Accountability Citizenship
Connect with the Author
  • Home
  • Register
  • Blog
  • Support AC.org, Get Cool Stuff!
  • Contact
  • Book Reviews
  • Spotlight

Zachary Taylor, 12th President of the United States (1849-1850)

3/2/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
Only a few short years after the death of William Henry Harrison, Zachary Taylor became the second US President to die while in office.  Taylor, a successful army general with distinguished service in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, the Second Seminole War, and the Mexican-American War, died of cholera a mere sixteen months into his term.  To his credit, Taylor spent his time in office focusing on how to preserve the union in the face of secessionist threats.  In spite of the fact that he was from a slave-holding state--Taylor was the only president ever elected from the state of Louisiana--he increasingly sided with anti-slavery forces, and helped set the stage for California to be admitted directly as a state rather than following the route of territory, then statehood.  The Gold Rush and other events played a role in bringing California's statehood to fruition, but Taylor's strong anti-secessionist position certainly helped set the stage for the Compromise of 1850, signed shortly after his death. 

The timing of Taylor's death and the intense controversy over slavery and statehood led some to suggest that he was poisoned, but there has never been any evidence to support this hypothesis.  Also, Taylor's predecessor died of cholera in Tennessee just over a year before Taylor succumbed to a similar fate--cholera was a major threat in the United States at this time.  Pursuant to the standard set when Harrison died, Taylor was succeeded by his Vice President, Millard Fillmore, in July of 1850.

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Author of Thy King Dumb Come and Accountability Citizenship, Stephen P. Tryon is a businessman and technologist with extensive experience in e-commerce, a retired Soldier, and former Senate Fellow.

    Register to Win Cool Stuff!

    Archives

    January 2021
    October 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    July 2017
    May 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    View my profile on LinkedIn
Proudly powered by Weebly