In his own day, James K. Polk was noted for his skills as a debater; his written works are usually intended to convert his audience to his point of view. Before becoming president, he was an ardent advocate of states’ rights and of limiting the federal government only to the powers specifically given to it by the Constitution. As president, he believed it was his duty to forsake his personal biases and be the representative of all the American people. He expanded the powers of the presidency, especially to wage war. In the course of his life, he developed a vision of the United States as a place where the liberties of minorities were protected by the government, where all disputes would be worked out according to the Constitution, and where secession of states was impossible.