Life and Background

Zachary Taylor:

• was born on Nov. 24, 1784 at Montebello in Virginia
• attended two school in Louisville but had a limited, common education
• the first lieutenant in the 7th Infantry in 1808
• commanded Fort Pickering in May/June of 1809
• married on June 21, 1810 to Margaret "Peggy" Mackall Smith
• was promoted to captain of the US Army in Nov. 1810
• had his first child born in April of 1811 named Ann Mackall Taylor
• successfully defended Fort Harrison for Native Americans in 1812
• promoted to brigadier general in 1838 and command US troops in Florida in the Mexican-American war
• was nominated as US president at the end of 1847 and won on March 5, 1849 as 12th president
• served 1 year and 127 days in office before passing away on July 9, 1850
• died due to cholera caused by cherries and milk which he ate on July 4th
• was the first president not elected to any public office prior to his presidential campaign
• related to both James Madison and Robert E. Lee
• nicknames "old Rough and Ready" due to his sloppy dress apperance

Taylor was a popular military man

Election

Zachary Taylor gained American popularity through winning his battles in the Mexican-American War. Taylor accepted the Whig nomination at the Whig convention in 1848. His opponents were Martin Van Buren (Free Soil) and Lewis Cass (Democrat). He took the popular and electoral votes to capture the win. He gave his Inaugural speech on March 5, 1849 signifying his win.Taylor's vice-president was Millard Fillmore who became president following Taylor's death.

Taylor ran as and ideal man "without regard to creeds or principles". He obtained votes from both northern and southern states. northern states voted for him because of his long and respected military career. He gained southern votes through his ownership of slaves. Taylor's iffy view on vetoing the Wilmot Proviso, a controversial bill prohibiting slavery in the western lands, lost him many southern votes.

Foriegn Policy and Affairs

Clayton-Bulwer Treaty
Taylor's major foreign affair comes when he signs the Clayton- Bulwer Treaty with Great Britain in 1850. The treaty granted access to the Panama Canal to all nations. Both nations agreed not to fortify ships on the canal. Some people viewed the treaty as a betrayal of the Monroe Doctrine. The treaty was later ratified by the Senate. This was his last act of state.

Admitance of states
Following the Mexican-American War and Texas being added to the union, Taylor was faced with adding new sates to the union. He sent a bill to Congress to add California and New Mexico. Both territories were previously own by Mexico. Taylor wanted to expand the US union to the new western territories. With the path ways such as the Sante Fe Trail and the Oregon Trail, settlement in these new places rapidly grew.



Additional Affairs
Other various affairs were stopping an expedition filibustering against Cuba. He supported German liberals in the revolution of 1848 with German states. France and Portugal erupted verbal clashes with him. He confronted Spain about Americans being charged with piracy. Also, Taylor the British find lost explorers in the Arctic.

Domestic Policy and Affairs

Issue of slavery
Taylor focused on the issue of slavery when admitting the California and New Mexico to the union. He rushed bills for admitance through Congress. He urged Congress to allow the state to have their own individual constitutions. He wanted this assuming they would bar slavery so wouldnt have to make the chose to choose slave state or not. By having the states choose this upset southern sates because it could give free states an advantage.

Threat of succession
With the admittance of California would break the balance of free states and slaves states in Congress. At the time, there were 15 free and 15 slaves states. The thought of adding California as a free state and giving free states more power upset the Southern people. Some Democratic southerns called of a succession convention. This was stopped by Taylor announcing he would
hang anyone who tried to disrupt the union.


Compromise of 1850
To help solve conflicts with slavery and to prevent any state from succeeding, the Compromise of 1850 was established. "The Great Compromiser" , Henry Clay, came up with the Compromise of 1850 stating California would be admitted as a free state. New Mexico however would become US territory. This meant the state would being able to choose free or slave. Also, tougher fugitive laws were put into place. The compromise was supported by Massachusetts Senator Daniel Webster and Illinois Senator Stephen Douglass. While Senator John. C. Calhoun of South Carolina opposed it.

Legacy

Zachary Taylor wasn't the greatest president in Americas history but certainly not the worst.His little education and no political background isn't why he became president. He gained his reputation primarly on his military actions as a war hero in the Mexican-American War. Since he didn't even get half way through his term, he wasn't able to really accomplish much. Although adding two states to the union certainly isnt a minor thing, his actions just weren't big enough to consider him a "great" president.