and stripesFri, 15 Mar 2019 14:05:13 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/mexican-american-war-irish-immigrants-deserted-us-army-fight-against-america-180971713/