author
Zachary Taylor
1784–1850
A career army officer turned war hero, he rode his fame from the Mexican-American War to the White House and became the 12th president of the United States. His presidency was brief, but it came at a tense moment as the country argued over slavery and the future of new western territories.
1 Audiobook
State of the Union Addresses
by Zachary Taylor
About the author
Born in Virginia in 1784 and raised in Kentucky, Zachary Taylor spent much of his adult life in the U.S. Army. He served for decades on the frontier and became widely known as "Old Rough and Ready," a nickname that reflected his plain style and reputation for toughness in the field.
Taylor became a national hero after major victories in the Mexican-American War, which helped lift him into the presidency in 1848 as the Whig candidate. Although he was a slaveholder from the South, he was seen as politically independent, and his short time in office unfolded during fierce national debate over whether slavery would expand into territory gained from Mexico.
He took office in March 1849 and died on July 9, 1850, after only about 16 months as president. Because his administration was so short, he is often remembered less for legislation than for the unusual path that brought a lifelong soldier into the nation's highest office.