Zachary Taylor has 40 years of Army service experience and is also known as the last president of the United States to own slaves, but he takes a relatively modest position when it comes to slavery. Was there.
His term was very short, one year and four months, which was the third shortest term in history.
Hero of the Mexican-American War
Zachary Taylor was born in Virginia, like George Washington and others. His father, Richard Taylor, was a man who fought the War of Independence with Washington, a landowner who used 26 black slaves on a vast land of 10,000 acres.
Zachary spent his childhood in Kentucky and was educated by a tutor because there was no school nearby. He didn't seem to have much academic background, and when he grew up he joined the Army and was promoted smoothly.
He has defeated Native Americans in the War of 1812 as usual, and has been promoted to major for his achievements.
Many American presidents, from Andrew Jackson to Zachary Taylor, have made significant contributions to Native Americans.
Even after the War of 1812, he participated in the Black Hawk War and the Seminole War, which are battles with Native Americans, and slaughtered Native Americans one after another.
Eventually, when James Polk became president, he was at the forefront of the Mexican-American War and defeated Mexican troops one after another.
After the Mexican-American War, he ran for president as a hero and became the twelfth president of the United States.
Twelfth President of the United States
Due to the impact of the gold rush that occurred in 1848, the population of California increased explosively, and it became necessary to raise California to the state, but a big problem arises here.
At this point, the numbers of free states and slave states are in equilibrium, and the addition of California would upset the balance.
In the United States at that time, there were the same number of states in favor of and against slavery, so even a slight imbalance could lead to a civil war.
As a result, California was promoted to a state as a free state, but as the number of free states increased, it suddenly became a civil war.
As for foreign countries, it will become more active in trade with the Far East world including China, and as a result, Perry will come to Japan (actually it will be a little later).
A Clayton-Bulwar Treaty is signed with the United Kingdom to confirm Panama's neutrality in both the United States and the United Kingdom so that the United Kingdom cannot build a canal in Panama.
He died in 1850, 16 months after his reign.
Since then, no president from the South will appear until Jimmy Carter appears in the latter half of the 20th century.
Personal evaluation of Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor seems to be from the military and did not intervene much in politics. He has a relatively modest attitude, especially when it comes to slavery, which leads to a backlash from the South.
Zachary Taylor opposes the so-called Compromise of 1850 agreements, such as the Fugitive Slave Act, which supports the return of fugitive slaves, which will be passed immediately after Zachary Taylor's death. This trend was accelerated by the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, making the outbreak of the Civil War decisive.
The name "First Lady" began when Zachary Taylor said at the funeral of Dolley Madison, the fourth wife of the President, "She has been our first-class woman for half a century!" It is said that it was.
Although his term was short, he did not have a system that would remain in posterity, and it can be said that he was generally mediocre as president.