Victory at the Battle of Buena Vista (1847)
Pre-presidential victory over Santa Anna's larger army that made him a hero
US Presidents · 19th century
Zachary Taylor
1784–1850 · American
Whig
In office: 1849–1850
Zachary Taylor, the 12th president, was a career army officer who became a national hero in the Mexican–American War. Elected as a Whig with no political experience, he opposed the extension of slavery into the new territories and resisted the compromise being worked out in Congress. He died in July 1850 after only 16 months in office.
How to spot them
- ▸'Old Rough and Ready'
- ▸Hero of the Battle of Buena Vista (1847)
- ▸Died in July 1850 after falling ill at an Independence Day event, reportedly after eating cherries and iced milk
- ▸His daughter Sarah Knox Taylor married Jefferson Davis
In office
The Clayton–Bulwer Treaty (1850)
Agreement with Britain that neither would exclusively control a Central American canal
Pushing for California's immediate admission as a free state (1849–1850)
Sought to bypass the territorial stage and the slavery debate
Death in office after a Fourth of July celebration in 1850 (1850)
Fell ill with a stomach complaint and died on 9 July; Millard Fillmore succeeded him
Quick-fire facts
- •Born in Orange County, Virginia, and raised in Kentucky
- •Had never voted in a presidential election before being elected
- •Served in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War and the Second Seminole War
- •His remains were exhumed in 1991 to test a theory of arsenic poisoning; no evidence of poisoning was found
- •The last Whig to win a presidential election
Drill it — 5 cards
1 / 5new card
Sources
- Miller Center, University of Virginia — Zachary Taylor