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{{Redirect|General Taylor|other uses|General Taylor (disambiguation)|and|Zachary Taylor (disambiguation)}}
{{pp-pc1}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2016}}
{{short description|Twelfth President of the United States}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name          = Zachary Taylor
|image         = Zachary Taylor restored and cropped.jpg
|office        = 12th [[President of the United States]]
|vicepresident = Millard Fillmore
|term_start    = March 4, 1849<ref group="lower-alpha">Taylor's term of service was scheduled to begin at noon EST on March 4, 1849, but as this day fell on a Sunday, Taylor refused to be sworn in until the following day. Vice President Millard Fillmore was also not sworn in on that day. Most scholars believe that according to the [[United States Constitution|Constitution]], Taylor's term began on March 4, regardless of whether he had taken the oath.</ref>
|term_end      = July 9, 1850
|predecessor   = [[James K. Polk]]
|successor     = [[Millard Fillmore]]
|birth_date    = {{birth date|1784|11|24}}
|birth_place   = [[Barboursville, Virginia]], U.S.
|death_date    = {{death date and age|1850|7|9|1784|11|24}}
|death_place   = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
|death_cause   = [[Stomach disease]]
|restingplace  = [[Zachary Taylor National Cemetery]]
|party         = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]]
|spouse        = {{marriage|[[Margaret Taylor|Margaret Smith]]|June 21, 1810}}
|children      = 6, including [[Sarah Knox Taylor|Sarah]], [[Mary Elizabeth Bliss|Mary]], and [[Richard Taylor (general)|Richard]]
| parents = [[Richard Taylor (colonel)|Richard Taylor]]<br />Sarah Dabney Strother 
|profession    = 
|signature     = Zachary Taylor Signature-2.svg
|signature_alt = Cursive signature in ink
|branch        = {{flag|United States Army}}
|serviceyears  = 1808–1849
|rank          = {{Dodseal|USAFO7|25}} [[Major general (United States)|Major general]]
|commands      = [[Army of Occupation (Mexico)|Army of Occupation]]
|battles       = [[War of 1812]]<br />{{*}}[[Siege of Fort Harrison]]<br />[[Black Hawk War]]<br />[[Second Seminole War]]<br />{{*}}[[Battle of Lake Okeechobee]]<br />[[Mexican–American War]]<br />{{*}}[[Battle of Palo Alto]]<br />{{*}}[[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]]<br />{{*}}[[Battle of Monterrey]]<br />{{*}}[[Battle of Buena Vista]]
}}
'''Zachary Taylor''' (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was the 12th [[president of the United States]], serving from March 1849 until his death in July 1850. Taylor previously was a career officer in the [[United States Army]], rose to the rank of [[Major general (United States)|major general]] and became a national hero as a result of his victories in the [[Mexican–American War]]. As a result, he won election to the [[White House]] despite his vague political beliefs. His top priority as president was preserving the Union, but he died sixteen months into his term, before making any progress on the status of [[slavery in the United States|slavery]], which had been inflaming tensions in Congress.

Taylor was born into a prominent family of plantation owners who moved westward from [[Virginia]] to [[Louisville]], [[Kentucky]] in his youth. He was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army in 1808 and made a name for himself as a [[captain (United States)|captain]] in the [[War of 1812]]. He climbed the ranks establishing military forts along the [[Mississippi River]] and entered the [[Black Hawk War]] as a [[colonel (United States)|colonel]] in 1832. His success in the [[Second Seminole War]] attracted national attention and earned him the nickname "Old Rough and Ready". In 1845, during the [[annexation of Texas]], President [[James K. Polk]] dispatched Taylor to the [[Rio Grande]] in anticipation of a battle with Mexico over the disputed Texas–Mexico border. The [[Mexican–American War]] broke out in April 1846, and Taylor defeated Mexican troops commanded by General [[Mariano Arista]] at the battles of [[Battle of Palo Alto|Palo Alto]] and [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma|Resaca de la Palma]] and drove his troops out of Texas. Taylor then led his troops into Mexico, where they defeated Mexican troops commanded by [[Pedro de Ampudia]] at the [[Battle of Monterrey]]. Defying orders, Taylor led his troops further south and, despite being severely outnumbered, dealt a crushing blow to Mexican forces under [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] at the [[Battle of Buena Vista]]. Taylor's troops were transferred to the command of Major General [[Winfield Scott]], but Taylor retained his popularity.

The [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]] convinced the reluctant Taylor to lead their ticket in the [[1848 United States presidential election|1848 presidential election]], despite his unclear political tenets and lack of interest in politics. At the [[1848 Whig National Convention]], Taylor defeated Scott and former Senator [[Henry Clay]] to take the nomination. He won the general election alongside [[New York (state)|New York]] politician [[Millard Fillmore]], defeating Democratic Party candidates [[Lewis Cass]] and [[William Orlando Butler]], as well as a third-party effort led by former president [[Martin Van Buren]] and [[Charles Francis Adams, Sr.]] of the [[Free Soil Party]]. Taylor became the first president to be elected without having served in a prior political office.

As president, Taylor kept his distance from Congress and his cabinet, even though partisan tensions threatened to divide the Union. Debate over the status of slavery in the [[Mexican Cession]] dominated the political agenda and led to threats of secession from Southerners. Despite being a Southerner and a slaveholder himself, Taylor did not push for the expansion of slavery, and sought sectional harmony above all other concerns. To avoid the issue of slavery, he urged settlers in [[New Mexico]] and California to bypass the territorial stage and draft constitutions for [[U.S. state|statehood]], setting the stage for the [[Compromise of 1850]]. Taylor died suddenly of a [[stomach disease]] on July 9, 1850, with his administration having accomplished little aside from the ratification of the [[Clayton–Bulwer Treaty]]. Fillmore served the remainder of his term. Historians and scholars have [[Historical rankings of presidents of the United States|ranked]] Taylor in the bottom quartile of U.S. presidents, owing in part to his short term of office (16 months), and he has been described as "more a forgettable president than a failed one."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/the-worst-presidents/articles/2014/12/17/worst-presidents-zachary-taylor-1849-1850|title=Worst Presidents: Zachary Taylor (1849–1850)||last=Tolson|first=Jay|work=[[U.S. News & World Report]]|date=February 16, 2007}}</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:Zachary Taylor House 1.JPG|thumb|upright=1.15|right|Taylor's childhood home in [[Louisville, Kentucky]]]]
Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, on a [[plantations in the American South|plantation]] in [[Orange County, Virginia]], to a prominent family of planters of [[English people|English]] ancestry. His birthplace may have been [[Hare Forest Farm]], the home of his maternal grandfather William Strother, though this has not been determined with certainty.<ref name="vaNRHPnom">{{cite web |url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Counties/Orange/068-0124_HareForest_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Hare Forest Farm |author=Geoffrey Henry| date=March 1991|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources}}</ref> He was the third of five surviving sons in his family (a sixth died in infancy) and had three younger sisters. His mother was Sarah Dabney (Strother) Taylor. His father, [[Richard Taylor (colonel)|Richard Taylor]], had served as a lieutenant colonel in the [[American Revolution]].<ref>[[#Bauer|Bauer]], pp. 1–2; [[#Hamilton-1|Hamilton, vol. 1]], pp. 21–24, 261–262.</ref>

Taylor was a descendant of Elder [[William Brewster (Pilgrim)|William Brewster]], a [[Pilgrim (Plymouth Colony)|Pilgrim]] leader of the [[Plymouth Colony]], a ''[[Mayflower]]'' immigrant, and a signer of the [[Mayflower Compact]]; and [[Isaac Allerton Jr.]], a [[Colonial America|colonial]] merchant, colonel, and son of ''Mayflower'' Pilgrim [[Isaac Allerton]] and [[Fear Brewster]]. Taylor's second cousin through that line was [[James Madison]], the fourth president.<ref>Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 22, 259.</ref>

His family forsook their exhausted [[Virginia]] land, joined the westward migration and settled near future [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]], [[Kentucky]], on the [[Ohio River]]. Taylor grew up in a small woodland cabin until, with increased prosperity, his family moved to a brick house. The rapid growth of Louisville was a boon for Taylor's father, who by the start of the 19th century had acquired {{convert|10000|acre|km2}} throughout Kentucky, as well as 26 slaves to cultivate the most developed portion of his holdings. Taylor's formal education was sporadic because Kentucky's education system was just taking shape during his formative years.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bauer |first=K. Jack |date=1985 |title=Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H42TwTwE1IwC&pg=PA4 |location=Baton Rouge, Louisiana|publisher=[[Louisiana State University Press]] |page=4 |isbn=978-0-8071-1237-3 |ref={{sfnRef|''Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest''}}}}</ref> His mother taught him to read and write,<ref>{{cite book |last=Nowlan |first=Robert A. |date=2016 |title=The American Presidents From Polk to Hayes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0K-nCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA79 |location=Denver, Colorado |publisher=Outskirts Press |page=79 |isbn=978-1-4787-6572-1}}</ref> and he later attended a school operated by Elisha Ayer, a teacher originally from Connecticut.{{sfn|''Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest''|page=4}} He also attended a [[Middletown, Kentucky]] academy run by Kean O'Hara, a classically trained scholar originally from [[Ireland]], and the father of [[Theodore O'Hara]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Johnston |first=J. Stoddard |date=1913 |title=Sketch of Theodore O'Hara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=s5JFAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA75 |magazine=The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society |location=Frankfort, Kentucky |publisher=State Journal Company |page=67}}</ref> Ayer recalled Taylor as a patient and quick learner, but his early letters showed a weak grasp of spelling and grammar,<ref name="auto">Bauer, pp. 2–4; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 25–29.</ref> as well as poor handwriting. All improved over time, though his handwriting was always difficult to read.<ref name="auto"/>

==Marriage and family==
In June 1810, Taylor married [[Margaret Taylor|Margaret Mackall Smith]], whom he had met the previous autumn in Louisville. "Peggy" Smith came from a prominent family of [[Maryland]] planters—she was the daughter of Major Walter Smith, who had served in the Revolutionary War.<ref>Bauer, pp. 8–9; Hamilton, vol. 1, p. 37.</ref> The couple had six children:
* Ann Mackall Taylor (1811–1875),<ref name="miller-facts">{{cite web |url=http://millercenter.org/president/taylor |title=Zachary Taylor: Facts at a Glance |work=American President: A Reference Resource |publisher=Miller Center ([[University of Virginia]])|date=September 26, 2016 }}</ref> married Robert C. Wood, a U.S. Army surgeon at Fort Snelling, in 1829.<ref>Bauer, pp. 48–49.</ref>
* [[Sarah Knox Taylor|Sarah Knox "Knoxie" Taylor]] (1814–1835),<ref name="miller-facts" /> married [[Jefferson Davis]] in 1835, a subordinate officer whom she had met through her father at the end of the Black Hawk War; she died at 21 of [[malaria]] in [[St. Francisville, Louisiana]], three months after her marriage.<ref>Bauer, pp. 69–70.</ref>
* Octavia Pannell Taylor (1816–1820),<ref name="miller-facts" /> died in early childhood.<ref name="Bauer, p. 38">Bauer, p. 38.</ref>
* Margaret Smith Taylor (1819–1820),<ref name="miller-facts" /> died in infancy along with Octavia when the Taylor family was stricken with a "bilious fever."<ref name="Bauer, p. 38"/>
* [[Mary Elizabeth Bliss|Mary Elizabeth "Betty" Taylor]] (1824–1909),<ref name="miller-facts" /> married [[William Wallace Smith Bliss]] in 1848 (he died 1853);<ref>Bauer, p. 243.</ref> married Philip Pendleton Dandridge in 1858.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
* [[Richard Taylor (general)|Richard Scott "Dick" Taylor]] (1826–1879),<ref name="miller-facts" /> became a [[Confederate Army]] general;<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 138–139.</ref> married Louise Marie Myrthe Bringier in 1851.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}
<gallery>
File:Margaret Taylor.jpg|Margaret Smith Taylor
File:Sarah Knox Taylor.jpg|Sarah [Knox] Taylor
File:Richard Taylor.jpg|Richard Scott Taylor
</gallery>

==Military career==
<!-- [[File:Zachary Taylor - Fort Harrison.jpg|thumb|left|Zachary Taylor led the defense of Fort Harrison near modern [[Terre Haute, Indiana]].]] File is missing source information. -->

===Initial commissions===
On May 3, 1808, Taylor joined the U.S. Army, receiving a [[Commissioned officer|commission]] as a [[first lieutenant]] of the [[7th Infantry Regiment (United States)|Seventh Infantry Regiment]]. He was among the new officers commissioned by Congress in response to the [[Chesapeake–Leopard Affair]], in which an American frigate had been boarded by the crew of a British warship, sparking calls for war.<ref>Bauer, p. 5; Hamilton, vol. 1, p. 33.</ref> Taylor spent much of 1809 in the dilapidated camps of [[New Orleans]] and nearby [[St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana|Terre aux Boeufs]], in the [[Territory of Orleans]]. Under the command of [[James Wilkinson]], the soldiers at Terre aux Boeufs suffered greatly from disease and lack of supplies, and Taylor was given an extended leave, returning to [[Louisville, Kentucky|Louisville]] to recover.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 4–6.</ref>

Taylor was promoted to [[Captain (United States)|captain]] in November 1810. His army duties were limited at this time, and he attended to his personal finances. Over the next several years, he began to purchase a good deal of bank stock in Louisville.<ref>Bauer, pp. 5–10; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 35–37.</ref> He also bought a [[plantations in the American South|plantation]] in Louisville, as well as the [[Cypress Grove Plantation]] in [[Jefferson County, Mississippi|Jefferson County]], [[Mississippi Territory]]. These acquisitions included slaves, rising in number to more than 200.<ref name="ANTI-SLAVERY REPORTER VOL III 1848, p 194-5">ANTI-SLAVERY REPORTER VOL III, NO XXXVI,  December 1, 1848, p 194-5</ref><ref>Stanley Nelson, [http://www.hannapub.com/concordiasentinel/article_e62bf2da-1d86-11e4-9b77-001a4bcf6878.html Taylor's Cypress Grove Plantation], ''[[The Ouachita Citizen]]'', August 6, 2014</ref> In July 1811 he was called to the [[Indiana Territory]], where he assumed control of [[Fort Knox (Vincennes)|Fort Knox]] after the commandant fled. In a few weeks, he was able to restore order in the garrison, for which he was lauded by Governor [[William Henry Harrison]].<ref>Bauer, p. 10; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 37–38.</ref> Taylor was temporarily called to Washington to testify for Wilkinson as a witness in a [[court-martial]], and so he did not take part in the November 1811 [[Battle of Tippecanoe]] against the forces of [[Tecumseh]], a [[Shawnee]] [[tribal chief|chief]].<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 7–8.</ref>

===War of 1812===
During the [[War of 1812]], in which U.S. forces battled the British Empire and its [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] allies, Taylor successfully defended [[Battle of Fort Harrison|Fort Harrison]] in Indiana Territory from an Indian attack commanded by Tecumseh. The September 1812 battle represented the first land victory of the war for the American forces, for which Taylor received wide praise, as well as a [[brevet (military)|brevet]] (temporary) promotion to the rank of major. According to Eisenhower, this represented the first brevet ever awarded in United States history.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 10–11.</ref> Later that year, Taylor joined General [[Samuel Hopkins (congressman)|Samuel Hopkins]] as an aide on two expeditions—the first into the [[Illinois Territory]] and the second to the Tippecanoe battle site, where they were forced to retreat in the [[Battle of Wild Cat Creek]].<ref>Bauer, pp. 13–19; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 39–46.</ref> Taylor moved his growing family to Fort Knox after the violence subsided.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In the spring of 1814, he was called back into action under Brigadier General [[Benjamin Howard (Missouri)|Benjamin Howard]], and after Howard fell sick, Taylor led a 430-man expedition from [[St. Louis]], up the Mississippi River. In the [[Battle of Credit Island]], Taylor defeated Indian forces, but retreated after the Indians were joined by their British allies.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 13–15.</ref> That October he supervised the construction of [[Fort Johnson]] near present-day [[Warsaw, Illinois]], the last toehold of the U.S. Army in the upper Mississippi River Valley. Upon Howard's death a few weeks later, Taylor was ordered to abandon the fort and retreat to St. Louis. Reduced to the rank of captain when the war ended in 1815, he resigned from the army. He re-entered it a year later after gaining a commission as a major.<ref>Bauer, pp. 20–30; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 47–59.</ref>

===Command of Fort Howard===
For two years, Taylor commanded [[Fort Howard (Wisconsin)|Fort Howard]] at the [[Green Bay, Wisconsin|Green Bay]], [[Michigan Territory]] settlement, then he returned to Louisville and his family. In April 1819 he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel and dined with President [[James Monroe]] and General [[Andrew Jackson]].<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 17–19.</ref> In late 1821, Taylor took the 7th Infantry to [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], [[Louisiana]], on the [[Red River of the South|Red River]]. On the orders of General [[Edmund P. Gaines]], they set out to locate a new post more convenient to the Sabine River frontier. By the following March, Taylor had established [[Fort Jesup]], at the Shield's Spring site southwest of Natchitoches.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

That November (1822) he was transferred to [[Pentagon Barracks|Baton Rouge]]<ref>[https://www.northamericanforts.com/East/laflor.html#brbarracks Baton Rouge Barracks] at NorthAmericanForts.com, accessed 01 June 2018.</ref> on the [[Mississippi River]] in [[Louisiana]], where he remained until February 1824.<ref name="Bauer pp. 40">Bauer, pp. 40–47; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 70–77.</ref> He spent the next few years on recruiting duty. In late 1826, he was called to [[Washington, D.C.]], for work on an Army committee to consolidate and improve military organization. In the meantime Taylor acquired his first Louisiana plantation and decided to move with his family to their new home in [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]].<ref name="Bauer pp. 40"/>

===Black Hawk War===
In May 1828, Taylor was called back to action, commanding [[Fort Snelling]] in [[Michigan Territory]] (now [[Minnesota]]) on the northern Mississippi River for a year, and then nearby [[Fort Crawford]] for a year. After some time on furlough, spent expanding his landholdings, Taylor was promoted to colonel of the [[1st Infantry Regiment (United States)|1st Infantry Regiment]] in April 1832, when the [[Black Hawk War]] was beginning in the West.<ref>Bauer, pp. 47–59; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 77–82.</ref> Taylor campaigned under General [[Henry Atkinson (soldier)|Henry Atkinson]] to pursue and later defend against Chief [[Black Hawk (Sauk leader)|Black Hawk]]'s forces throughout the summer. The end of the war in August 1832 signaled the final Indian resistance to U.S. expansion in the area.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

During this period Taylor opposed the courtship of his 17-year-old daughter [[Sarah Knox Taylor]] with Lieutenant [[Jefferson Davis]], the future [[President of the Confederate States of America]]. He respected Davis but did not wish his daughter to become a military wife, as he knew it was a hard life for families. Davis and Sarah Taylor married in June 1835 (when she was 21), but she died three months later of [[malaria]] contracted on a visit to Davis's sister's home in [[St. Francisville, Louisiana]].<ref>Bauer, pp. 59–74; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 83–109.</ref>

===Second Seminole War===
By 1837, the [[Second Seminole War]] was underway when Taylor was directed to Florida. He defeated the [[Seminole Indians]] in the Christmas Day [[Battle of Lake Okeechobee]], which was among the largest U.S.–Indian battles of the nineteenth century; as a result, he was promoted to brigadier general. In May 1838, Brig. Gen. [[Thomas Jesup]] stepped down and placed Taylor in command of all American troops in Florida, a position he held for two years—his reputation as a military leader was growing and he became known as "Old Rough and Ready."<ref>Bauer, pp. 75–95; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 122–141.</ref> Taylor was criticized for using bloodhounds in order to track Seminole.<ref name="ANTI-SLAVERY REPORTER VOL III 1848, p 194-5"/>

After his long-requested relief was granted, Taylor spent a comfortable year touring the nation with his family and meeting with military leaders. During this period, he began to be interested in politics and corresponded with President [[William Henry Harrison]]. He was made commander of the Second Department of the Army's Western Division in May 1841. The sizable territory ran from the Mississippi River westward, south of the [[37th parallel north]]. Stationed in [[Arkansas]], Taylor enjoyed several uneventful years, spending as much time attending to his land speculation as to military matters.<ref>Bauer, pp. 96–110; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 142–155.</ref>

===Mexican–American War===
{{Main|Mexican–American War}}
In anticipation of the annexation of the [[Republic of Texas]], which had established independence in 1836, Taylor was sent in April 1844 to [[Fort Jesup]] in Louisiana, and ordered to guard against attempts by Mexico to reclaim the territory.<ref>Bauer, p. 111; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 156–158.</ref> There were more senior generals in the army who might have taken this important command, such as [[Winfield Scott]] and [[Edmund P. Gaines]]. But both were known members of the [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig Party]], and Taylor's apolitical reputation and friendly relations with Andrew Jackson made him the choice of Democratic President James K. Polk.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 30–31.</ref> Polk directed him to deploy into disputed territory in Texas, "on or near the [[Rio Grande]]" near Mexico. Taylor chose a spot at [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]], and his [[Army of Occupation (Mexico)|Army of Occupation]] encamped there until the following spring in anticipation of a Mexican attack.<ref>Bauer, pp. 116–123; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 158–165.</ref>

[[File:General Zachary Taylor rides his horse at Palo Alto Battle - May 8, 1846.JPG|thumb|upright=1.15|General Zachary Taylor rides his horse at the [[Battle of Palo Alto]], May 8, 1846]]

When Polk's attempts to negotiate with Mexico failed, Taylor's men advanced to the Rio Grande in March 1846, and war appeared imminent. Violence broke out several weeks later, when some of Captain Seth B. Thornton's men were attacked by Mexican forces north of the river.<ref>Bauer, pp. 123–129, 145–149; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 170–177.</ref> Polk, learning of the [[Thornton Affair]], told Congress in May that a war between Mexico and the U.S. had begun.<ref>Bauer, p. 166; Hamilton, vol. 1, p. 195.</ref> That same month, Taylor commanded American forces at the [[Battle of Palo Alto]] and the nearby [[Battle of Resaca de la Palma]]. Though greatly outnumbered, he defeated the Mexican "Army of the North" commanded by General [[Mariano Arista]], and forced the troops back across the Rio Grande.<ref>Bauer, pp. 152–162; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 181–190.</ref> Taylor was later praised for his humane treatment of the wounded Mexican soldiers prior to the prisoner exchange with General Arista, giving them the same care as was given to American wounded. After tending to the wounded, he performed the last rites for the dead of both the American and Mexican soldiers killed during the battle.<ref>[[#henry|Montgomery, 1847]], pp. 176–177</ref>

These victories made him a popular hero, and in May 1846 Taylor received a brevet promotion to major general and a formal commendation from Congress.<ref>Fry, pp. 186-187</ref> In June, Taylor was promoted to the full rank of major general.<ref>Fry, p. 188</ref> The national press compared him to George Washington and Andrew Jackson, both generals who had ascended to the presidency, although Taylor denied any interest in running for office. "Such an idea never entered my head," he remarked in a letter, "nor is it likely to enter the head of any sane person."<ref>Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 198–199.</ref>

After crossing the Rio Grande, in September Taylor inflicted heavy casualties upon the Mexicans at the [[Battle of Monterrey]], and captured that city in three days, despite its impregnable repute. Taylor was criticized for signing a "liberal" truce, rather than pressing for a large-scale surrender.<ref>Bauer, pp. 166–185; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 207–216.</ref> Polk had hoped that the occupation of Northern Mexico would induce the Mexicans to sell [[Alta California]] and [[Santa Fe de Nuevo México|New Mexico]], but the Mexicans remained unwilling to part with so much territory. Polk sent an army under the command of Winfield Scott to [[Siege of Veracruz|besiege Veracruz]], an important Mexican port city, while Taylor was ordered to remain near Monterrey. Many of Taylor's experienced soldiers were placed under the command of Scott, leaving Taylor with a smaller and less effective force. Mexican General [[Antonio López de Santa Anna]] intercepted a letter from Scott regarding Taylor's smaller force, and he moved north, intent on destroying Taylor's force before confronting Scott's army.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 62–66.</ref>

Learning of Santa Anna's approach, and refusing to retreat despite the Mexican army's greater numbers, Taylor established a strong defensive position near the town of [[Saltillo]].<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 66–68.</ref> Santa Anna attacked Taylor with 20,000 men at the [[Battle of Buena Vista]] in February 1847, leaving around 700 Americans dead or wounded at a cost of over 1,500 Mexican.{{efn|Estimates of casualties vary widely.<ref name="eb-buenavista">{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/83513/Battle-of-Buena-Vista |title=Battle of Buena Vista |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' lists casualties of about 1,500 Mexican to 700 American.<ref name="eb-buenavista" /> Hamilton lists the "killed or wounded" as 673 Americans to "at least eighteen hundred" Mexicans.<ref>Hamilton, p. 241.</ref> Bauer lists "594 killed, 1039 wounded, and 1,854 missing" on the Mexican side, with "272 killed, 387 wounded, and 6 missing" on the American side.<ref>Bauer, pp. 205–206.</ref>}} Outmatched, the Mexican forces retreated, ensuring a "far-reaching" victory for the Americans.<ref>Bauer, pp. 186–207; Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 217–242.</ref>

In recognition of his victory at Buena Vista, on July 4, 1847, Taylor was elected an honorary member of the New York [[Society of the Cincinnati]], the Virginia branch of which included his father as a charter member. Taylor also was made a member of the [[Aztec Club of 1847]], Military Society of the Mexican War.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Breithaupt, Jr.|first1=Richard Hoag|title=Aztec Club of 1847 Military Society of the Mexican War|date=1998|publisher=Walika Publishing Company|location=Universal City, CA|isbn=1886085056|page=3}}</ref>

Taylor remained at Monterrey until late November 1847, when he set sail for home. While he spent the following year in command of the Army's entire western division, his active military career was effectively over. In December he received a hero's welcome in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which set the stage for the 1848 presidential election.<ref>Hamilton, vol. 1, pp. 248–255.</ref>

Ulysses S. Grant served under Taylor in this war and had this to say about his style of leadership: "A better army, man for man, probably never faced an enemy than the one commanded by General Taylor in the earliest two engagements of the Mexican War."<ref>Smith (2001) p. 83</ref>

{{block quote|General Taylor was not an officer to trouble the administration much with his demands but was inclined to do the best he could with the means given to him. He felt his responsibility as going no further. If he had thought that he was sent to perform an impossibility with the means given him, he would probably have informed the authorities of his opinion and left them to determine what should be done. If the judgment was against him he would have gone on and done the best he could with the means at hand without parading his grievance before the public. No soldier could face either danger or responsibility more calmly than he. These are qualities more rarely found than genius or physical courage. General Taylor never made any great show or parade, either of uniform or retinue. In dress he was possibly too plain, rarely wearing anything in the field to indicate his rank, or even that he was an officer; but he was known to every soldier in his army, and was respected by all.<ref>Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant Vol 1. pg 36 Kindle Android Version, 2012</ref>}}

==Election of 1848==
{{Main|U.S. presidential election, 1848}}
[[File:TaylorFillmore.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.15|Taylor/Fillmore 1848 campaign poster]]
In his capacity as a career officer, Taylor had never publicly revealed his political beliefs before 1848 nor voted before that time.<ref name=MCCAE/> He thought of himself as an [[Independent (voter)|independent]], believing in a strong and sound banking system for the country, and thought that President [[Andrew Jackson]], a Democrat, should not have allowed the [[Second Bank of the United States]] to collapse in 1836.<ref name=MCCAE/> He believed it was impractical to expand slavery into the western areas of the U.S., as neither cotton nor sugar (both were produced in great quantities as a result of slavery) could be easily grown there through a [[plantation economy]].<ref name=MCCAE/> He was also a firm nationalist, and due to his experience of seeing many people die as a result of warfare, he believed that [[secession]] was not a good way to resolve national problems.<ref name=MCCAE/>

Well before the American victory at Buena Vista, political clubs were formed which supported Taylor for president. His support was drawn from an unusually broad assortment of political bands, including [[Whig Party (United States)|Whigs]] and Democrats, Northerners and Southerners, allies and opponents of national leaders such as Henry Clay and James K. Polk. By late 1846 Taylor's opposition to a presidential run began to weaken, and it became clear that his principles more closely resembled Whig orthodoxy.<ref>[[#Hamilton-2|Hamilton, vol. 2]], pp. 38–44.</ref> As support for Taylor's candidacy grew, he continued to keep his distance from both parties, but made it clear that he would have voted for Whig [[Henry Clay]] in 1844 had he voted. In a widely publicized September 1847 letter, Taylor stated his positions on several issues. He did not favor chartering another national bank, favored a low [[tariffs in United States history|tariff]], and believed that the president should play no role in making laws. Taylor did believe that the president could veto laws, but only when they were clearly unconstitutional.{{sfn|Smith|pp=40–42}} Many southerners believed that Taylor supported slavery and its expansion into the new territory absorbed from Mexico, and some were angered when Taylor suggested that if he were elected president he would not veto the [[Wilmot Proviso]], which proposed against such an expansion.<ref name=MCCAE/> This position did not enhance his support from activist antislavery elements in the Northern U.S., as these wanted Taylor to speak out strongly in support of the Proviso, not simply fail to veto it.<ref name=MCCAE/> Most [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionists]] did not support Taylor, since he was a slave-owner.<ref name=MCCAE/>

[[File:ElectoralCollege1848.svg|right|thumb|upright=1.15|1848 electoral vote results]]

In February 1848, Taylor again announced that he would not accept either party's presidential nomination. Taylor's reluctance to identify himself as a Whig nearly cost him the party's presidential nomination, but Senator [[John J. Crittenden]] of Kentucky and other supporters finally convinced Taylor to declare himself a Whig.{{sfn|Smith|pp=40–42}} Though Clay retained a strong following among the Whigs, Whig leaders like [[William H. Seward]] and [[Abraham Lincoln]] were eager to support a war hero who could potentially replicate the success of the party's only other successful presidential candidate, William Henry Harrison.{{sfn|Smith|pp=20–21}} At the [[1848 Whig National Convention]], Taylor defeated Clay and Winfield Scott to receive the Whig nomination for president. For his vice presidential nominee the convention chose [[Millard Fillmore]], a prominent [[New York (state)|New York]] Whig who had chaired the [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|House Ways and Means Committee]] and had been a contender for Clay's vice presidential nominee in the [[1844 United States presidential election|1844 election]]. Fillmore's selection was largely an attempt at reconciliation with northern Whigs, who were furious at the nomination of a slave-owning southerner; all factions of the party were dissatisfied with the final ticket.<ref>Bauer, pp. 236–238; Hamilton, vol. 2, pp. 94–97.</ref> Taylor continued to minimize his role in the campaign, preferring not to directly meet with voters or correspond regarding his political views. His campaign was skillfully directed by Crittenden, and bolstered by a late endorsement from Senator [[Daniel Webster]] of Massachusetts.<ref>Bauer, pp. 239–244.</ref>

Democrats were even less unified than the Whigs, as former Democratic President [[Martin Van Buren]] broke from the party and led the anti-slavery [[Free Soil Party]]'s ticket. Van Buren won the support of many Democrats and Whigs who opposed the extension of slavery into the territories, but he took more votes from Democratic nominee [[Lewis Cass]] in the crucial state of New York.{{sfn|Smith|pp=21–23}} Nationally, Taylor defeated Cass and Van Buren, taking 163 of the 290 [[Electoral College (United States)|electoral votes]]. In the popular vote, he took 47.3%, while Cass won 42.5% and Van Buren won 10.1%. Taylor would be the last Whig to be elected president and the last person elected to the U.S. presidency from neither the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] or the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], as well as the last Southerner to win a presidential election until [[Woodrow Wilson]]'s election in [[1912 United States presidential election|1912]].<ref group="lower-alpha">Taylor was not the last Whig to serve as president, nor was he the last Southerner to serve as president prior to Woodrow Wilson. Taylor was succeeded in office by Fillmore, who was also a member of the Whig Party. [[Andrew Johnson]], a Southerner, served as president from 1865 to 1869. However, neither Fillmore nor Johnson were directly elected to the presidency.</ref>

Taylor ignored the Whig platform, as historian Michael F. Holt explains:

{{quote|Taylor was equally indifferent to programs Whigs had long considered vital. Publicly, he was artfully ambiguous, refusing to answer questions about his views on banking, the tariff, and internal improvements. Privately, he was more forthright. The idea of a national bank "is dead, and will not be revived in my time." In the future the tariff "will be increased only for revenue"; in other words, Whig hopes of restoring the protective [[tariff of 1842]] were vain. There would never again be surplus federal funds from public land sales to distribute to the states, and internal improvements "will go on in spite of presidential vetoes." In a few words, that is, Taylor pronounced an epitaph for the entire Whig economic program.<ref>[[#Holt|Holt]], p. 272.</ref>}}

==Presidency (1849–1850)==
<!-- linked from redirects [[Presidency of Zachary Taylor]], [[Taylor Administration]], [[Taylor administration]], [[Taylor cabinet]], [[Taylor government]] -->
{{redirect|Taylor administration|the Liberian government led by President Charles G. Taylor|Charles G. Taylor#Presidency}}
{{Infobox administration 
| image = Zachary Taylor by Joseph Henry Bush, c1848.jpg
| caption = Official White House portrait of Zachary Taylor
| name = Presidency of Zachary Taylor
| term_start = March 4, 1849
| term_end = July 9, 1850
| president = 
| president_link = President of the United States
| cabinet = 
| party = [[Whig Party (United States)|Whig]]
| seat = 
| predecessor = [[Presidency of James K. Polk|James K. Polk]]
| successor = [[Presidency of Millard Fillmore|Millard Fillmore]]
| seal = US presidential seal 1850.png
| seal_caption = Seal of the President<br>(1850–1894)
}}
===Transition and inauguration===
As president-elect, Taylor kept his distance from Washington, not resigning his Western Division command until late January 1849. He spent the months following the election formulating his cabinet selections. He was deliberate and quiet about his decisions, to the frustration of his fellow Whigs. While he despised patronage and political games, he endured a flurry of advances from office-seekers looking to play a role in his administration.<ref name="Bauer, pp. 248–251">Bauer, pp. 248–251.</ref>

While he would not appoint any Democrats, Taylor wanted his cabinet to reflect the nation's diverse interests, and so apportioned the seats geographically. He also avoided choosing prominent Whigs, sidestepping such obvious selections as Clay. He saw Crittenden as a cornerstone of his administration, offering him the crucial seat of [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], but Crittenden insisted on serving out the Governorship of Kentucky to which he had just been elected. Taylor settled instead on Senator [[John M. Clayton]] of Delaware, a close associate of Crittenden's.<ref name="Bauer, pp. 248–251"/>

{{Infobox U.S. Cabinet
| align=right
| Name=Taylor
| President=Zachary Taylor
| President start=1849
| President end=1850
| Vice President=[[Millard Fillmore]]
| Vice President start=1849
| Vice President end=1850
| State=[[John M. Clayton]]
| State start=1849
| State end=1850
| War=[[George W. Crawford]]
| War start=1849
| War end=1850
| Treasury=[[William M. Meredith]]
| Treasury start=1849
| Treasury end=1850
| Justice=[[Reverdy Johnson]]
| Justice start=1849
| Justice end=1850
| Post=[[Jacob Collamer]]
| Post start=1849
| Post end=1850
| Navy=[[William Ballard Preston|William B. Preston]]
| Navy start=1849
| Navy end=1850
| Interior=[[Thomas Ewing|Thomas Ewing, Sr.]]
| Interior start=1849
| Interior end=1850
}}

With Clayton's aid, Taylor chose the six remaining members of his cabinet. One of the incoming Congress's first actions would be to establish the [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]], so Taylor would be appointing that department's inaugural secretary. [[Thomas Ewing]], who had previously served as a senator from Ohio and as [[United States Secretary of the Treasury|Secretary of the Treasury]] under William Henry Harrison, accepted the patronage-rich position of [[United States Secretary of the Interior|Secretary of the Interior]]. For the position of [[United States Postmaster General|Postmaster General]], which also served as a center of patronage, Taylor chose Congressman [[Jacob Collamer]] of Vermont. After [[Horace Binney]] refused appointment as Secretary of the Treasury, Taylor chose another prominent Philadelphian in [[William M. Meredith]]. [[George W. Crawford]], a former Governor of Georgia, accepted the position of [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]], while Congressman [[William Ballard Preston|William B. Preston]] of Virginia became [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Secretary of the Navy]]. Senator [[Reverdy Johnson]] of Maryland accepted appointment as [[United States Attorney General|Attorney General]], and Johnson became one of the most influential members of Taylor's cabinet. Vice President Fillmore was not in favor with Taylor, and Fillmore was largely sidelined throughout Taylor's presidency.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 90–94, 128.</ref>

Taylor began his trek to Washington in late January, a journey rife with bad weather, delays, injuries, sickness—and an [[Ashland, Jefferson County, Mississippi#Deception of President Taylor|abduction]] by a family friend. Taylor finally arrived in the nation's capital on February 24 and soon met with the outgoing President Polk.<ref>Bauer, pp. 251–253.</ref> The incumbent Democrat held a low opinion of Taylor, privately deeming him "without political information" and "wholly unqualified for the station" of president.<ref>Bauer, pp. 247–248.</ref> Taylor spent the following week meeting with political elites, some of whom were unimpressed with his appearance and demeanor. With less than two weeks until his inauguration, he met with Clayton and hastily finalized his cabinet.<ref>Bauer, pp. 253–255, 260–262.</ref>

Taylor's term as president began Sunday, March 4, but his inauguration was not held until the following day out of religious concerns.{{efn|Folklore holds that [[David Rice Atchison]], as ''president pro tempore'' of the Senate, unknowingly succeeded to the presidency for this day, but no major sources accept this view.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.history.com/news/the-24-hour-president |title=The 24-Hour President |work=History in the Headlines |publisher=[[The History Channel]] |date=February 18, 2013 |author=Klein, Christopher}}</ref>}} His inauguration speech discussed the many tasks facing the nation, but presented a governing style of deference to Congress and sectional compromise instead of assertive executive action.<ref>Bauer, pp. 256–258.</ref> His speech also emphasized the importance of following President Washington's [[Washington Doctrine of Unstable Alliances|precedent in avoiding entangling alliances]].<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 94–95.</ref> During the period after his inauguration, Taylor made time to meet with numerous office-seekers and other ordinary citizens who desired his attention. He also attended an unusual number of funerals, including services for former president Polk and [[Dolley Madison]]. According to Eisenhower, Taylor coined the phrase "[[First Lady of the United States|First Lady]]" in his eulogy for Madison.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 96–97.</ref> Throughout the summer of 1849, Taylor toured the northeastern U.S., to familiarize himself with a region of which he had seen little. He spent much of the trip plagued by gastrointestinal illness and returned to Washington by September.<ref>Bauer, pp. 268–270.</ref>

===Sectional crisis===
[[File:Zachary Taylor at the White House daguerreotype by Mathew Brady 1849.jpg|thumb|[[Daguerreotype]] of Taylor at the [[White House]] by [[Mathew Brady]], 1849]]

As Taylor took office, Congress faced a battery of questions related to the [[Mexican Cession]], acquired by the U.S. after the Mexican War and divided into military districts. It was unclear which districts would be established into states and which would become federal territories, while the question of their slave status threatened to bitterly divide Congress. Additionally, many in the South had grown increasingly angry about the aid that northerners had given to [[Fugitive slaves in the United States|fugitive slaves]]. While a southern slaveowner himself, Taylor believed that slavery was economically infeasible in the Mexican Cession, and as such he opposed slavery in those territories as a needless source of controversy.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 101–102.</ref> His major goal was sectional peace, preserving the Union through legislative compromise.<ref>Bauer, pp. 289–290.</ref> As the threat of Southern secession grew, he sided increasingly with antislavery northerners such as Senator [[William H. Seward]] of New York, even suggesting that he would sign the Wilmot Proviso to ban slavery in federal territories should such a bill reach his desk.<ref>Bauer, pp. 295–298.</ref>

In Taylor's view, the best way forward was to admit California as a state rather than a federal territory, as it would leave the slavery question out of Congress's hands. The timing for statehood was in Taylor's favor, as the [[California Gold Rush|Gold Rush]] was well underway at the time of his inauguration, and California's population was exploding.<ref>Bauer, pp. 290–291.</ref> The administration dispatched Rep. [[Thomas Butler King]] to California, to test the waters and advocate on behalf of statehood, knowing that the Californians were certain to adopt an anti-slavery constitution. King found that a constitutional convention was already underway, and by October 1849, the convention unanimously agreed to join the Union—and to ban slavery within their borders.<ref>Bauer, pp. 291–292.</ref>

[[File:United States 1849-1850.png|thumb|upright=1.15|left|United States states and territories throughout Taylor's presidency]]

The question of the New Mexico–Texas border was unsettled at the time of Taylor's inauguration. The territory newly won from Mexico was under federal jurisdiction, but the Texans claimed a swath of land north of [[Santa Fe, New Mexico|Santa Fe]] and were determined to include it within their borders, despite having no significant presence there. Taylor sided with the New Mexicans' claim, initially pushing to keep it as a federal territory, but eventually supported statehood so as to further reduce the slavery debate in Congress. The Texas government, under newly instated governor [[P. Hansborough Bell]], tried to ramp up military action in defense of the territory against the federal government, but was unsuccessful.<ref>Bauer, pp. 292–294.</ref>

The [[Latter Day Saint]] settlers of modern-day Utah had established a provisional [[State of Deseret]], an enormous swath of territory which had little hope of recognition by Congress. The Taylor administration considered combining the California and Utah territories but instead opted to organize the [[Utah Territory]]. To alleviate the Mormon population's concerns over religious freedom, Taylor promised they would have relative independence from Congress despite being a federal territory.<ref>Bauer, p. 294.</ref>

Taylor sent his only [[State of the Union address|State of the Union report]] to Congress in December 1849. He recapped international events and suggested several adjustments to tariff policy and executive organization, but such issues were overshadowed by the sectional crisis facing Congress. He reported on California's and New Mexico's applications for statehood, and recommended that Congress approve them as written and "should abstain from the introduction of those exciting topics of a sectional character".<ref>Bauer, p. 298–299.</ref> The policy report was prosaic and unemotional, but ended with a sharp condemnation of secessionists. It had no effect on Southern legislators, who saw the admission of two free states as an existential threat, and Congress remained stalled.<ref>Bauer, p. 299–300.</ref>

===Foreign affairs===
{{Further|History of U.S. foreign policy, 1829–1861}}
[[File:President Taylor and his cabinet.jpg|thumb|upright=2|President Zachary Taylor standing in front of his Cabinet, seated from left:<br /><small>[[Reverdy Johnson]], Attorney General; [[William M. Meredith]], Secretary of the Treasury; [[William B. Preston]], Secretary of the Navy; [[George W. Crawford]], Secretary of War; [[Jacob Collamer]], Postmaster General; [[Thomas Ewing]], Secretary of the Interior; and [[John M. Clayton]], Secretary of State. [[Lithograph]] by Francis D'Avignon, published by [[Mathew Brady]], 1849.</small>]]

Taylor and his Secretary of State, [[John M. Clayton]], both lacked diplomatic experience, and came into office at a relatively uneventful time in American–international politics. Their shared nationalism allowed Taylor to devolve foreign policy matters to Clayton with minimal oversight, although no decisive foreign policy was established under their administration.<ref>Bauer, 273–274, 288.</ref> As opponents of the autocratic European order, they vocally supported German and Hungarian liberals in the [[revolutions of 1848]], although they offered little in the way of aid.<ref>Bauer, pp. 274–275.</ref> A perceived insult from the French minister Guillaume Tell Poussin nearly led to a break in diplomatic relations until Poussin was replaced, and a [[reparation (legal)|reparation]] dispute with Portugal resulted in harsh words from the Taylor administration. In a more positive effort, the administration arranged for two ships to assist in the United Kingdom's search for a team of British explorers, led by [[John Franklin]], who had gotten lost in the Arctic.<ref>Bauer, pp. 275–278.</ref> While previous Whig administrations had emphasized Pacific trade as an economic imperative, the Taylor administration took no major initiative in the [[Far East]].<ref>Bauer, pp. 287–288.</ref>

Throughout 1849 and 1850, they contended with [[Narciso López]], the [[Venezuela]]n radical who led repeated [[Filibuster (military)|filibustering expeditions]] in an attempt to conquer the island of [[Cuba]]. The annexation of Cuba was the object of fascination among many in the South, who saw in Cuba a potential new slave state, and López had several prominent Southern supporters.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 113–114.</ref> López made generous offers to American military leaders to support him, but Taylor and Clayton saw the enterprise as illegal. They issued a blockade, and later, authorized a mass arrest of López and his fellows, although the group would eventually be acquitted.<ref>Bauer, 278–280.</ref> They also confronted Spain, which had arrested several Americans on the charge of piracy, but the Spaniards eventually surrendered them to maintain good relations with the U.S.<ref>Bauer, 280–281.</ref>

Arguably the Taylor administration's definitive accomplishment in foreign policy was the [[Clayton–Bulwer Treaty]] of 1850, regarding a proposed inter-oceanic canal through Central America. While the U.S. and Britain were on friendly terms, and the construction of such a canal was decades away from reality, the mere possibility put the two nations in an uneasy position.<ref>Bauer, p. 281.</ref> For several years, Britain had been seizing strategic points, particularly the [[Mosquito Coast]] on the eastern coast of present-day [[Nicaragua]]. Negotiations were held with Britain that resulted in the landmark Clayton–Bulwer Treaty. Both nations agreed not to claim control of any canal that might be built in Nicaragua. The treaty promoted the development of an Anglo-American alliance; its completion was Taylor's last action as president.<ref>Bauer, pp. 281–287.</ref>

===Compromise attempts and final days===
Clay took a central role as Congress debated the slavery question. While his positions had some overlap with Taylor's, the president always maintained his distance from Clay. Historians disagree on his motivations for doing so.<ref>Bauer, pp. 301, 307–308.</ref> With assistance from Daniel Webster, Clay developed his landmark proposal, the [[Compromise of 1850]]. The proposal allowed statehood for California, giving it independence on the slavery question, while the other territories would remain under federal jurisdiction. This would include the disputed parts of New Mexico, although Texas would be reimbursed for the territory. Slavery would be retained in the District of Columbia, but the slave trade would be banned. Meanwhile, a strict [[Fugitive Slave Law]] would be enacted, bypassing northern legislation which had restricted Southerners from retrieving runaway slaves.<ref>Bauer, p. 301.</ref> Tensions flared as Congress negotiated and secession talks grew, culminating with a threat from Taylor to send troops into New Mexico to protect its border from Texas, with himself leading the army. Taylor also said that anyone "taken in rebellion against the Union, he would hang ... with less reluctance than he had hanged deserters and spies in Mexico." <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/zacharytaylor|title=Zachary Taylor|work=whitehouse.gov|accessdate=February 21, 2015}}</ref> The omnibus law was a major step forward but ultimately could not pass, due to extremists on both sides.<ref>Bauer, pp. 301–312.</ref>

No great compromise reached Taylor's desk during his presidency; instead, his last days were overshadowed by the [[Galphin affair]]. Before joining the Taylor cabinet, Secretary of War Crawford had served as a lawyer. He had been involved in a fifteen-year case, representing the descendants of a colonial trader whose services to the British crown had not been repaid at the time of the American Revolution. The British debt to George Galphin was to be assumed by the federal government, but Galphin's heirs only received payment on the debt's principal after years of litigation, and were unable to win an interest payment from the Polk administration. Treasury Secretary Meredith, with the support of Attorney General Johnson, finally signed off on the payment in April 1850. To the president's embarrassment, this payment included a legal compensation of nearly $100,000 to Crawford; two cabinet members had effectively offered a tremendous chunk of the public treasury to another. A House investigation cleared Crawford of any legal wrongdoing, but nonetheless expressed disapproval of his accepting the payment. Taylor, who had already been sketching out a re-organization of his cabinet, now had an unfolding scandal to complicate the situation.<ref>Bauer, pp. 312–313.</ref>

===Death===
[[File:Death of Genl. Z. Taylor, 12th President of the United States (4359272337).jpg|thumb|upright=1.10|An 1850 print depicting the death of Zachary Taylor]]

On July 4, 1850, Taylor reportedly consumed copious amounts of raw fruit and iced milk while attending holiday celebrations during a fund-raising event at the [[Washington Monument]], which was then under construction.<ref>(<span class="ltr">1</span>) Smith, p. 156.<br />(<span class="ltr">2</span>) Bauer, p. 314<br />(<span class="ltr">3</span>) {{cite book|last=Perry|first=John|url=https://books.google.com/?id=H4ig_dTZbzkC&pg=PA93#v=onepage&q&f=false|title=Lee: A Life of Virtue|publisher=Thomas Nelson|location=[[Nashville, Tennessee]]|year=2010|pages=93–94|isbn=978-1595550286|oclc=456177249}} At [[Google Books]].</ref> Over the course of several days, he became severely ill with an unknown digestive ailment. His doctor "diagnosed the illness as [[cholera morbus]], a flexible mid-nineteenth-century term for intestinal ailments as diverse as diarrhea and dysentery but not related to Asiatic cholera", the latter being a widespread epidemic at the time of Taylor's death.<ref>Bauer, pp. 314–316.</ref> The identity and source of Taylor's illness are the subject of historical speculation (see below), although it is known that several of his cabinet members had come down with a similar illness.<ref>Eisenhower, p. 133.</ref>

Fever ensued and Taylor's chance of recovery was small. On July 8, Taylor remarked to a medical attendant:

<blockquote>I should not be surprised if this were to terminate in my death. I did not expect to encounter what has beset me since my elevation to the Presidency. God knows I have endeavored to fulfill what I conceived to be an honest duty. But I have been mistaken. My motives have been misconstrued, and my feelings most grossly outraged.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_American_nation.html?id=X7dYAAAAMAAJ |title=The American nation: its executive ... – Google Books |publisher=Williams Publishing Co. |accessdate=May 12, 2014|year=1888}}</ref>
</blockquote>

Despite treatment, Taylor died at 10:35&nbsp;p.m. on July 9, 1850. He was 65 years old.<ref>Bauer, p. 316.</ref> After his death, Vice President Fillmore assumed the presidency and completed Taylor's term, which ended on March 4, 1853. Soon after taking office, Fillmore signed into law the [[Compromise of 1850]], which settled many of the issues faced by the Taylor administration.<ref>[[#Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], pp. 139–140.</ref>

Taylor was interred in the Public Vault of the [[Congressional Cemetery]] in Washington, D.C., from July 13, 1850, to October 25, 1850 (which was built in 1835 to hold remains of notables until either the grave site could be prepared or transportation arranged to another city). His body was transported to the Taylor Family plot where his parents were buried on the old Taylor homestead plantation known as "Springfield" in Louisville, Kentucky.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

===Judicial appointments===
{| class="infobox" style="float: left; clear: none; font-size:90%; width:auto; text-align:left; white-space:nowrap; margin-left:0; margin-right: 1em;"
|-
! style="background:#DCDCDC; text-align:center;" colspan="3" | Judicial Appointments<ref name="FedJudges">{{cite web |url=http://www.fjc.gov/history/home.nsf/page/judges.html |work=History of the Federal Judiciary |title=Biographical Directory of Federal Judges |publisher=[[Federal Judicial Center]]}}</ref>
|-
! Court !! Name !! Term
|-
| style="background:#000;" colspan="3" |
|-
| [[United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana|W.D. La.]]
| [[Henry Boyce]]
| {{abbr|1849–1861|May 9, 1849 – February 19, 1861}}<ref group="lower-alpha">[[Recess appointment]]; formally nominated on December 21, 1849, confirmed by the [[United States Senate]] on August 2, 1850, and received commission on August 2, 1850.</ref>
|-
| style="background:#D1D1D1;" colspan="3" |
|-
| [[United States District Court for the District of Illinois|D. Ill.]]
| [[Thomas Drummond (judge)|Thomas Drummond]]
| {{abbr|1850–1855|February 19, 1850 – February 13, 1855}}
|-
| style="background:#D1D1D1;" colspan="3" |
|-
| [[United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama|N.D. Ala.]]<br />[[United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama|M.D. Ala.]]<br />[[United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama|S.D. Ala.]]
| [[John Gayle (Alabama)|John Gayle]]
| {{abbr|1849–1859|March 13, 1849 – July 21, 1859}}
|-
| style="background:#D1D1D1;" colspan="3" |
|-
| [[United States District Court for the District of Arkansas|D. Ark.]]
| [[Daniel Ringo]]
| {{abbr|1849–1851|November 5, 1849 – March 3, 1851}}<ref group="lower-alpha">Recess appointment; formally nominated on December 21, 1849, confirmed by the United States Senate on June 10, 1850, and received commission on June 10, 1850.</ref>
|}
{{clear}}

==Historical reputation and memorials==
[[File:Zachary Taylor Grave.JPG|thumb|right|Taylor's mausoleum at the [[Zachary Taylor National Cemetery]] in Louisville, Kentucky]]
Because of his short tenure, Taylor is not considered to have strongly influenced the office of the Presidency or the United States.<ref name=MCIL>{{cite web |title = Zachary Taylor: Impact and Legacy |publisher = Miller Center of Public Affairs |url = http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/biography/9 |accessdate = January 12, 2009 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20101217094438/http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/biography/9 |archivedate = December 17, 2010 |df = mdy-all }}</ref> Some historians believe that Taylor was too inexperienced with politics, at a time when officials needed close ties with political operatives.<ref name=MCIL/> Despite his shortcomings, the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty affecting relations with Great Britain in Central America is "recognized as an important step in scaling down the nation's commitment to [[Manifest Destiny]] as a policy."<ref name=MCIL/> While [[historical rankings of Presidents of the United States]] have generally placed Taylor in the bottom quarter of chief executives, most surveys tend to rank him as the most effective of the four presidents from the Whig Party.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

Taylor was the last president to [[Slavery in the United States|own slaves]] while in office. He was the third of four Whig presidents,<ref group="lower-alpha">This numbering includes [[John Tyler]], who served as vice president under the Whig [[William Henry Harrison]] but was expelled from his party shortly after becoming president.</ref> the last being Fillmore, his successor. Taylor was also the second president to die in office, preceded by [[William Henry Harrison]], who died while serving as president nine years earlier.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

In 1883, the [[Commonwealth of Kentucky]] placed a 50-foot monument topped by a life-sized statue of Taylor near his grave. By the 1920s, the Taylor family initiated the effort to turn the Taylor burial grounds into a national cemetery. The Commonwealth of Kentucky donated two adjacent parcels of land for the project, turning the half-acre Taylor family cemetery into {{convert|16|acre|m2}}. On May 5, 1926, the remains of President Taylor and his wife (who died in 1852) were moved to the newly constructed Taylor mausoleum, made of limestone with a granite base and marble interior, nearby. The cemetery property has been designated as the [[Zachary Taylor National Cemetery]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

The US Post Office released [[US Presidents on US postage stamps|the first postage stamp issue]] honoring Zachary Taylor on June 21, 1875, 25 years after his death. In 1938, Taylor would appear again on a US postage stamp, this time on the 12-cent [[Presidential Issue|Presidential Issue of 1938]]. Taylor's last appearance (to date, 2010) on a US postage stamp occurred in 1986, when he was honored on the [[U.S. Presidents on U.S. postage stamps#AMERIPEX issues of 1986|AMERIPEX presidential issue]]. After Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and Lincoln, Zachary Taylor was the fifth American president to appear on US postage.<ref>Scotts Identifier of US Definitive Issues</ref>

{{multiple image
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| image1   = Zachary Taylor 1875 Issue-5c.jpg
| caption1 = Postage stamp, issue of 1875
| width1   = 120
| image2   = Zachary Taylor Presidential $1 Coin obverse.jpg
| caption2 = [[Presidential $1 Coin Program|Presidential dollar coin]], 2009
| width2   = 120
}}

He is the namesake for several entities and places around the United States, including:
* [[Camp Taylor, Louisville|Camp Taylor]] in Kentucky and [[Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park|Fort Zachary Taylor]] in Florida{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* The [[SS Zachary Taylor|SS ''Zachary Taylor'']], a World War II [[Liberty ship]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* Zachary Taylor Parkway in Louisiana <ref>[http://zacharytaylorparkway.com/ The Zachary Taylor Parkway: Louisiana's road to the future], accessed April 15, 2012.</ref> and Zachary Taylor Hall at [[Southeastern Louisiana University]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.selu.edu/admin/housing/housing_options/zachary_taylor_hall/|title=Zachary Taylor Hall|work=selu.edu|accessdate=February 21, 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110401233745/http://www.selu.edu/admin/housing/housing_options/zachary_taylor_hall/|archivedate=April 1, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>[[commons:File:Southeastern Zachary Taylor other residence halls library.JPG|Wikimedia Commons photo of Zach Taylor Hall]], accessed April 15, 2012.</ref>
* [[Taylor County, Georgia]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* [[Taylor County, Iowa]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* [[Taylor County, Kentucky]] The 100th county established in Kentucky was named after Zachary Taylor.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* [[Rough and Ready, California]]; the historical origin of the town is depicted in a 1965 episode of the [[Television syndication|syndicated]] [[Western (genre)|western]] [[television series]], ''[[Death Valley Days]]''.{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* [[U.S. Route 522 in Virginia|Zachary Taylor Highway]] in Virginia{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}
* [[Taylor, Michigan]]{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

President Taylor was also the namesake for architect [[Zachary Taylor Davis]].{{Citation needed|date=August 2019}}

==Assassination theories==
[[File:TAYLOR, Zachary-President (BEP engraved portrait).jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|[[Bureau of Engraving and Printing|B.E.P.]] engraved portrait]]
Almost immediately after his death, rumors began to circulate that Taylor was poisoned by pro-slavery Southerners, and similar theories persisted into the 21st century.<ref>{{cite book|last=Willard and Marion|title=Killing the President|year=2010|page=188}}</ref><ref>[http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/29/117856/- "The Strange Death of Zachary Taylor", by Tony Seybert, ''The Daily Kos'']</ref> In 1978, Hamilton Smith based his assassination theory on the timing of drugs, the lack of confirmed cholera outbreaks, and other material.<ref>Hamilton Smith, "The Interpretation of the Arsenic Content of Human Hair," ''Journal of the Forensic Science Society'', vol.&nbsp;4, summarized in Sten Forshufvud and Ben Weider, ''Assassination at St. Helena'' (Vancouver, Canada: Mitchell Press, 1978).</ref> In the late 1980s, Clara Rising, a former professor at University of Florida, persuaded Taylor's closest living relative to agree to an exhumation so that his remains could be tested.<ref name="orlando_july2593">{{cite news |last=McLeod|first=Michael |title=Clara Rising, Ex-uf Prof Who Got Zachary Taylor Exhumed |url= http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1993-07-25/news/9307230997_1_zachary-taylor-arsenic-daniel-webster |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel |date=July 25, 1993}}</ref> The remains were exhumed and transported to the Office of the [[Kentucky]] Chief Medical Examiner on June 17, 1991. Samples of hair, fingernail, and other tissues were removed, and radiological studies were conducted. The remains were returned to the cemetery and reinterred, with appropriate honors, in the mausoleum.<ref name="Marriott"/>

[[Neutron activation analysis]] conducted at [[Oak Ridge National Laboratory]] revealed no evidence of poisoning, as [[arsenic]] levels were too low.<ref name="Marriott">{{cite news|last=Marriott|first=Michel|title=Verdict In: 12th President Was Not Assassinated|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/06/27/us/verdict-in-12th-president-was-not-assassinated.html?ref=zacharytaylor17841850|accessdate=October 17, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 27, 2011}}</ref><ref name="ORNL">{{cite web |url=http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev27-12/text/ansside6.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130710051721/http://www.ornl.gov/info/ornlreview/rev27-12/text/ansside6.html |archivedate=July 10, 2013 |title=President Zachary Taylor and the Laboratory: Presidential Visit from the Grave |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory|accessdate=November 2, 2010}}</ref> The analysis concluded Taylor had contracted "cholera morbus, or acute gastroenteritis", as Washington had open sewers, and his food or drink may have been contaminated. Any potential for recovery was overwhelmed by his doctors, who treated him with "[[Syrup of ipecac|ipecac]], [[Mercury(<span class="ltr">I</span>) chloride|calomel]], [[opium]], and [[quinine]]" at 40&nbsp;grains per dose (approximately 2.6 grams), and "bled and blistered him too."<ref name="Sampas">{{cite news|last=Sampas|first=Jim|title=Scandal and the Heat Did Zachary Taylor In|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/04/opinion/l-scandal-and-the-heat-did-zachary-taylor-in-998691.html|accessdate=October 17, 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=July 4, 1991}}</ref> Political scientist [[Michael Parenti]] questions the traditional explanation for Taylor's death. Relying on interviews and reports by forensic pathologists, he argues that the procedure used to test for arsenic poisoning was fundamentally flawed.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Parenti|first=Michael|title=The strange death of president Zachary Taylor: A case study in the manufacture of mainstream history|journal=New Political Science|year=1998|volume=20|issue=2|pages=141–158|doi=10.1080/07393149808429819}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Parenti|first=Michael|title=History as Mystery|year=1999|pages=209–239|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7bXtGrn1xT4C&lpg=PP1&pg=PA209#v=onepage&q&f=false|isbn=9780872863576}}</ref> A 2010 review concludes: "there is no definitive proof that Taylor was assassinated, nor would it appear that there is definitive proof that he was not."<ref>{{cite book|last=Willard and Marion|title=Killing the President|year=2010|page=189}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Wikipedia books|Presidents of the United States (1789–1860)}}
* [[Historical rankings of Presidents of the United States]]
* [[List of Presidents of the United States]]
* [[List of Presidents of the United States, sortable by previous experience]]
* [[List of Presidents of the United States who died in office]]
* [[List of Presidents of the United States who owned slaves]]
* [[List of unsolved deaths]]
* [[U.S. presidents on U.S. postage stamps]]

==Notes==
{{notelist|}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em|refs=
<!--<ref name=TAPPO>{{cite book
 |last = Whitney
 |first = David C
 |coauthors = Robin Vaughn Whitney
 |title = The American Presidents
 |publisher = The Reader's Digest Association
 |year = 1993
 |page = 101
 |isbn = 1-56865-031-0}}</ref> this ref was removed-->
<ref name=MCCAE>{{cite web
 |title       = Zachary Taylor: Campaigns and Elections
 |publisher   = Miller Center of Public Affairs
 |url         = http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/biography/3
 |accessdate  = January 8, 2009
 |url-status     = dead
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20150702083159/http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/biography/3
 |archivedate = July 2, 2015
 |df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>
<!--<ref name=MCLBP>{{cite web
 |title = Zachary Taylor: Life Before the Presidency
 |publisher = Miller Center of Public Affairs
 |url = http://millercenter.org/president/taylor/essays/biography/2
 |accessdate =January 12, 2009}}</ref>-->
}}

==Bibliography==
{{refbegin}}
{{col begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''General biographies'''
* {{cite book |last=Bauer |first=K. Jack |title=Zachary Taylor: Soldier, Planter, Statesman of the Old Southwest |publisher=[[Louisiana State University Press]] |year=1985 |isbn=0-8071-1237-2 |ref=Bauer |url=https://archive.org/details/zacharytaylorsol00baue }}
* {{cite book |last=Dyer |first=Brainerd |title=Zachary Taylor |series=Southern Biography series |publisher=[[Louisiana State University Press]] |year=1946 |ref=Dyer}}
* {{cite book |last=Eisenhower |first=John S.D. |title=Zachary Taylor |series=The American Presidents series |publisher=[[Times Books]] ([[Macmillan Publishers|Macmillan]]) |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-8050-8237-1 |ref=Eisenhower |url=https://archive.org/details/zacharytaylor00eise }}
* {{cite book |last=Fry |first=Joseph Reese |date=2009 |orig-year=1848 |title=A Life of Gen. Zachary Taylor |url=https://books.google.de/books?id=Nf2zoo3krDIC&pg=PA177 |location=Bedford, MA |publisher=Applewood Books |isbn=978-1-4290-2125-8 |ref=Fry}}
* Graff, Henry F., ed. ''The Presidents: A Reference History'' (3rd ed. 2002)  [https://www.presidentprofiles.com// online]
* {{cite book |last=Hamilton |first=Holman |title=Zachary Taylor: Soldier of the Republic |year=1941 |publisher=[[Bobbs-Merrill Company]] |location=Indianapolis, Ind. |volume=[vol. 1] |ref=Hamilton-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Hamilton |first=Holman |title=Zachary Taylor: Soldier in the White House |year=1951 |publisher=[[Bobbs-Merrill Company]] |location=Indianapolis, Ind. |volume=[vol. 2] |ref=Hamilton-2}}
* {{cite book |last1=McKinley |first1=Silas B. |last2=Bent |first2=Silas |title=Old Rough and Ready: The Life and Times of Zachary Taylor |location=New York |publisher=[[Vanguard Press]] |year=1946}}
* Smith, Gustavus, Woodson. (2001) ''Company "A" Corps of Engineers, U.S.A., 1846–1848, in the Mexican War.'' Edited by Leonne M. Hudson, Kent State University Press {{ISBN|0-87338-707-4}}
'''Political history'''
* {{cite book |last=Holt |first=Michael F |title=The Rise and Fall of the American Whig Party: Jacksonian Politics and the Onset of the Civil War |year=1999 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-505544-3 |ref=Holt}}
* {{cite book|authorlink1=Joel H. Silbey |last=Silbey |first=Joel H. |title=Party Over Section: The Rough and Ready Presidential Election of 1848 |year=2009 |publisher=[[University Press of Kansas]] |isbn=978-0-7006-1640-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Elbert B. |title=The Presidencies of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore |publisher=[[University Press of Kansas]] |year=1988 |isbn=0-7006-0362-X |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780700603626 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lossing |first=Benson J |title=The American nation: its executive, legislative, political, financial, judicial and industrial history : embracing sketches of the lives of its chief magistrates, its eminent statesmen, financiers, soldiers and jurists, with monographs on subjects of peculiar historical interest, Volume 2 |url=https://archive.org/details/amnationexec01clevrich |year=1888 |publisher=Williams Publishing Co. |ref=Lossing}}
* {{cite book|author=Silbey, Joel H. |title=A Companion to the Antebellum Presidents 1837–1861|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mgCJAgAAQBAJ|year=2014|publisher=Wiley|isbn=9781118609293}} pp 291–308

'''Genealogy'''
* {{cite book |url=http://www.williambrewster.com/brewstergenealogy.htm |title=The Brewster Genealogy, 1566–1907: a Record of the Descendants of William Brewster of the "Mayflower," ruling elder of the Pilgrim church which founded Plymouth Colony in 1620 |last=Jones |first=Emma C. Brewster |location=New York |publisher=Grafton Press |year=1908 |access-date=July 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718052212/http://www.williambrewster.com/brewstergenealogy.htm |archive-date=July 18, 2011 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}
* {{cite book |last1=Otto |first1=Julie Helen |last2=Roberts |first2=Gary Boyd |year=1995 |title=Ancestors of American Presidents |location=Santa Clarita, Calif. |publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society |isbn=0-936124-19-9}}

'''Further reading'''
* {{cite book |last=Montgomery |first=Henry |title=The Life of Major General Zachary Taylor  |authorlink= |publisher=Aubura, J. C. kDerby & co. |year=1847 |isbn= |url=https://archive.org/details/lifemajorgenera01montgoog |ref=henry}}
{{col end}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{wikisource author}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons}}
* [https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600/presidents/zacharytaylor White House biography]
* [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=25815 1849 Inaugural Address]
* [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29490 1849 State of the Union Message]
* [http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=68061&st=&st1= Executive Order forbidding unlawful invasion of Cuba]
* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/presidents/taylor/index.html Zachary Taylor: A Resource Guide] from the Library of Congress
* {{Gutenberg author | id=Taylor,+Zachary }}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Zachary Taylor |birth=1784 |death=1850}}
* {{Librivox author |id=11286}}
* [http://www.usa-presidents.info/union/taylor.html Zachary Taylor State of the Union Address]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130430065047/http://www.familytales.org/results.php?tla=zat Zachary Taylor letters, 1846–1848]
* [https://www.fulltextarchive.com/page/The-Boys-Life-of-Abraham-Lincoln1/ Influences on Abraham Lincoln] in ''The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln'' by Helen Nicolay
* [https://archive.org/details/generaltaylorsle00taylrich Gen Taylor's letters: to Gen Gaines; Marcy's reprimand, Taylor's reply with fable alluded to]
* [http://www.c-span.org/video/?123944-1/life-portrait-zachary-taylor "Life Portrait of Zachary Taylor"], from [[C-SPAN]]'s ''[[American Presidents: Life Portraits]]'', May 31, 1999
* [https://archive.is/20130705162557/http://library.uta.edu/usmexicowar/biographyresult.php?bio_id=17 Zachary Taylor] at [http://library.uta.edu/usmexicowar/ A Continent Divided: The U.S.-Mexico War], Center for Greater Southwestern Studies, the University of Texas at Arlington
* [http://www.shapell.org/Collection/Presidents/Taylor-Zachary Zachary Taylor Personal Manuscripts]

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