Zachary Taylor

Name: Zachary Taylor

Introduction: Zachary Taylor was an American military leader who served as the 12th President of the United States, holding office from March 1849 until his death in July 1850. Known as “Old Rough and Ready” for his informal but effective command style, he was a highly decorated general and a national hero for his victories in the Mexican-American War. Despite having no prior political experience, his military popularity propelled him to the presidency.

Date of birth: November 24, 1784

Died: July 9, 1850 (aged 65)

Height: Information not consistently available, but generally estimated to be around 5 feet 8 inches.

Place of birth: Orange County, Virginia, U.S. (His family moved to Louisville, Kentucky, shortly after his birth, where he was raised on a plantation.)

Family:

Parents’ names: Richard Lee Taylor (father, a lieutenant colonel in the American Revolution and prominent planter) and Sarah Dabney (née Strother) Taylor (mother).
Siblings: He was the third of five surviving sons and had three younger sisters. His siblings included Hancock Strother Taylor, William Dabney Strother Taylor, Elizabeth Lee Taylor, Joseph Pannell Taylor, Sarah Bailey (Taylor) Gray, George Taylor, and Emily Richard (Taylor) Allison.
Spouse: Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor (m. June 21, 1810).
Children:
- Ann Margaret Mackall Taylor (1811–1875)
- Sarah Knox Taylor (1814–1835) – married Jefferson Davis, future president of the Confederacy, but died shortly after.
- Octavia Pannell Taylor (1816–1820)
- Margaret Smith Taylor (1819–1820)
- Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Taylor (1824–1909)
- Richard Strother Taylor (1826–1879) – later a Confederate Lieutenant-General.
Relatives: He was a descendant of Elder William Brewster, a Pilgrim leader and Mayflower immigrant.

Profession: Military officer (career soldier), politician (President of the United States), plantation owner.

Nationality: American

Religion: Little is definitively known about Taylor’s specific religious views, though he is widely believed to have been an Episcopalian.

College or university attended: None. Zachary Taylor received a rudimentary education from tutors but did not attend college. He joined the military at a young age.

Biography and What Famous For:

Zachary Taylor was born into a prominent Virginian planter family but spent most of his formative years on a large plantation near Louisville, Kentucky. His education was informal, but he learned frontier skills and aspired to a military career.

He received a commission as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1808. For the next 40 years, Taylor served as a career military officer, spending most of his time policing the nation’s frontiers and fighting Native American tribes. He commanded troops in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War (1832), and the Second Seminole War in Florida (1837–1840), earning a reputation as a capable and resilient leader. His nickname, “Old Rough and Ready,” reflected his rugged appearance and willingness to endure the same hardships as his men.

Zachary Taylor is most famous for:

His Military Leadership in the Mexican-American War: His victories in the early stages of the Mexican-American War (1846–1848) made him a national hero.
- He led U.S. forces to decisive victories at the Battle of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma (May 1846), which were key early engagements of the war.
- His triumph at the Battle of Monterrey (September 1846), where his outnumbered forces captured the fortified city.
- His most celebrated victory was at the Battle of Buena Vista (February 1847), where, despite being heavily outnumbered by a Mexican army led by General Santa Anna, Taylor’s forces held their ground and inflicted heavy casualties, forcing Santa Anna to withdraw. This victory solidified his status as a national icon.
Serving as the 12th President of the United States (1849–1850): His immense popularity as a war hero, combined with his status as a political outsider who had never held elected office or even voted in a presidential election before 1848, made him an appealing candidate for the Whig Party.
- He was nominated by the Whigs for the 1848 presidential election and defeated Democratic candidate Lewis Cass and Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren.
- His presidency, though short, was dominated by the escalating debate over the expansion of slavery into the new territories acquired from Mexico (California, New Mexico). Despite being a Southern slaveholder himself, Taylor was a staunch nationalist who opposed the extension of slavery into new territories and favored admitting California and New Mexico as free states immediately, bypassing the territorial stage. This stance put him at odds with Southern politicians who threatened secession. He firmly declared his readiness to use military force to preserve the Union if necessary.

Taylor’s presidency was cut short when he suddenly fell ill on July 4, 1850, after attending a lengthy ceremony at the unfinished Washington Monument on a very hot day, reportedly consuming large quantities of raw vegetables, cherries, and iced milk. He died five days later, on July 9, 1850, likely from gastroenteritis or cholera. His unexpected death contributed to the eventual Compromise of 1850, as his successor, Millard Fillmore, was more open to legislative compromise.

Have participated (Selected Military Engagements and Political Offices):

Military Career:

Entered U.S. Army: 1808 (First Lieutenant)
War of 1812
Black Hawk War (1832)
Second Seminole War (1837–1840)
Mexican-American War (1846–1848):
- Battle of Palo Alto (1846)
- Battle of Resaca de la Palma (1846)
- Battle of Monterrey (1846)
- Battle of Buena Vista (1847)

Political Office: