Learn how Zachary Taylor pushed Congress to admit California as a free state before dying in office
Learn how Zachary Taylor pushed Congress to admit California as a free state before dying in office
An overview of Zachary Taylor.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Transcript
Zachary Taylor was elected the 12th president of the United States in 1848, after gaining fame as a hero of the Mexican-American War. He was the first person to become president without any prior political experience. Taylor served only 16 months before dying in office.
Born in the late 1700s, Taylor spent most of his childhood on a plantation near Louisville, Kentucky. Growing up on the frontier helped shape young Zachary into a future military leader. During the day, he learned to ride horses, handle guns, and hunt. At night, he listened to his father tell stories of his service in the American Revolution. Four of the five Taylor boys eventually joined the Army.
Taylor enlisted in the military during his early twenties. By the end of his career, he had risen to the rank of major general and commanded troops in four wars. The men who served under him included future U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, and the eventual Confederate president, Jefferson Davis. Davis also married one of Taylor’s daughters.
Taylor won national fame during the Mexican-American War. This conflict arose after Texas joined the Union in 1845. The United States and Mexico disagreed over the border between the two countries. In 1846 President James K. Polk ordered Taylor to occupy a disputed area between Mexico and Texas. Taylor’s men clashed with Mexican soldiers in April 1846, winning both battles that followed. Congress then declared war on Mexico.
In early 1847 Taylor’s men were outnumbered four-to-one at the Battle of Buena Vista. Despite these odds, Taylor emerged victorious, ending the fighting in northern Mexico.
After the war, Taylor returned to his plantation in Louisiana as a war hero. The Whig Party approached him to be their next presidential candidate. Taylor asserted that he would not seek the office, but he would accept the nomination if offered.
The Whigs chose Taylor as their nominee at their national convention in 1848, with Millard Fillmore as his vice presidential running mate. Since Taylor had no political experience, he ran on his military record and promised a nonpolitical administration.
Taylor and Fillmore won the election, taking office in March 1849. One of the greatest issues facing the country was the growing divide between the North and South over slavery. Taylor was a slaveholder, but he opposed extending slavery into the territories the United States gained through the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. In 1849 he pushed for Congress to admit California as a free state. This created a bitter dispute in Congress, which was settled only temporarily by the Compromise of 1850.
President Taylor did not live to see that compromise take effect. On July 4, 1850, he attended a ceremony at the Washington Monument. That night, he fell ill, probably with cholera. Taylor died on July 9, only sixteen months after taking office.
Born in the late 1700s, Taylor spent most of his childhood on a plantation near Louisville, Kentucky. Growing up on the frontier helped shape young Zachary into a future military leader. During the day, he learned to ride horses, handle guns, and hunt. At night, he listened to his father tell stories of his service in the American Revolution. Four of the five Taylor boys eventually joined the Army.
Taylor enlisted in the military during his early twenties. By the end of his career, he had risen to the rank of major general and commanded troops in four wars. The men who served under him included future U.S. presidents Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant, and the eventual Confederate president, Jefferson Davis. Davis also married one of Taylor’s daughters.
Taylor won national fame during the Mexican-American War. This conflict arose after Texas joined the Union in 1845. The United States and Mexico disagreed over the border between the two countries. In 1846 President James K. Polk ordered Taylor to occupy a disputed area between Mexico and Texas. Taylor’s men clashed with Mexican soldiers in April 1846, winning both battles that followed. Congress then declared war on Mexico.
In early 1847 Taylor’s men were outnumbered four-to-one at the Battle of Buena Vista. Despite these odds, Taylor emerged victorious, ending the fighting in northern Mexico.
After the war, Taylor returned to his plantation in Louisiana as a war hero. The Whig Party approached him to be their next presidential candidate. Taylor asserted that he would not seek the office, but he would accept the nomination if offered.
The Whigs chose Taylor as their nominee at their national convention in 1848, with Millard Fillmore as his vice presidential running mate. Since Taylor had no political experience, he ran on his military record and promised a nonpolitical administration.
Taylor and Fillmore won the election, taking office in March 1849. One of the greatest issues facing the country was the growing divide between the North and South over slavery. Taylor was a slaveholder, but he opposed extending slavery into the territories the United States gained through the treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. In 1849 he pushed for Congress to admit California as a free state. This created a bitter dispute in Congress, which was settled only temporarily by the Compromise of 1850.
President Taylor did not live to see that compromise take effect. On July 4, 1850, he attended a ceremony at the Washington Monument. That night, he fell ill, probably with cholera. Taylor died on July 9, only sixteen months after taking office.