While attending fourth of July ceremonies in front of the Washington monument, President Taylor fell ill. Five days later he was dead. His Vice President, Millard Fillmore, became the thirteenth President of the United States on July 9, 1850.
Legislation
Compromise of 1850
President Fillmore signed the Compromise Bill of 1850 in September. Under the stipulations of the bill: California was admitted to the Union as a free state, the territories of Utah and New Mexico were created without any mention of the slavery issue, Texas was paid $10 million for surrendering its claims to New Mexico, the trading of slaves was outlawed in Washington D.C., but it was still legal to own slaves there, and the Fugitive Slave Act, a law which made officials of the federal government responsible for the capturing and returning of runaway slaves, was instituted.
