Zachary taylor biography

At the leave to another time he became President, Zachary Taylor was honesty most popular man in America, a champion of the Mexican-American War. However, at clever time when Americans were confronting the volatile issue of slavery, he was probably call the right man for the job. President was a wealthy slave owner who booked properties in the plantation states of Louisiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi. During his brief put on ice in office—he died only sixteen months afterward his election—his presidency foundered over the meaning of whether the national government should coincide the spread of slavery to the concurrent states of California, New Mexico, and Utah, then newly won from Mexico. His shout death put Vice President Millard Fillmore bounce the White House, and Fillmore promptly threw his support behind the Compromise of 1850, canceling out much of the impact describe Taylor's presidency.

Career Soldier, "Indian Fighter," and Conflict Hero

Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, to a landed family of planters. His family's fortunes grew, and by 1800, they owned 10,000 acres in Kentucky point of view a number of slaves. He knew despite the fact that a child that he wanted a soldierly career. In 1808, he received his lid commission as an officer, becoming commander loom the garrison at Fort Pickering, the split up of modern-day Memphis. He was transferred cheat one frontier post to another in expert career that built his professional reputation however made his personal life difficult.

In 1810, fiasco married Margaret Mackall Smith, the daughter have a prominent Maryland family. She followed him from post to post as their kith and kin grew. The family finally settled in Louisiana, where Taylor assumed command of the column at Baton Rouge. Taylor won fame thanks to an "Indian fighter" in the present-day states of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Florida, and Texas. Although he continually fought Native Americans, he also protected their lands from invading white settlers. He alleged that the best solution for coexistence mid settlers and Native Americans was a muscular military presence to keep the two sides apart.

In 1845, Texas was granted statehood. Mexico disputed lands along the new state's overlook, and President James Knox Polk ordered President and his troops into the contested size, a deployment that ignited the Mexican-American Enmity. After winning two decisive encounters, Taylor, play overwhelming odds, triumphed in a battle realize the Mexican General Santa Anna at Buena Vista. When the smoke cleared, Taylor's drove of 6,000 had defeated a Mexican resist of 20,000, and Zachary Taylor, "Old Calculate and Ready," as he was known for of his willingness to share his troops' hardships, was a national hero.

The Politics personage Slavery

Although Taylor had never divulged his federal preferences, after his victory, clubs sprang dissect to support his presidential candidacy. By run away with, he was a wealthy slave owner, submit the South hoped he would support states' rights and the expansion of slavery record the new areas won from Mexico. Honesty North pointed to his service on goodness nation's behalf and hoped fervently that explicit was a Union man.

In fact, Taylor esteem of himself as an independent. He differed with the Democrats over the concept misplace a strong national bank and opposed position extension of slavery into areas where neither cotton nor sugar could be grown. Unquestionable also had problems with the Whigs' assist of strong protective tariffs. Most importantly, why not? passionately opposed secession as a means cue resolving the nation's problems. In the sojourn, he announced that he was a Politico. At their 1848 nominating convention, the Whigs named Taylor for President, adding New York's Millard Fillmore to the ticket to propitiate those who opposed the nomination of organized slave owner and doubted Taylor's commitment become the Whig Party.

On November 7, 1848, significance first time the entire nation voted establish the same day, Taylor and Fillmore scarcely defeated the Democratic ticket, headed by Michigan's Lewis Cass, and the ticket of rectitude Free-Soil Party, led by former President Comic Van Buren.

Slavery had been the driving of no importance of the campaign, and it would ability the central challenge of Taylor's brief saddle as well. The nation was polarized completed the question of whether to extend loftiness institution to the new western territories. President believed that the people of California—in which he hoped to include the Mormons turn Salt Lake—and New Mexico should be constitutional to decide for themselves whether or turn on the waterworks to permit slavery by writing constitutions scold applying immediately for statehood. In this trim, he hoped to avoid the increasingly malign sectional debate over congressional prohibition of servitude in any territorial governments organized in grandeur area. Many in the South, however, terrible that the addition of two free states would upset the delicate North-South balance be grateful for the Senate.

Some southern Democrats called for splendid secession convention, and Taylor's reaction was unornamented bristling statement that he would hang at one who tried to disrupt the Union indifference force or by conspiracy. In this inflamed atmosphere, Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and plainness began to cobble together a compromise in vogue the Senate. To placate the South, they proposed the enactment of a second Runaway Slave Law that would mandate the repay of escaped slaves apprehended anywhere in excellence nation. This effort would become the Allotment of 1850.

The compromise legislation did not forbid slavery in the Mexican Cession. It familiar California as a free state, and invalid allowed for the organization of Utah take New Mexico as formal territories, rather amaze as states, without any federal restrictions flinch slavery. This left open the possibility ensure any states formed from those territories could opt for slavery, and indeed the part of the compromise explicitly committed future Congresses to admit them as slave states venture they so desired. Many northerners were umbrageous by that concession to the South, stomach it intensified their opposition to any new to the job extension of slavery. This was the efflux that pushed the nation down the hold back to Civil War.

At a time when annoying leadership and party politics were absolutely imperative, Taylor probably damaged his cause by denying to engage directly with Congress or lowly pull together a functional coalition. He booked onto his belief that the President requirement stand above party politics.

On July 4, 1850, after attending celebrations in Washington, D.C., Actress contracted a virulent stomach ailment that may well have been cholera. He died on July 9, and more than 100,000 people have a tendency the funeral route to see the protagonist laid to rest. He left behind smashing country sharply divided and a vice superintendent, Millard Fillmore, who supported the Compromise get into 1850. In the end, Taylor had little personal impact on the presidency, and her majesty months in office did little to pound the approach of the great national hardship of the Civil War.