Zachary Taylor was born into a well-to-do Virginia family. When he was a baby, the Taylor family moved to a plantation in Jefferson County, Kentucky. As a boy, Taylor studied under private tutors. In 1808, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. During the War of 1812, he won military honors for defending Fort Harrison, Indiana. He fought British troops and Indians in Missouri. In 1837, Taylor's troops defeated the Seminole Indians at Lake Okeechobee, Florida.
In the 1840s, Taylor won important battles during the Mexican-American War. In 1847, he became famous for his victory over Santa Anna at the battle of Buena Vista. Taylor had only 4,700 men. He defeated Santa Anna's 20,000-man army. (Taylor was at a great disadvantage in the battle. President JAMES POLK had dispatched half of Taylor's army to southern Mexico. Taylor never forgave the president.) His troops nicknamed him "Old Rough and Ready."
Taylor was a superb soldier and a smart strategist. He was also a wise investor. In the course of his military career, Taylor became a wealthy man. He acquired a large Mississippi plantation and a mansion in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He owned more than 100 slaves. When he left the military, Taylor had already made his fortune. He was a soldier without a war to fight. He chose politics for his next career.
In 1847, Taylor resigned from the army. He began writing letters to members of the Whig Party. He made good political contacts. The Whigs knew a winner when they saw one. In 1848, they nominated Taylor for president. After he was inaugurated in 1849, he hoped to solve the slavery problem. He wanted to bring more nonslave states into the Union. But he was never able to work out a compromise. Taylor died in office on July 9, 1850.
Zachary Taylor was president for a little more than one year. Four days after he died, his funeral was held in the East Room of the White House. For a short time, his body was placed in a vault at the Congressional Burying Ground in Washington, D.C. He was later buried at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Springfield, Kentucky.
