Zachary Taylor
(1784-1850)
WHO HE WAS:
Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, was a national war hero who won widespread acclaim for his leadership in the Mexican-American War. Before his presidency, he had a 40-year military career, earning the nickname "Old Rough and Ready" for his willingness to share hardships with his troops.
WHAT S/HE SAID:
"I have always done my duty. I am ready to die. My only regret is for the friends I leave behind me."
WHY S/HE MATTERED:
Zachary Taylor's brief presidency was a pivotal period leading up to the Civil War. Although he was a Southern slave owner, Taylor sought to hold the Union together and took a moderate stance on the expansion of slavery into the new territories acquired from Mexico, challenging the rising sectional tensions of his time.