Zachary Taylor 12th president of the United States

Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military leader and the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor built a distinguished career in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of major general and gaining national fame for his triumphs in the Mexican American War. Despite having ambiguous political views, his military reputation propelled him into the presidency. His primary focus as president was preserving the Union, but his term was cut short after 16 months due to a stomach illness, making his presidency the third shortest in U.S. history.

Born into a prominent plantation-owning family, Taylor’s early life saw his family move from Virginia to Louisville, Kentucky. He was the last president born before the U.S. Constitution was adopted. Taylor began his military career in 1808 and distinguished himself as a captain during the War of 1812. He continued to rise through the ranks, playing significant roles in establishing military forts along the Mississippi River and participating in the Black Hawk War as a colonel in 1832. His leadership in the Second Seminole War earned him the moniker “Old Rough and Ready” and brought him national recognition.

In 1845, amid the annexation of Texas, President James K. Polk sent Taylor to the Rio Grande to prepare for a potential conflict with Mexico over the Texas-Mexico border. The Mexican American War erupted in April 1846, and Taylor achieved notable victories against Mexican forces led by General Mariano Arista at the battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma. He continued to advance into Mexico, securing a significant win at the Battle of Monterrey. Despite orders to hold back, Taylor pressed forward and, despite being outnumbered, decisively defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna’s forces at the Battle of Buena Vista. Although his troops were later reassigned to Major General Winfield Scott, Taylor’s popularity remained high.

The Whig Party nominated a reluctant Taylor for the 1848 presidential election, despite his vague political stances and disinterest in politics. At the Whig National Convention, Taylor triumphed over Winfield Scott and Henry Clay for the nomination. He won the presidency with Millard Fillmore as his vice president, defeating Democratic nominees Lewis Cass and William Orlando Butler, as well as a third-party ticket led by Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams Sr. of the Free Soil Party. Taylor was the first president elected without prior political office experience.

As president, he maintained a distance from Congress and his Cabinet, despite rising partisan tensions. He faced significant challenges over the status of slavery in newly acquired territories, which led to secession threats from the South. Although a Southern slaveholder, Taylor prioritized national unity over the expansion of slavery. He encouraged settlers in New Mexico and California to seek statehood directly, bypassing the territorial phase, which set the stage for the Compromise of 1850.

Taylor’s presidency ended abruptly with his death from a stomach illness on July 9, 1850. His administration had limited accomplishments, notable mainly for the ratification of the Clayton-Bulwer Treaty, and made little progress on the contentious issue of slavery. Vice President Fillmore took over the presidency for the remainder of the term. Historians generally rank Taylor among the lower tier of U.S. presidents, primarily due to his short tenure, with some viewing him as “more a forgettable president than a failed one

Early Life

Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, on a plantation in Orange County, Virginia, to a well-established family of English descent. The exact location of his birth is debated, with possibilities including Hare Forest Farm, his maternal grandfather William Strother’s estate, or Montebello, another estate in Orange County recognized by a historical marker. He was the third of five surviving sons, with an additional son who died in infancy, and had three younger sisters. His mother, Sarah Dabney (Strother) Taylor, and his father, Richard Taylor, a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution, were his parents.

Taylor’s lineage included notable ancestors such as Elder William Brewster, a leader of the Plymouth Colony and a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and Isaac Allerton Jr., a colonial merchant and son of Mayflower Pilgrim Isaac Allerton. This lineage connected Taylor to James Madison, the fourth president, as a second cousin. He was also related to the prominent Lee family of Virginia and was a third cousin once removed of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

In search of better prospects, Taylor’s family left their depleted Virginia land and joined the westward migration, settling near what would become Louisville, Kentucky, on the Ohio River. Taylor spent his childhood in a small woodland cabin before the family’s improved fortunes allowed them to move to a brick house. Growing up amid the American Indian Wars, Taylor claimed to have witnessed Native Americans abducting and scalping his classmates.

Louisville’s rapid growth benefited Taylor’s father, who amassed 10,000 acres of land across Kentucky and owned 26 slaves to work the most developed portions of his property. Due to the fledgling state of Kentucky’s education system, Taylor’s formal schooling was inconsistent. His mother initially taught him to read and write, and he later attended a school run by Elisha Ayer, a Connecticut-born teacher. He also attended an academy in Middletown, Kentucky, managed by Kean O’Hara, an Irish scholar and father of Theodore O’Hara.

Ayer remembered Taylor as a diligent and quick learner, though his early letters revealed poor spelling, grammar, and handwriting. Despite improvements in these areas, Taylor’s handwriting remained challenging to read throughout his life.

Marriage and Family

Richard Taylor , Sarah [Knox] Taylor , Margaret Smith Taylor

In June 1810, Zachary Taylor married Margaret Mackall Smith, known as “Peggy,” whom he had met the previous autumn in Louisville. Peggy hailed from a notable family of Maryland planters; her father, Major Walter Smith, had served in the Revolutionary War. Together, Zachary and Peggy Taylor had six children:

Ann Mackall Taylor (1811–1875): Ann married Robert C. Wood, a U.S. Army surgeon stationed at Fort Snelling, in 1829. They had several children, including John Taylor Wood, who served in both the U.S. Navy and the Confederate Navy, and Zachary Taylor Wood, who became the acting Commissioner of the North-West Mounted Police and Commissioner of Yukon Territory. Their other son, Charles Carroll Wood, served as a Lieutenant in the British Army.
Sarah Knox “Knoxie” Taylor (1814–1835): Knoxie married Jefferson Davis, a subordinate officer she met through her father at the end of the Black Hawk War. Tragically, she died of malaria three months after their marriage at the age of 21 in St. Francisville, Louisiana.
Octavia Pannell Taylor (1816–1820): Octavia died in early childhood.
Margaret Smith Taylor (1819–1820): Margaret died in infancy, along with her sister Octavia, when the Taylor family was struck by a “bilious fever.”
Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Taylor (1824–1909): Betty married William Wallace Smith Bliss in 1848. After Bliss’s death in 1853, she married Philip Pendleton Dandridge in 1858.
Richard Taylor (1826–1879): Richard became a Confederate Army general and married Louise Marie Myrthe Bringier in 1851.

Military Career Zachary Taylor

Initial Commissions

On May 3, 1808, Zachary Taylor began his military career when President Thomas Jefferson commissioned him as a first lieutenant in the Kentuckian Seventh Infantry Regiment. This commission was part of Congress’s response to the Chesapeake–Leopard affair, where a British Royal Navy warship boarded a U.S. Navy frigate, igniting public outrage and calls for war. Taylor spent much of 1809 stationed in the run-down camps of New Orleans and Terre aux Boeufs in the Territory of Orleans. Under the command of James Wilkinson, the soldiers suffered from disease and a lack of supplies, leading to Taylor’s extended leave to recover in Louisville.

Promoted to captain in November 1810, Taylor’s army responsibilities were light, allowing him to focus on his personal finances. During this period, he began investing in bank stock in Louisville and purchased a plantation there, along with the Cypress Grove Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi Territory. These plantations included slaves, and Taylor’s holdings eventually grew to more than 200 slaves.

In July 1811, Taylor was assigned to the Indiana Territory, where he took command of Fort Knox after the previous commandant abandoned his post. Taylor quickly restored order, earning praise from Governor William Henry Harrison. Shortly thereafter, Taylor was called to Washington, D.C., to testify in a court-martial for Wilkinson, which prevented him from participating in the November 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe against Shawnee chief Tecumseh’s forces.

War of 1812

During the War of 1812, where the United States clashed with the British Empire and its Native American allies, Zachary Taylor played a crucial role. He defended Fort Harrison in Indiana Territory against an attack led by the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. The September 1812 battle marked the first American land victory of the war, earning Taylor widespread recognition and a brevet promotion to major. Historian John Eisenhower noted this as the first brevet in U.S. history.

Later in 1812, Taylor served as an aide to General Samuel Hopkins on two expeditions: one into the Illinois Territory and another to the Tippecanoe battle site. However, these missions faced setbacks, including a forced retreat at the Battle of Wild Cat Creek. Following these events, Taylor moved his family to Fort Knox.

In the spring of 1814, Taylor was summoned back to duty under Brigadier General Benjamin Howard. When Howard fell ill, Taylor led a 430-man expedition from St. Louis up the Mississippi River. He secured a victory at the Battle of Credit Island against Native forces but had to retreat when British reinforcements arrived. That October, Taylor oversaw the construction of Fort Johnson near present-day Warsaw, Illinois. Upon Howard’s death, Taylor was ordered to abandon the fort and return to St. Louis. At the war’s end in 1815, he was reduced to the rank of captain and subsequently resigned, only to reenter the army a year later as a major.

Command of Fort Howard

Taylor commanded Fort Howard in the Green Bay area of Michigan Territory for two years before returning to Louisville with his family. In April 1819, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel and had the opportunity to dine with President James Monroe and General Andrew Jackson. By late 1820, Taylor led the 7th Infantry to Natchitoches, Louisiana, on the Red River, establishing Fort Selden at the confluence of the Sulphur River and the Red River. Under General Edmund P. Gaines’s orders, he later moved the post to a more strategic location, founding Fort Jesup near Natchitoches by March 1822.

That November, Taylor was transferred to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he stayed until February 1824. The following years were spent on recruiting duty. In late 1826, Taylor was called to Washington, D.C., to work on an Army committee focused on military organization improvements. During this time, he acquired his first Louisiana plantation and moved his family to Baton Rouge.

Black Hawk War

In May 1828, Taylor resumed active duty, commanding Fort Snelling in the Michigan Territory (now Minnesota) for a year, followed by Fort Crawford. After a furlough spent expanding his landholdings, Taylor was promoted to colonel of the 1st Infantry Regiment in April 1832, just as the Black Hawk War erupted. Under General Henry Atkinson, Taylor pursued and defended against Chief Black Hawk’s forces throughout the summer. The war’s end in August 1832 marked the last significant Native resistance to U.S. expansion in the area.

During this period, Taylor opposed the courtship of his 17-year-old daughter, Sarah Knox Taylor, with Lieutenant Jefferson Davis, the future Confederate President. Although he respected Davis, Taylor did not want his daughter to endure the hardships of being a military wife. Despite his objections, Sarah and Davis married in June 1835, but Sarah died of malaria three months later.

Second Seminole War

By 1837, Taylor was engaged in the Second Seminole War in Florida. He established Fort Gardiner and Fort Basinger to support Major General Thomas S. Jesup’s campaign to trap the Seminoles. Taylor achieved a significant victory in the Christmas Day Battle of Lake Okeechobee, one of the largest U.S.-Indian battles of the 19th century, earning him a promotion to brigadier general. In May 1838, Taylor took command of all U.S. troops in Florida, solidifying his reputation as a military leader and earning the nickname “Old Rough and Ready.” However, he faced criticism for using bloodhounds to track Seminoles.

After two years, Taylor was relieved of his command and spent a year touring the nation with his family, meeting with military leaders, and developing an interest in politics. In May 1841, he was appointed commander of the Second Department of the Army’s Western Division, overseeing a vast territory from the Mississippi River westward. Stationed in Arkansas, Taylor focused on land speculation as much as military duties during this period.

Dates of Rank

Rank	Component	Date
1st Lieutenant	Regular Army	May 3, 1808
Captain	Regular Army	November 30, 1810
Brevet Major	Regular Army	September 5, 1812
Major	Regular Army	May 15, 1814
Lieutenant Colonel	Regular Army	April 20, 1819
Colonel	Regular Army	April 4, 1832
Brevet Brigadier-General	Regular Army	December 25, 1837
Brevet Major General	Regular Army	May 28, 1846
Major General	Regular Army	June 29, 1846

Note: Major General Taylor resigned his commission in the U.S. Army on January 31, 1849, shortly before he became President.

Election of 1848

Taylor/Fillmore 1848 Campaign Poster

In 1848, Zachary Taylor, a career military officer, entered the political arena without having previously disclosed his political beliefs or even voting. Known for his independent views, Taylor supported a robust banking system and criticized President Andrew Jackson for letting the Second Bank of the United States collapse in 1836. Taylor believed that expanding slavery into the Western United States was impractical due to the unsuitability of the region for plantation crops like cotton and sugar. As a staunch nationalist and a veteran who had witnessed the horrors of war, he saw secession as a poor solution to national issues.

Political support for Taylor’s presidential candidacy emerged well before the American victory at Buena Vista, with backing from a diverse coalition of Whigs and Democrats, Northerners and Southerners. By late 1846, Taylor’s reluctance to run for president began to fade, aligning more with Whig principles. Despite his disdain for President Polk and his policies, Taylor’s growing popularity suggested a potential victory similar to that of Whig candidate William Henry Harrison in 1840.

Taylor maintained a distance from both major parties but indicated he would have supported Whig Henry Clay in the 1844 election. In a widely publicized letter from September 1847, Taylor outlined his positions, opposing the creation of another national bank, favoring a low tariff, and advocating for a limited presidential role in law-making. He supported the presidential veto only for unconstitutional laws.

Many Southerners mistakenly believed Taylor supported the expansion of slavery into new territories acquired from Mexico. His statement that he would not veto the Wilmot Proviso, which opposed such expansion, angered some Southerners and did not satisfy Northern abolitionists, who sought stronger anti-slavery positions.

In February 1848, Taylor announced he would not accept either party’s presidential nomination. His reluctance to identify as a Whig almost cost him the nomination, but his supporters, including Senator John J. Crittenden, eventually convinced him to declare himself a Whig. At the 1848 Whig National Convention, Taylor secured the presidential nomination, defeating Henry Clay and Winfield Scott. Millard Fillmore, a prominent New York Whig, was chosen as his vice-presidential running mate to appease Northern Whigs upset with the nomination of a Southern slave owner.

Taylor minimized his campaign involvement, avoiding direct voter engagement and correspondence about his political views. His campaign, skillfully managed by Crittenden, gained momentum with an endorsement from Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts.

The Democrats, more divided than the Whigs, saw former President Martin Van Buren lead the anti-slavery Free Soil Party’s ticket, drawing significant support from anti-slavery Democrats and Whigs. Van Buren’s candidacy split the Democratic vote, particularly in New York, benefiting Taylor.

In the 1848 election, Taylor won with 163 of the 290 electoral votes, securing 47.3% of the popular vote against Democrat Lewis Cass’s 42.5% and Van Buren’s 10.1%. Taylor became the last Whig president and the last non-Democrat, non-Republican president, as well as the last Southern president until Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

Taylor ignored the Whig platform, with historian Michael F. Holt noting his indifference to traditional Whig economic programs. Taylor privately dismissed the idea of a national bank, supported a tariff increase only for revenue, and anticipated internal improvements would proceed despite potential presidential vetoes, effectively ending the Whig economic agenda.

Presidency (1849–1850)

Taylor administration” redirects here. For the Liberian government led by President Charles G. Taylor, see Charles G. Taylor § Presidency.

Zachary Taylor

Presidency of Zachary Taylor: March 4, 1849 – July 9, 1850

Party: Whig
Election: 1848
Seat: White House
← James K. Polk | Millard Fillmore →

Transition to the Presidency

As president-elect, Zachary Taylor maintained his distance from Washington, not stepping down from his Western Division command until late January 1849. During the months leading up to his inauguration, he carefully selected his cabinet, frustrating his fellow Whigs with his quiet deliberation. Despite his disdain for political patronage, Taylor faced a barrage of office-seekers vying for positions in his administration.

Taylor was committed to appointing no Democrats and aimed to ensure his cabinet represented the nation’s diverse interests. He chose members based on geographic considerations rather than party prominence, bypassing well-known Whigs like Henry Clay. Taylor envisioned Senator John J. Crittenden as a key figure in his administration, offering him the position of Secretary of State. However, Crittenden declined, opting to continue his term as Kentucky’s governor, leading Taylor to appoint Senator John M. Clayton of Delaware instead.

The Taylor Cabinet

President: Zachary Taylor (1849–1850)
Vice President: Millard Fillmore (1849–1850)
Secretary of State: John M. Clayton (1849–1850)
Secretary of the Treasury: William M. Meredith (1849–1850)
Secretary of War: George W. Crawford (1849–1850)
Attorney General: Reverdy Johnson (1849–1850)
Postmaster General: Jacob Collamer (1849–1850)
Secretary of the Navy: William Ballard Preston (1849–1850)
Secretary of the Interior: Thomas Ewing (1849–1850)

With Clayton’s assistance, Taylor selected the remaining cabinet members. One of the first actions of the incoming Congress was to establish the Department of the Interior, for which Taylor appointed Thomas Ewing as its inaugural secretary. Ewing had previously served as a senator from Ohio and Secretary of the Treasury under William Henry Harrison. Taylor appointed Congressman Jacob Collamer of Vermont as Postmaster General, a role rich in patronage. After Horace Binney declined the position of Secretary of the Treasury, Taylor chose another prominent Philadelphian, William M. Meredith.

George W. Crawford, a former governor of Georgia, accepted the role of Secretary of War, and Congressman William B. Preston of Virginia became Secretary of the Navy. Senator Reverdy Johnson of Maryland was appointed Attorney General and became one of the most influential members of Taylor’s cabinet. Vice President Millard Fillmore, however, was largely sidelined during Taylor’s presidency.

Journey to the Inauguration

Taylor began his journey to Washington in late January, encountering bad weather, delays, injuries, sickness, and even an abduction by a family friend. He finally arrived in the nation’s capital on February 24 and met with outgoing President Polk, who privately deemed Taylor “wholly unqualified” for the presidency. In the following week, Taylor met with political elites, some of whom were unimpressed with his appearance and demeanor. With less than two weeks until his inauguration, he met with Clayton and hastily finalized his cabinet.

Inauguration

Taylor’s term as president began on Sunday, March 4, but his inauguration was delayed until the next day due to religious concerns. In his inauguration speech, Taylor outlined the nation’s challenges but emphasized a governing style of deference to Congress and sectional compromise over assertive executive action. He also highlighted the importance of following President Washington’s precedent of avoiding entangling alliances.

During the period following his inauguration, Taylor met with numerous office-seekers and ordinary citizens seeking his attention. He attended several funerals, including services for Polk and Dolley Madison, coining the term “First Lady” in his eulogy for Madison. In the summer of 1849, Taylor toured the Northeastern United States to familiarize himself with the region, despite being plagued by gastrointestinal illness, and returned to Washington by September.

Sectional Crisis

As Taylor took office, Congress faced numerous questions related to the Mexican Cession, acquired after the Mexican War, and divided into military districts. The status of these territories—whether they would become states or federal territories and whether they would permit slavery—threatened to bitterly divide Congress. Southerners objected to the admission of California, New Mexico, and Utah as free states despite California’s rapid demographic and economic growth.

Additionally, Southerners were angered by Northern aid to fugitive slaves and Northern authorities’ refusal to enforce the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. Northerners, on the other hand, demanded the abolition of the domestic slave trade in Washington, D.C. Texas claimed parts of eastern New Mexico and threatened to send its militia to enforce its territorial claims.

Although Taylor was a Southern slaveowner, he believed slavery was economically infeasible in the Mexican Cession and opposed its expansion into those territories. His primary goal was to maintain sectional peace and preserve the Union through legislative compromise. As the threat of Southern secession grew, Taylor increasingly sided with antislavery Northerners like Senator William H. Seward of New York. He even suggested that he would sign the Wilmot Proviso, banning slavery in federal territories, if it reached his desk.

Taylor believed the best solution was to admit California as a state, bypassing the slavery question in Congress. The California Gold Rush was in full swing at the time, rapidly increasing the state’s population. Taylor’s administration sent Representative Thomas Butler King to California to advocate for statehood, knowing that Californians would likely adopt an anti-slavery constitution. By October 1849, the California constitutional convention unanimously agreed to join the Union and ban slavery.

Territorial Disputes

The New Mexico–Texas border was unsettled at the time of Taylor’s inauguration. The newly acquired territory was under federal jurisdiction, but Texas claimed a portion north of Santa Fe. Taylor sided with New Mexico’s claim, initially advocating for it to remain a federal territory but later supporting statehood to reduce the slavery debate in Congress. Texas, under Governor P. Hansborough Bell, attempted to assert its claims through military action but was unsuccessful.

The Latter Day Saint settlers of modern-day Utah had established the provisional State of Deseret, a vast territory with little hope of recognition by Congress. Taylor’s administration considered combining the California and Utah territories but ultimately opted to organize the Utah Territory. To address Mormon concerns over religious freedom, Taylor promised them relative independence from Congress despite being a federal territory.

In December 1849, Taylor delivered his only State of the Union address to Congress, recapping international events and suggesting adjustments to tariff policy and executive organization. However, the sectional crisis overshadowed these issues. He reported on California’s and New Mexico’s applications for statehood, recommending Congress approve them as written and avoid “exciting topics of a sectional character.” The report ended with a sharp condemnation of secessionists, but it had little effect on Southern legislators, who saw the admission of two free states as an existential threat, leaving Congress deadlocked.

Foreign Affairs

President Zachary Taylor and his Secretary of State, John M. Clayton, both entered office with minimal diplomatic experience. However, their shared nationalist views allowed Taylor to delegate most foreign policy matters to Clayton with little direct oversight. The period was relatively uneventful in American-international politics, and no decisive foreign policy emerged during their administration.

Diplomatic Incidents and Relations

Taylor and Clayton vocally supported German and Hungarian liberals in the 1848 revolutions, though they offered no tangible aid. Diplomatic tensions arose with France when a perceived insult from the French minister Guillaume Tell Poussin nearly led to a break in relations until Poussin was replaced. A reparation dispute with Portugal resulted in stern responses from Taylor’s administration.

On a more positive note, Taylor’s administration arranged for two ships to assist in the UK’s search for the lost British explorer John Franklin in the Arctic. Despite previous Whig administrations emphasizing Pacific trade, the Taylor administration took no significant initiatives in the Far East.

Contention with Narciso López

Throughout 1849 and 1850, the Taylor administration dealt with Narciso López, a Venezuelan radical leading repeated filibustering attempts to conquer Cuba. The annexation of Cuba fascinated many Southerners who saw it as a potential new slave state. Despite offers of support from U.S. military leaders, Taylor and Clayton deemed the enterprise illegal. They issued a blockade and authorized the arrest of López and his followers, who were eventually acquitted. They also confronted Spain, which had arrested several Americans on piracy charges but later released them to maintain good relations with the U.S.

The Clayton–Bulwer Treaty

Arguably, the most significant accomplishment of Taylor’s foreign policy was the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty of 1850. This treaty concerned a proposed inter-oceanic canal through Central America. To prevent conflict, the U.S. and Britain agreed not to claim control over any canal that might be built in Nicaragua. The treaty fostered an Anglo-American alliance and was Taylor’s last major action as president.

Compromise Attempts and Final Days

Congressional Tensions

As Congress debated slavery, Henry Clay took a central role. Although Clay’s positions overlapped with Taylor’s, the president distanced himself from Clay, leading to political isolation. Taylor’s preference for admitting the Mexican Cession territories as free states displeased Southerners, while Northerners disapproved of his opposition to Clay’s legislative agenda. Consequently, Congress increasingly ignored Taylor while drafting the Compromise of 1850.

The Compromise of 1850

Clay, with Daniel Webster’s assistance, proposed a compromise allowing California statehood with independence on the slavery question while keeping other territories under federal jurisdiction. Texas would be reimbursed for disputed New Mexico territory, and slavery would be retained in Washington, D.C., though the slave trade would be banned. Additionally, a strict Fugitive Slave Law would be enacted, bypassing Northern legislation restricting Southerners from retrieving runaway slaves.

Escalating Tensions and Taylor’s Response

As tensions flared, Taylor threatened to send troops to New Mexico to protect its border from Texas, potentially leading the army himself. This crisis escalated when New Mexico proposed a constitution banning slavery, and Texas Governor Peter Hansborough Bell threatened military action. Taylor’s rhetoric and actions increased tensions, leading to disapproval even from his political allies.

The Galphin Affair

Taylor’s last days were overshadowed by the Galphin affair. Secretary of War George W. Crawford was involved in a controversial payment related to a long-standing legal case, leading to a scandal that embarrassed Taylor and complicated his administration. The House of Representatives censured Taylor, and newspapers called for his impeachment.

Despite these challenges, Taylor’s administration’s most lasting impact was the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty, promoting U.S.-British cooperation and setting a precedent for future international agreements.

Judicial Appointments

During his presidency, Zachary Taylor made several notable judicial appointments. These appointments were crucial in shaping the federal judiciary and included judges who served in various districts. Below is a list of the judges appointed by Taylor:

List of Federal Judges Appointed by Zachary Taylor

Court	Name	Term
Western District of Louisiana	Henry Boyce	1849–1861
District of Illinois	Thomas Drummond	1850–1855
Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama	John Gayle	1849–1859
District of Arkansas	Daniel Ringo	1849–1851

Detailed Overview

Henry Boyce (Western District of Louisiana):

Term: 1849–1861
Boyce’s appointment to the Western District of Louisiana by Taylor marked the beginning of a long tenure in the federal judiciary, serving for over a decade.

Thomas Drummond (District of Illinois):

Term: 1850–1855
Drummond was appointed to the District of Illinois, where he served for five years, contributing to the development of the judiciary in that state.

John Gayle (Northern, Middle, and Southern Districts of Alabama):

Term: 1849–1859
Gayle served across multiple districts in Alabama, reflecting Taylor’s broad use of judicial appointments to cover various regions.

Daniel Ringo (District of Arkansas):

Term: 1849–1851
Ringo’s term in the District of Arkansas was relatively short but notable during Taylor’s administration.

These appointments played a significant role in the judicial landscape during and after Taylor’s presidency, influencing legal proceedings and the administration of justice in their respective districts.

Death

Circumstances and Symptoms

On July 4, 1850, President Zachary Taylor attended a holiday celebration at the Washington Monument, which was under construction at the time. During the event, Taylor consumed large quantities of cherries and iced milk, which was believed to have contributed to his illness. Over the next few days, Taylor experienced severe gastrointestinal distress that resembled acute gastroenteritis. Initially mild, his condition rapidly deteriorated, and by July 8, he expressed a grim prognosis to his medical attendant, acknowledging the possibility of death.

Illness and Diagnosis

Taylor’s Army physician, Dr. Alexander S. Wotherspoon, diagnosed him with cholera morbus, a term used in the mid-19th century for various intestinal ailments, not related to the Asiatic cholera epidemic prevalent in Washington, D.C., at the time. The precise cause of Taylor’s illness remains speculative, with some attributing it to contaminated food or drink, while others considered the possibility of poisoning.

Death and Funeral

Taylor died at 10:35 p.m. on July 9, 1850, at the age of 65. Following his death, Vice President Millard Fillmore assumed the presidency. Taylor’s funeral was organized by a Joint Special Committee from New York City, and it took place on July 23, 1850. The procession included a firing of three volleys by the 7th National Guard Regiment and involved 30 pallbearers, representing the number of states in the Union at that time. Taylor was initially interred in the Public Vault of the Congressional Cemetery before being moved to the Taylor family plot at the old homestead plantation, Springfield, in Louisville, Kentucky.

Assassination Theories

Almost immediately after Taylor’s death, rumors circulated about possible poisoning. Various theories suggested that Taylor might have been poisoned by pro-slavery Southerners or Catholics. In the 1970s and 1980s, further investigations, including exhumation and forensic analysis, were conducted. Radiological studies and neutron activation analysis at Oak Ridge National Laboratory found no evidence of poisoning, concluding that Taylor likely died from cholera morbus or acute gastroenteritis. Despite these findings, some historians and political scientists continue to debate the circumstances of his death.

Historical Reputation and Memorials

Taylor’s presidency was relatively brief and did not significantly impact the office or the United States. Historians often rank him in the bottom quarter of U.S. presidents. Taylor was the last president to own slaves while in office and the second president to die in office, following William Henry Harrison.

In 1883, Kentucky erected a 50-foot monument near Taylor’s grave. The burial grounds were later expanded and designated as the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in 1928. Taylor was honored on U.S. postage stamps in 1875, 1938, and 1986, making him the fifth American president to appear on U.S. postage stamps.

Memorialization

Taylor’s mausoleum at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky, serves as a tribute to his legacy. The cemetery’s establishment and the construction of Taylor’s mausoleum were significant efforts by the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Taylor family to honor his memory.

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