Taylor, Zachary (Administration)

ZACHARY TAYLOR (1784–1850) was the 12th president of the United States (1849–50), although his administration lasted only 16 months before he lost his life to illness or, according to some, poisoning. Taylor's administration was beset by numerous problems that he was largely unable to solve in the time available to him. These included the possible extension of slavery across northern Mexico, the defeat of which had made Taylor's reputation and the scandal of corruption among senior cabinet members.

Taylor grew up in Kentucky and joined the army in 1806. His life was dominated by military service. During its 40 years, he served in the 1812 War, Seminole War, and Mexican War, among others. It was during this last war that he made his reputation with a string of brilliant victories, often accomplished through improvisational skill rather than slavish adherence to orders. This brought him to the attention of the Whig Party, which was then seeking a nominee to run for president. The Whig Party of America was named after its British forerunner as a political grouping resistant to inflexible command. Between 1834 and 1854, the Whigs represented a powerful political party that brought together a coalition of groups to fill the space left by the implosion of the National Republican Party caused by crushing victories for President Andrew Jackson. The Whigs rarely espoused a common political line and internal conflict was rife. “Old Rough and Ready” Taylor was perhaps a natural candidate, but his willingness to continue governing in his familiar informal style meant that political disunity hampered his ability to lead. He had never held public office and, indeed, had never even voted. Nevertheless, the party received widespread support, and Taylor benefited from the enthusiastic campaigning of Abraham Lincoln, among others.

Taylor opposed the extension of slavery into new states, but was a slave owner himself, and a strong proponent of the rights of states. His victories in the Mexican War proved to be his biggest political problem, because of the wishes of many to extend slavery across the conquered territories. These included New Mexico and California. Taylor appealed to the people of the nascent states to apply for statehood, bypassing the territory stage, while drawing up constitutions outlawing slavery. This was a divisive, although principled, move. There were threats of secession from southern states, to which Taylor threatened to use military force.

Negotiations finally culminated in the Compromise of 1850, agreed on two months after Taylor's death, that successfully held off secession by a decade. The compromise provided for the concept of popular sovereignty, which was to lead to future discord, as too was the Fugitive Slave Act, which empowered judges acting alone to determine the status of escaped slaves and compel their return across state borders. This countered the work of the Underground Railroad in helping escapees find new lives, and enraged many moderates who henceforth opposed the extension of slavery in their own states. The spread of the railroad was making the need to clarify jurisdiction over land, and the ability to dispose of it, more urgent.

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