Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, on a plantation in Orange County, Virginia, to a family of planters of English descent. His parents were Sarah Dabney (née Strother) Taylor and Richard Taylor, a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution. Taylor was the third of five surviving sons and had three younger sisters. His maternal grandfather was William Strother, and his ancestry included Elder William Brewster, a Pilgrim leader and signer of the Mayflower Compact, as well as Isaac Allerton Jr., a colonial merchant and son of Mayflower Pilgrims. Through these ancestral connections, Taylor was related to James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, and was also connected to the Lee family of Virginia and Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

The family moved westward from Virginia to Louisville, Kentucky, where Taylor grew up. His early education was irregular; his mother taught him to read and write, and he attended private schools, including one run by Elisha Ayer and an academy operated by Kean O'Hara. As a child, Taylor lived near battlegrounds of the Northwest Indian War and claimed to have witnessed Native American abductions and scalping.

Taylor’s family acquired extensive landholdings in Kentucky and owned 26 slaves. He spent part of his childhood on the family’s Kentucky plantation, where his father was successful in land acquisition and agricultural pursuits.

In 1808, Taylor was commissioned as an officer in the United States Army. His military career began with service during the War of 1812, where he earned recognition as a captain. He advanced through the ranks, establishing forts along the Mississippi River and participating in the Black Hawk War as a colonel in 1832. His success in the Second Seminole War contributed to his reputation, earning him the nickname "Old Rough and Ready."

In the summer of 1809, Taylor fell ill with dysentery near New Orleans and returned to Louisville to recover. During this period, he met Margaret Mackall Smith; they married on June 21, 1810. Margaret was from a Maryland family with a military background. The couple's marriage produced six children: Ann Mackall Taylor, Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor, Octavia Pannell Taylor, Margaret Smith Taylor, Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Taylor, and Richard Taylor. Several children died in infancy or childhood.

Following marriage, Taylor and his wife initially resided in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he purchased land and began slaveholdings, including the Cypress Grove Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi, which he acquired in April 1842 with 81 slaves for $95,000. Throughout his career, Taylor maintained properties in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arkansas, with Baton Rouge serving as his principal residence during his military and family life.

Taylor rose to prominence as a military leader during the Mexican–American War (1846–1848), earning fame for victories at battles including Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, and Monterrey. His leadership in the Battle of Buena Vista against Santa Anna's forces further solidified his reputation, although he was transferred to command under Major General Winfield Scott.

In 1848, the Whig Party selected Taylor as its presidential candidate. Despite his lack of prior political experience and vague political beliefs, he was elected the 12th president of the United States, serving from March 4, 1849, until his death on July 9, 1850, after a brief illness caused by a stomach disease. His presidency was notable for its focus on preserving the Union amid escalating tensions over slavery in the territories acquired from Mexico, ultimately leading to the Compromise of 1850, which he advocated but did not live to see enacted.

Taylor died at the age of 65, and Vice President Millard Fillmore succeeded him for the remainder of his term. Historians have generally ranked Taylor in the lower quartile among U.S. presidents, citing his brief tenure and limited political accomplishments.