Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, was born on November 24, 1784, in Virginia. Known as “Old Rough and Ready” for his military exploits, Taylor was a career army officer who had no prior political experience before becoming president. His rise to the presidency was largely due to his popularity after leading the U.S. to victory in several key battles during the Mexican-American War.
When Taylor assumed office in 1849, he faced a nation deeply divided over the expansion of slavery into new territories. His administration was thrust into this contentious issue with the admission of California as a free state and the ongoing debate over slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico. Taylor, although a slaveholder from Louisiana, took a surprisingly firm stance against the expansion of slavery into new states, proposing that California and New Mexico be admitted as states without regard to the status of slavery, which would likely result in them being free states. This stance alienated Southern politicians who anticipated support for their interests from one of their own.
However, Taylor’s presidency was cut tragically short. After only 16 months in office, he died unexpectedly on July 9, 1850, from what was reported as gastroenteritis, though theories of poisoning have persisted. His death left the Union in a precarious state, with his successor, Millard Fillmore, signing the Compromise of 1850, which Taylor might have opposed. His brief presidency thus marks a “what if” moment in American history, where a longer term might have influenced the trajectory towards the Civil War.
