▁rising ▁politician ▁James ▁K . ▁Pol k ▁for ▁the ▁governor ship ▁( in ▁ 1 8 4 1 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 3 ). ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁native - born ▁T enn esse an ▁to ▁be ▁elected ▁governor . ▁ ▁Jones ' s ▁first ▁g ubern atorial ▁term ▁was ▁marked ▁by ▁grid lock ▁with ▁the ▁state ▁sen ate , ▁which ▁was ▁led ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁Democratic ▁sen ators ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Im mort al ▁Th ir teen ." ▁ ▁His ▁second ▁term ▁was ▁more ▁product ive , ▁as ▁his ▁fellow ▁Wh igs ▁controlled ▁both ▁houses ▁of ▁the ▁legisl ature . ▁ ▁Though ▁he ▁later ▁joined ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Party , ▁Jones ' s ▁speaking ▁skills ▁and ▁campaign ▁style ▁helped ▁to ▁solid ify ▁Tennessee ' s ▁Wh igs ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁strong est ▁Wh ig ▁movements ▁in ▁the ▁South . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁A ▁thin ▁man ▁whose ▁nick name ▁was ▁" Le an ▁Jimmy " ▁( he ▁stood ▁ 6 ' 2 " ▁but ▁we ighed ▁only ▁ 1 2 5 ▁pounds ), ▁Jones ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁David son ▁County , ▁Tennessee , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Peter ▁and ▁Catherine ▁Ch app ell ▁Jones . ▁His ▁parents ▁died ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁still ▁young , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁raised ▁by ▁an ▁uncle ▁in ▁Wilson ▁County . ▁ ▁He ▁occasionally ▁attended ▁public ▁schools . ▁ ▁After ▁marry ing ▁Sarah ▁Mun ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 9 , ▁he ▁purchased ▁a ▁farm ▁near ▁Leb anon , ▁Tennessee . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1