19 Zachary Taylor US President Interesting Fun Facts

(Last Updated On: April 16, 2021)

The history of US presidents is always patriotic. We honor them for their relentless effort to carry through the development of the United States. Zachary Taylor is the 12th US President who had a momentous biography, significant contributions, and shocking death. There are many Zachary Taylor interesting facts people love to know about. Sometimes, Zachary Taylor’s facts are fun, interesting, but overall his biography is encouraging as well as inspiring.

Zachary Taylor interesting facts

In this article, I am going to talk about Zachary Taylor interesting facts.

1. Birth

Zachary Taylor was born on Wednesday, November 24, 1784, on a plantation in Orange County, near Montebello in Gordonsville, Virginia.

2. Parents

His father was Richard Taylor who was a courageous officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.

His mother was Sarah Dabney Strother.

3. Zachary Taylor Nickname

Like all other, Zachary Taylor had a nickname. In fact, Zachary Taylor had a nickname was, “Old Rough and ReadyOld Zack”.

It is said that he earned his Old Rough-and-Ready nickname from his costume, “rough”, and “ready” to fight.

Taylor was famous for his homespun while he was an officer. He has often torn apart, wearing a straw hat and sometimes dressed in a farm under his officer’s jacket.

4. Solvent Early Life

Zachary was born in Virginia, but his parents moved to Kentucky when he was a child. He spent most of his childhood in a log cabin in the Kentucky border area.

His father was an Army Officer and eventually became a very successful farmer, owning 10,000 acres of land near Louisville, Kentucky.

He spent most of her childhood in Louisville, Kentucky, where he lived with her parents and seven siblings.

He was born into a family of immigrants who owned 10,000 acres and 26 slaves in Kentucky by 1800.

5. Education

When his father, a slave owner, became increasingly wealthy, Zachary only attended grammar school and did not go to college.

Zachary, who grew up on the border, had little formal education. Like many US presidents, he never attended college or practiced law.

The real education he attained during his 40 years career in the Military, with Virginia Military Institute.

6. Childhood Skills Development

The family got a plantation in Virginia but failed to produce the land, they moved to a tobacco plant near the Louisville, Kentucky border.

That’s where Taylor learned the “border skills” of shooting, farming, horsemanship, and using a musket. Skills that can serve him well in later life.

7. Married life

He married Margaret Macle Smith Taylor on Thursday, June 21, 1810

8. Children

He had 4 children named Sarah Knox Taylor, Mary Elizabeth Bliss, Richard Taylor, and Octavia Pannell.

9. Family Tree

President James Madison was Taylor’s second cousin.

He was a descendant of William Brewster, a Pilgrim leader who first landed on Plymouth Rock and fled to America on the Mayflower.

His daughter, Sara Knox Taylor, was briefly married to Jefferson Davis before he died. Davis became president of the Confederacy.

10. Career

In 1808, Taylor joined the Army where he would spend the next 40 years of his life.

He knew from a young age that he wanted a military career. In 1808, his first official commission was as commander of the garrison at Fort Pickering (now Memphis).

After their marriage in 1810, he and his wife and children began settling down in Louisiana, where Taylor directed the castle of Baton Rouge.

Although Taylor was a military man, he was also known as a slave to a wealthy family with property in Louisiana, Kentucky, and Mississippi.

Taylor joined the Army as a lieutenant and quickly rose to the rank. His first great success was when the commander of Fort Knox escaped. Taylor quickly took command and arranged for the castle to be restored. It a historical

Taylor continued his military success. In the war of 1812, he defended Fort Harrison from the invasion of the famous Indian chief, Tecumseh.

He also fought in the Black Hawk War and Second Seminole War in Florida. Many years later he was promoted to the rank of brigadier general.

11. Political Inclination

Name of the Zachary Taylor’s political party was Whig. Yet Taylor was not openly committed to Whig principles at that time, the party chose him as the presidential candidate because of his popularity for leading the war.

Zachary Taylor identified himself more as an individual or a nationalist political party.

He appealed to the Northerners for his long military record and was popular with the Southerners for slavery.

The Whig party positioned him as a war hero, a platform that allowed him to go even farther while avoiding controversial issues.

Despite little to no politics, throughout his military career, Taylor became president in the 1848 election. The Whig party nominated him.

Southerners voted for Taylor because he was a fellow slave owner. The Northerners voted for him because he was a war hero.

Zachary Taylor’s political party didn’t gain popularity during his time.

In November 1848, Taylor won the election and became the 12th president of the state, replacing President James K. Polk.

12. Slavery

Despite owning a slave, Taylor firmly believed that the union should stay together and that the southern states should not be separated.

He said he would use the US military to prevent South American states from segregation if needed.

Taylor also thought that slavery should not be allowed in the new states in the West.

Many Southerners were surprised and upset by Taylor’s position on slavery, and the country was moving toward civil war.

13. Success in the Mexican-American War

During the Mexican-American War, the United States fought essentially the Texas Revolution, Taylor commanded US forces in several wars.

His success in the battle of Palo Alto and Buena Vista made him the hero of the war. People started comparing him to George Washington and Andrew Jackson.

Zachary Taylor played a major role in the Mexican war in September 1946, successfully defeating the Mexican forces and allowing them two months of weapons to retreat.

The Hidalgo Treaty was signed in 1848 in Guadalupe, ending the Mexican War; At that time, Taylor became a military hero and was a candidate for the Whig party.

14. US Presidency of 16 months

Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the US (1849-50) and served the nation as the President for just about 16 months as he died only 16 months after assuming Presidency.

15. Zachary Taylor Contribution

His contribution to the Military as well as in the Presidency Administration was noteworthy. He took part in many battles, War of 1812, Command, Black Hawk War, Second Seminole War as well as Mexican–American War.

Taylor served as president from March 5, 1849, to July 9, 1850, and worked in social and economical reformation, Local and Foreign affairs.

During his administration, the Clayton-Bulwer deal was signed between the United States and Great Britain.

The agreement stated that the canals across Central America had to be neutralized and that the colony of Central America was banned. It stood until 1901. It was one of Zachary Taylor’s accomplishments recorded.

Zachary Taylor was one of the most surprising deaths of any president of the United States of America.

During an Independence Day celebration, he ate buttermilk and a snack of cherries. The snake was contaminated and Taylor died shortly after cholera.

By 1850, Taylor had suggested he would agree to take up arms to save the union. The Commencement of 1850 introduced Henry Clay.

16. Out of Box

Zachary Taylor was not known for his studies and had no political background. He was elected with the reputation of being the only war hero.

As such, the office of Zachary Taylor had no major accomplishments beyond the Clayton-Bulwer contract for a short time.

However, if Taylor were to survive and actually veto the Compromise of 1850, things would have been much different in the mid-19th century.

17. Death

Taylor died on Tuesday, July 9, 1850, at the age of 65 years. He was buried beside his parents on the old Taylor homestead plantation named “Springfield” in Louisville, Kentucky.

A mausoleum has been built at the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky to commemorate his death.

There are Zachary Taylor state parks, beaches, coins, as well as Zachary Taylor dollars. Even, Zachary Taylor RV resort is also famous now.

18. ‘Assassination’ Rumours

After his death, there was a rumor that Taylor was “poisoned by pro-slavery Southerners” that led the assassination.

However after intensive tests, analyses and examinations, the conclusion was that he had contracted “cholera morbus, or acute gastroenteritis” as “his food or drink may have been contaminated” in the open sewers.

19. Significant quotes

“I have no intention of accomplishing any personal purpose, no aim of forming a party, my enemies cannot be punished; my country is nothing but.”

“A strong reputation is like a good bonfire. When you have one kindled it’s easy to keep the flame burning, even if someone comes along and tries to piss on it. But if you fall asleep and neglect it…You’ll wake up with ashes. “

I hope these Zachary Taylor interesting facts were really inspiring to you.

Source