The 12th President of the United States
Name: Zachary Taylor
Number of terms he served: 1 year
Year he took office: 1849
Birth Date: November 24, 1784
Age when he took office: 64
State of Birth: Orange County, Virginia
Vice President: Millard Filmore
What Party was he from: Whig
What was his major contribution while in office:
Zachary Taylor only served for one year in office as president so he didn’t get to do much but what he did do was mostly directed towards slavery. When he was campaigning he never said if he was for or opposed to slavery so he let people think that because he owned slaves he was pro-slavery. But when he was elected he wanted the new states, New Mexico and California, to both be free states as a part of the Union. This made many southerners angry and South Carolina even threatened to succeed from the Union. Henry Clay suggested that to solve this problem of slavery was to intact the Fugitive Slave Act. Taylor didn’t agree and he made it clear that he would veto any bill that suggested the expansion of slavery.
What did he do after he left office:
Zachary Taylor died in office, there is one theory that suggests that he was poisoned by southerners who were pro-slavery, another theory was by Hamilton Smith that suggests Taylor had take drugs. Clara Rising asked a relative if she could take tests of Taylor’s body the result did not show that he was poisoned but he had cholera morbus. In 2010 people said that there was still no proof that he was or wasn’t assassinated.
Did he have a nickname:
Yes, Old Rough and Ready
Was he married:
Yes, Margaret Mackall Smith
Did he have children:
Yes, six
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