november july 12th president united_states serving march death july presidency taylor career officer united_states_army rising rank major general taylor status national hero result victories won election white_house despite vague political beliefs priority president preserving union died seventeen months term making progress status slavery tensions congress taylor born prominent family migrated westward virginia kentucky youth taylor commissioned officer captain war climbed ranks establishing military forts mississippi_river entered colonel success second war attracted national attention earned nickname old rough ready annexation texas underway president dispatched taylor area anticipation potential battle mexico disputed texas mexico border mexican broke april taylor defeated mexican troops commanded general battles managed drive troops texas taylor subsequently led troops mexico defeated mexican troops commanded battle september taylor subsequently defied orders moving troops south despite severely outnumbered dealt crushing blow mexican forces february battle taylor troops transferred command taylor popularity remained significant convinced reluctant taylor lead ticket despite unclear platform lack interest politics won election alongside new_york politician defeating democratic candidates party effort led president president taylor kept distance congress cabinet partisan tensions threatened divide union debate slave status large territories claimed war led threats despite taylor push expansion slavery avoid question urged settlers new_mexico california bypass territorial stage draft setting stage compromise taylor died suddenly stomach related illness july little impact divide led civil war decade later early life born november plantation virginia prominent family english ancestry believed born home maternal grandfather surviving sons family sixth died infancy younger sisters mother taylor father served lieutenant colonel american revolution taylor descendant elder leader plymouth colony immigrant compact colonial merchant colonel son fear taylor second cousin line fourth president leaving exhausted lands family joined westward migration virginia settled near developed louisville kentucky taylor grew small woodland cabin family moved brick house increased prosperity rapid growth louisville taylor father came acres km2 kentucky start 19th century held slaves developed portion holdings formal schools kentucky frontier taylor sporadic formal education recalled taylor quick early letters weak grasp spelling grammar later described near marriage family june taylor married met previous autumn louisville smith came prominent family maryland daughter major served revolutionary war couple children married surgeon met living married met father end died malaria louisiana shortly marriage taylor died early childhood died infancy taylor family stricken fever married died married taylor general married military career initial commissions taylor joined receiving commission lieutenant new officers commissioned congress response leopard affair american frigate boarded crew british warship sparking calls war taylor spent dilapidated camps new_orleans nearby promoted captain november army duties limited time attended personal finances years began purchase slaves good deal bank stock louisville bought plantation louisville slaves attached near mississippi bringing total number slaves july called assumed control commandant fled weeks able restore order garrison lauded governor war war forces battled british_empire indian allies taylor successfully defended indian attack commanded chief taylor gained recognition received temporary promotion rank major later year joined general aide expeditions illinois territory second battle site forced retreat taylor moved growing family violence subsided spring called action brigadier general october supervised construction near present day warsaw illinois upper howard death weeks later taylor ordered abandon fort retreat reduced rank captain war ended resigned army entered year later gaining commission major commanded fort howard years taylor commanded settlement returned louisville family april promoted rank lieutenant colonel president late taylor took 7th infantry louisiana orders general set locate new post convenient frontier following march taylor established shield spring site southwest november transferred remained february spent years recruiting duty late called washington work army committee consolidate improve military organization meantime acquired louisiana plantation decided family home black hawk war taylor called action commanding minnesota northern mississippi_river year nearby fort year time expanded taylor promoted colonel 1st infantry regiment april time beginning west taylor campaigned general pursue later defend chief forces summer end war august signaled end indian resistance expansion area following years relatively quiet period taylor resisted courtship year old daughter lieutenant future president respected davis approve daughter military wife knew hard life families davis married june died months later malaria contracted summer visit davis sister louisiana second war underway taylor directed florida defeated indians christmas day battle lake largest indian battles nineteenth century promoted brigadier general recognition success brig stepped placed taylor command american troops florida position held years reputation military leader growing began known old rough ready taylor criticized order track long requested relief granted taylor spent comfortable year touring nation family meeting military leaders period began interested politics corresponded president commander sizable territory ran mississippi_river westward south 37th parallel north stationed arkansas taylor enjoyed uneventful years spending time attending land speculation military matters mexican american war anticipation annexation established independence taylor sent april louisiana ordered guard attempts mexico reclaim territory served july annexation imminent president directed deploy disputed territory texas near near mexico taylor chose spot corpus following spring anticipation mexican attack taylor men advanced march attempts negotiate mexico failed war appeared imminent violence broke weeks later captain men attacked mexican forces north river learning told congress war mexico begun month taylor commanded american forces battle alto nearby greatly outnumbered defeated mexican force consisted army north commanded general forced troops victories popular hero weeks received promotion major general formal congress national press compared george_washington generals ascended presidency taylor denied interest running office idea entered head remarked letter likely enter head person september taylor crossing inflicted heavy casualties mexican defenders battle city considered captured days forcing mexican forces retreat taylor criticized signing liberal truce pressing large scale surrender half taylor army ordered join general soldiers besieged veracruz mexican general discovered intercepted letter scott taylor contributed men effort remaining force included regular army soldiers resolved advantage situation attacked taylor men battle february leaving americans dead wounded cost mexican mexican forces retreated ensuring far reaching victory americans recognition victory taylor elected honorary member cincinnati july taylor father original member cincinnati unfortunately younger taylor virginia society disbanded shortly elder taylor death prevented succeeding father seat society taylor member military society mexican war taylor remained late november set sail home spend following year command army entire western division active military career december received hero welcome new_orleans popular legacy set stage presidential election election capacity career officer taylor publicly revealed political beliefs voted time thought independent believing strong sound banking system country thought president democrat allowed collapse believed impractical talk expanding slavery western areas concluded cotton sugar produced great quantities result slavery easily grown plantation economy firm nationalist experience seeing people die result warfare believed good way resolve national problems taylor agree stand favor protective expensive internal improvements aligned whig party governing policies president able veto law law constitution office interfere congress power collective decision making cabinet strong american victory political clubs formed supported taylor president support drawn unusually broad assortment political bands including democrats allies opponents national leaders late taylor opposition presidential run began weaken clear principles closely resembled whig maintained accept election national independent figure partisan loyalist taylor declared whig party convention approached whig principle consider democrat believed taylor supported slavery expansion new territory absorbed mexico angered taylor suggested elected president veto proposed expansion position enhance support activist elements wanted taylor speak strongly support simply fail veto support taylor slave owner knew taylor supported states rights opposed protective government spending internal improvements hoped federal union united_states taylor received whig nomination president vice presidential nominee convention chose prominent chaired contender vice presidential nominee election selection largely attempt reconciliation northern furious election factions party dissatisfied final ticket taylor continued minimize role campaign preferring directly meet voters correspond political views campaign directed senator kentucky friend early political supporter bolstered late endorsement senator massachusetts taylor defeated democratic candidate free soil candidate taylor ignored whig platform historian explains taylor equally indifferent programs long considered vital publicly ambiguous refusing answer questions views banking internal improvements privately idea national bank dead revived time future increased revenue words whig hopes restoring protective vain surplus federal funds public land sales distribute states internal improvements spite presidential words taylor pronounced entire whig economic program presidency transition inauguration president elect taylor kept distance washington resigning command late january spent months following election cabinet selections deliberate quiet decisions frustration fellow despised patronage political games endured advances office looking play role administration appoint democrats taylor wanted cabinet reflect nation diverse interests seats geographically avoided choosing prominent obvious selections clay saw cornerstone administration offering crucial seat secretary state insisted serving governorship kentucky elected taylor settled instead senator delaware close associate taylor began trek washington late january journey bad weather delays injuries sickness abduction family friend taylor finally arrived nation capital february soon met outgoing president incumbent democrat held low opinion taylor privately deeming political information wholly station president taylor spent following week meeting political unimpressed appearance demeanor weeks inauguration met hastily finalized cabinet taylor term president began sunday march inauguration held following day religious concerns inauguration speech discussed tasks facing nation presented governing style congress compromise instead executive action summer taylor toured northeastern region seen little spent trip plagued illness returned washington september crisis taylor took office congress faced battery questions related comprising major territories acquired mexican war california new_mexico utah unclear acquisitions achieve remain federal territories question slave status threatened divide congress southern taylor particular bias southern faction congress sought maintain right slavery major goal peace preserving union legislative compromise threat southern grew sided increasingly senator new_york suggesting sign ban slavery federal territories bill reach desk taylor view best way forward admit california state federal territory leave slavery question congress hands timing taylor favor underway time inauguration california population exploding administration dispatched california test waters advocate behalf knowing certain adopt anti slavery constitution king found constitutional convention underway october convention unanimously agreed join union ban slavery borders question new mexico texas border unsettled time taylor inauguration territory newly won mexico federal jurisdiction claimed land north determined include borders despite having significant presence taylor sided claim initially pushing federal territory eventually supported reduce slavery debate congress texas government newly governor tried ramp military action defense territory federal government unsuccessful day saint settlers modern day utah established provisional state enormous territory little hope recognition congress taylor administration considered combining california utah territories instead opted organize alleviate population concerns religious freedom taylor promised relative independence congress despite federal territory taylor sent state union report congress december international events suggested adjustments policy executive organization issues overshadowed crisis facing congress reported california new_mexico applications recommended congress approve written introduction exciting topics character policy report ended sharp condemnation effect southern legislators saw admission free states threat congress remained stalled foreign affairs taylor secretary state lacked diplomatic experience came office relatively uneventful time american international politics shared nationalism allowed taylor foreign policy matters minimal oversight decisive foreign policy established administration opponents european order vocally supported german hungarian liberals revolutions offered little way aid perceived insult french minister nearly led break diplomatic relations replaced dispute portugal resulted harsh words taylor administration positive effort administration arranged ships assist united_kingdom search team british explorers led gotten lost arctic previous whig emphasized pacific trade economic taylor administration took major initiative far_east contended radical led repeated expeditions attempt conquer island cuba generous offers american military leaders support taylor saw enterprise illegal issued blockade later authorized mass arrest group eventually acquitted confronted spain arrested americans charge piracy eventually surrendered maintain good relations arguably taylor administration definitive accomplishment foreign policy treaty proposed inter oceanic canal central_america britain friendly terms construction canal decades away reality mere possibility nations uneasy position years britain seizing strategic points particularly eastern coast present day nicaragua negotiations held britain resulted landmark treaty nations agreed claim control canal built nicaragua treaty promoted development anglo american alliance completion taylor action president compromise attempts final days clay took central role congress debated slavery question positions overlap taylor president maintained distance clay historians disagree motivations assistance clay developed landmark proposal compromise proposal allowed california giving independence slavery question territories remain federal jurisdiction include disputed parts new_mexico texas territory slavery retained district_of_columbia slave trade banned strict fugitive slave law enacted bypassing northern legislation restricted runaway slaves tensions congress negotiated talks grew culminating threat taylor send troops new_mexico protect border texas leading army taylor said taken rebellion union hang reluctance hanged spies mexico law major step forward ultimately pass sides great compromise reached taylor desk presidency instead days overshadowed affair joining taylor cabinet secretary war served lawyer involved year case representing descendants colonial trader services british crown time american revolution british debt assumed federal government heirs received payment debt principal years litigation unable win interest payment administration taylor treasury secretary support attorney general finally signed payment april president embarrassment payment included legal compensation nearly cabinet members effectively offered tremendous public treasury house investigation cleared legal wrongdoing nonetheless expressed disapproval accepting payment taylor organization cabinet scandal situation death july taylor reportedly consumed raw fruit milk attending holiday celebrations fund raising event washington monument construction course days severely ill unknown digestive doctor diagnosed illness cholera flexible mid nineteenth century term diverse related cholera widespread epidemic time taylor death identity source taylor illness subject historical speculation known cabinet members come similar illness fever ensued taylor chance recovery small july taylor remarked medical attendant surprised terminate death expect encounter elevation presidency god knows fulfill conceived honest duty mistaken motives feelings outraged despite treatment taylor died july years old death vice president assumed presidency completed taylor term ended march taylor interred public vault washington july october built hold remains grave site prepared transportation arranged city body transported plot parents buried old taylor homestead plantation known springfield louisville kentucky administration cabinet judicial appointments historical reputation memorials short tenure taylor considered strongly influenced office presidency united_states historians believe taylor inexperienced politics time officials needed close ties political despite shortcomings treaty affecting relations great_britain central_america recognized important step scaling nation commitment policy historical rankings presidents united_states generally placed taylor quarter chief executives surveys tend rank effective presidents taylor president slaves office whig presidents successor taylor second president die office preceded died serving president years earlier president elected louisiana placed foot monument topped life sized statue taylor near grave 1920s taylor family initiated effort turn taylor burial grounds national cemetery donated adjacent parcels land project turning half acre taylor family cemetery acres remains taylor wife died moved newly constructed taylor limestone granite base marble interior nearby cemetery property designated released postage stamp issue honoring june years death taylor appear postage stamp time cent presidential issue taylor appearance date postage stamp occurred honored presidential issue washington jefferson jackson lincoln fifth american president appear postage namesake names places united_states including camp taylor kentucky florida world war liberty ship louisiana iowa kentucky 100th county established kentucky named rough ready california historical origin town depicted episode syndicated western television series days virginia namesake architect assassination theories immediately death rumors began taylor poisoned pro slavery similar theories persisted 20th century based assassination theory timing drugs lack confirmed cholera material late 1980s professor persuaded taylor closest living relative agree remains tested remains transported june samples hair tissues removed studies conducted remains returned cemetery appropriate honors activation analysis conducted revealed evidence poisoning levels low analysis concluded taylor contracted cholera acute washington open food drink contaminated potential recovery overwhelmed doctors treated grains dose political scientist questions traditional explanation taylor death relying interviews reports forensic argues procedure test poisoning fundamentally flawed review concludes definitive proof taylor assassinated appear definitive proof
Zachary Taylor