Zachary Taylor

By Devin Jones

A-1/B-1

Full Name: Zachary Taylor Born: November 24, 1784

Place of Birth: Orange County, Virgina

Ancestry: English Father: Richard Taylor (1744 - 1829)

Mother: Sarah Dabney Strother Taylor (1760 - 1822)

First Lady: Margaret Mackal Smith Taylor

Children: Six; 5 girls 1 boy Pet(s): Old Whitey, the horse

Education: No college(1762) Religion: Episcopalian

Occupation: Cotton Raising and Army Officer

Military Service: 40 years in the Army (Major General)

Political Party: Whig Offices Held: None

Age at Inauguration: 64 Terms Served: Two; (1801 - 1805),

(1805 - 1809) Vice Presidents: Millard Fillmore

Campaign Slogan: For President of the People.

States Admitted: None Sport or Hobby: Riding

• Nickname: Old Rough and Ready Died: July 9, 1850 Place of Death: Washington, D.C.Cause of Death: Heat stroke Interesting Facts: Before becoming president, Taylor was a General in the Army.

He was the first President who never held a political office before the Presidency. First to be elected from a state west of the Mississippi River. His horse ,"Whitey", was allowed to graze on the White House lawn. Some people say that tourists would pull hairs from the horse's tail.

• Major events in the biography of President Zachary TaylorJanuary 24th 1848 Gold is discovered at Sutter's Mill in California and the gold rush reaches its height the following year. The Clayton-Bulwer Treaty signed with Britain guaranteed that any future canal across Central America would be available to all nations. A Women's rights convention is held at Seneca Falls on July 19th and 20th.

• Zachary Taylor was a Brigadier General as a result of his victory over the Seminoles at Lake Okeechobee (1837). He captured Monterrey in September 1846 and defeated Santa Anna at Buena Vista in February 1847. Zachary Taylor thus became a hero of the Mexican War. He was elected president in 1849. During the revival of the slavery controversy

• Zachary Taylor was not known for his education and he had no political background. He was elected solely on his reputation as a war hero. As such, his short time in office was not one full of major accomplishments. However, if Taylor had lived and in fact vetoed the Compromise of 1850, the events of the mid-19th century would have been very different indeed.

• http://americanhistory.about.com/od/zacharytaylor/p/ptaylor.htm

• library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312172/taylor.html • www.facts-about.org.uk/american-president-zachary-taylor.htm