Yesterday we celebrated our 14th president. Today, we go back two spots to number 12, good old Rough and Ready, Zachary Taylor.
Zachary Taylor was born on November 24, 1784 on a plantation in Orange County, Virginia. He was the third in a whole mess of kids between Richard and Sarah. Richard was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War (he was even at Valley Forge!)
The Taylor's were a prominent family who came from a distinguished lines of American families that included passengers on the Mayflower. His second cousin was future president, James Madison. And he was distantly related to Robert E. Lee and FDR.
When Zack was still a kid, his family moved to the Kentucky frontier. His father was a farmer (and later a larger landowner) and the family lived in a log cabin.
There weren't any formal schools on the Kentucky frontier, and Zack had very little formal education. He was a quick learner, but not the best student. His spelling and grammar were awful, and his handwriting has been described as "that near of an illiterate". Ouch.
But, Zack didn't need grammar and spelling for his dream job; serving in the military.
He never attended college, and instead received his first commission as an officer in 1808 at the age of 24, when he was assigned to a command post at Fort Pickering in Tennessee. From that moment, until his election ass President, Zack was in the military, stationed at a succession of frontier outposts. He would become the first "career soldier" to become president.
While home on leave, Zack met Peggy (her real name was Margaret). Peggy's interesting because we don't know much about her at all. She was from a prominent, rich family, and her dad was also a Revolutionary War hero. But beyond that, there's not really a lot. In fact, we don't even know what she looked like. No portraits or photos of her can be fully authenticated and none are known to exist (though people described her as "fat" and "motherly looking".)
Zack married Peggy, and they end up having four kids live to adulthood: Ann, Sarah (aka Knoxie- I love that nickname!), Betty and Dick.
Zack first rose to national attention during the War of 1812.
In September of 1812, Zack was ordered to leave 80 men, women, and children (some soldiers, some settlers) from Fort Knox in Kentucky....
...to Fort Harrison in Terre Haute, Indiana, where he would assume command.
Unfortunately, the group was struck by malaria, 24 of his people died, and almost everyone else, including Zack himself, was super sick.
In an apparent cosmic test of one man's ability to handle one thing after another after another, just a day or so after they arrived, Zack got word that hostile Indian forces (led by Tecumseh) were planning an attack.
Of Zack's remaining men, only about 15 of them were able soldiers. He turned a few of the civilians into temporary soldiers. On the night of September 4, 1812, 600 Indians invaded and set fire to the camp, While most everyone else in the world would give up and chose one of two options: death by fire, or death by Indians, Zack with a handful of troops, and a bellyfull of malaria chose a third option: The Taylor Way.
And He informed his men that "Taylor never surrenders".
He ordered some of his troops to put out the fire and repair the damage, and others to fight. By morning, the fire was gone, the damage was repaired and the invaders had retreated. It was the first American military victory in the War of 1812, and Zack had pulled the whole thing off with an army of 20 soldiers and civilians.
Zack's entire military career is full of similar stories, where he'd continually beat his opponents with less soldiers (Some other numbers for you: 1,700 men to 4,000; 4,500 to 20,000 men). We can only assume at this point, Zack had an inability to understand how numbers and odds work.
After the War of 1812, Zack continued to gain fame as an Indian fighter. He fought the Sacs led by Chief Black Hawk in Illinois, and the Seminoles in Florida.
Zaack wass then moved from one wilderness outpost to another in the Mississippi valley frontier...
...and his family often accompanied him. It's worth noting that one of Zack's officers started dating his daughter, Knoxie. Zack was not thrilled about it, and the officer ended up resigning his post and the couple eloped without Zack or Peggy knowing anything about it. So who was the groom?
Well, he was none other than Jefferson Davis. Which, is just nuts. You guys, Zachary Taylor was Jefferson Davis's father in law.
But, here's the thing, the couple ended up with malaria after visiting Jefferson's sister in Louisiana. Knoxie died, just three months after she married Jefferson. (He nearly died too!) Zack and Peggy thought it was Jefferson's fault. Jefferson, meanwhile was devastated. He was reclusive for years. But, he did end up marrying again and having six kids. He made his new wife stop by Knoxie's grave on their honeymoon. Jefferson and Zack eventually made up, with a chance meeting on a Mississippi Steam boat, and Jefferson later rejoined the military, and once again served under General Zachary Taylor.
While Old Zack was off fighting, Peggy finally settled down in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Taylors, who had moved around a whole lot, finally felt at home. (In fact Zack is said to be the only president from Louisiana, even though he wasn't born there, and he isn't buried there.) Zack's dad had left him all kinds of land, and the Taylor's were now pretty well off. Mid 1800's his estate was worth about $120,000 (thats $6 million today!)
When Texas was granted statehood, President James Knox Polk ordered Zack to the disputed land at the Texas-Mexico border.
The other general down there for the United States? That's our buddy General Winfield Scott (who also showed up in yesterdays timeline!)
They both had some famous guys fighting under their command. Zack had Sam Grant and Jefferson Davis. While Winfield had Franklin Pierce (albeit for like half a second), and Robert E. Lee.
During the Mexican-American War, Zack continued to pull off improbable victories. Everyone heard stories of the amazing General who beat the odds, and kicked butt. (The Mexican-American War might be unfamiliar today, but it was all the rage and wildly popular back then). Obscure places such as Monterey and Buena Vista suddenly became household names. And everyone was talking about "Old Rough and Ready".
Zack was a great commander and a soldier, if you asked his men. Despite his rank, he was always willing to march through swamps or words or deserts alongside his troops and pound his enemies. But, Zack had problems with authority, and it influenced every decision he ever made. Zack refused to dress like a normal soldier and instead dressed like an angry old rancher, complete with a straw hat. He is said to have earned his nickname from his clothing ("rough") and his preparedness to fight ("ready"),
Every other soldier wore a sharp, well-kept standard uniform, but Zack dressed more like a cowboy. Stories were told about "Old Rough and Ready's" informal dress, the tattered straw no his head, and the casual way he always sat atop his beloved horse, "Old Whitey", while shots buzzed around his head. Zack had a permanent scowl, half-closed eyes, wild hair, and course features.
He earned himself a reputation as a rebellious loose cannon. His gruff, no-nonsense, "I'm too old for this crap" attitude earned him a lot of enemies. When he was given direct orders, he treated them more like suggestions... that he was completely happy to ignore.
Among those he disobeyed: current president, James K. Polk. After defying his orders, an angry Polk transferred many of Zack's troops to Winfield Scott, and ordered Zack only to fight if he needed to defend himself. Of course, Zack didn't listen, and attacked a force of 14,000 men with his 5,000. Despite being outnumbered, yet again, Zack forced the Mexican army to retreat.
Zack returned to private life in 1847 after 40 years in the military, reuniting with Peggy. The family lived on farmland (all of his land was run by over 100 slaves), in a modest four-room cottage overlooking the Mississippi.
Zack's new found celebrity status followed him home. He sat for hours in the saddle of his horse, "Old Whitey" posing for portrait painters. Steamboats cruised near the bank of the river seeking a glimpse of the white-haired hero...
...and he was compared to other war heroes, George Washington and Andrew Jackson.
But unlike Andrew Jackson at least, Zack had little interest in using his war hero status to make him president. In fact, he had little interest in politics himself. He once said the idea of him bein president would never "enter the end of any sane person". He wasn't a member of a political party, and he HADN'T EVER EVEN VOTED!
Regardless, General Taylor, who was now 63 years old, with almost no formal education, as recruited by the leaders of both the Whigs and the Democrats to run for president (excuse my prop here, the boys were very quick to point out my mistake--- but it is supposed to be Democrats, not Republicans).
Without Zack's knowledge or presence at the nominating convention, it as the Whigs who ended up selecting Zachary Taylor as their nominee. They sent him notification of the nomination with postage due. Zack- I'm too old for this crap- Taylor, refused to pay the postage, and did not find out about the nomination for weeks.
Peggy, meanwhile, literally prayed for his defeat. She dreaded the thought of being First Lady.
The main issue of the election of 1848 was whether the new territories gained in the Mexican-American War would be free or slave states. Zack refused to comment on the issue. But because he was a slave owner, he garnered the pro-slavery vote. The anti-slavery vote was split between candidates Martin Van Buren (trying to make a come back via the Free Soil Party), and Lewis Cass (a Democrat). If you remember, incumbent president James Polk decided one term was enough for him.
The Whigs picked Millard Fillmore, a northerner as Taylor's running mate, to help balance the ticket. You have to go all the way back to January, for our very first birthday celebrated, for Millard Fillmore, but you might remember Zachary Taylor didn't know the guy. And once they met (AFTER they were elected), Zack was not a Millard fan, and kept him pretty out of the loop.
Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore won, thanks to the division within the anti-slavery vote and Zack's war hero status. But, March 4, came and went without Zack's inauguration. It fell on a Sunday that year, and so the inauguration wasn't held until Monday. But, technically James Polk was out of office. So, who was the acting president? Well, that would be President of the Senate Pro Tem, David Rice Atchinson. He claimed he was "president for a day", and that he "had the most honest administration this country had ever seen". (He wasn't actually president though, he never took the oath of office, and hadn't won re-election so he technically wasn't even a Senator anymore. It is however, a fun story.)
On March 5, Zack, at age 64, took the oath of office and became the 12th president of the United States of America. (A guy so uninterested in politics, the first time he even voted for president was when he voted for himself- that's nuts!)
Peggy, a near invalid at the time was rarely seen, and spent most of her time out of the spotlight.
Their daughter, Betty took over the hosting duties.
The one family member enjoying their time in D.C. was Old Whitey the horse. He was often seen grazing on the lawn outside the Executive Mansion.
Zack wasn't exactly what the Whigs had bargained for though. When he was first elected, he didn't go right to D.C. to get his cabinet in order and meet with the outgoing president, in fact he didn't even show up until he was about a month away from inauguration.
President Polk already had a low opinion of his General who defied his orders, but he was appalled at Zack's unfamiliarity with politics and felt Zack was "wholly unqualified" to be president. And he wasn't the only one unimpressed. Political elites felt their new president lacked the appearance and demeanor to be their leader. Zack still dressed in farm clothes and chewed tobacco (he was known to be an excellent shot when spitting his tobacco into a sawdust box).
Whigs were further upset when they found out Zack wasn't exactly the puppet they thought he would be.
He further upset the Whigs when he sidestepped appointing Henry Caly to a spot in his cabinet. It quickly became apparently Zack was going rouge.
As president, Zack experienced much less glory than he had had as a General. The victory over Mexico brought new terratories into the U.S, and American's were bitterly divided over whether slavery should be allowed in them. The war that made Zack famous, was now sowing the seeds for the Civil War.
As president, Zack was hyper-aware of the fact that the slavery issue was going to drive the nation apart. Despite owning slaves himself (the last sitting president to own slaves, in fact), President Taylor opposed the spread of slavery. Which, pissed off Southerners. Zack was fiercely convinced the Union should stay together, and that the Southern states should not be allowed to secede. He made it clear, he would have anyone who revolted- hanged.
But never fear, Henry Clay had a plan- the Compromise of 1850 (The Fugitive Slave Act, a Free California, Slave trade abolished in D.C, remember that?)
Zack, however was not a fan.
Zachary Taylor's presidency also saw the height of the gold rush. Word of John Marshal's discovery of gold while building a sawmill for John Sutter near present day Sacramento, California had spread. In the next two years over 400,000 people came to California looking for gold, helping to settle the far west.
HIs presidency also saw the escape of Harriet Tubman (yes, I have a Harriet Tubman finger puppet, who doesn't?). Harriet would struggle for the next 12 years to help slaves gain their freedom, becoming a prominent member of the Underground Railroad movement. She helped an estimated 300 slaves gain their freedom.
But, Zack's presidency was also cut short. It wasn't an assassins bullet, or a war that did Zack in. No, Zachary Taylor died 18 months into his presidency because he ate too many cherries.
Only July 4, 1850, Zack attended a ceremony for the laying of the cornerstones of the Washington Monument.
It was a hot, miserable day, and when he got back to the White House he gorged on iced cherries, milk, and green apples. We're talking a lot of cherries here. Too many cherries. More cherries than a person is supposed to eat. Then he washed it all down with too much milk.
Milk in the 19th century was something of a luxury (at 12 cents per quart, it was more expensive than whiskey). But, unlike whiskey it came with a tremendous amount of risk of puking your guts out (thanks to unrealiable refrigeration and snake root- a weed cattle grazed upon witch sometimes led to the fatal "milk sickness". In fact, milk sickness is what killed Lincoln's mom.)
Oh, and after all those milk and iced cherries, he drank nearly two gallons of water. And, water in D.C. wasn't exactly the cleanest. White house staff had the privilege of schlepping "night soil" (piles of poo) seven blocks downstream every night. Gross.
Whatever it was- the cherries, the milk, or the water- immediately after eating and drinking Zack became sick with a mysterious digestive illness. Five days later on July 9, 1850 at 10:35 pm, Old Rough and Ready died. He was 65 years old.
...and Millard Fillmore took over. And he WAS a fan of the Compromise of 1850, signing it into law. While the Compromise preserved peace for a time, a decade later we would find ourselves in the middle of a great Civil War.
Zachary Taylor had the third shortest presidency ( Only William Henry Harrison and James Garfield had shorter presidencies). He's not really considered to have strongly influenced the office of the presidency or the U.S. But while historical rankings put him in the bottom quarter of chief executives, most surveys tend to rank him as the most effective of the four presidents from the Whig Party.
Although when your competition is William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, and Millard Fillmore, I don't think that's too much of an accomplishment.
Oh, and if you think maybe the south poisoned those cherries, and it was actually an assassination, you wouldn't be alone in your theories. However, in 1991, Zack's body was exhumed and all tests for poison came back negative.
We have his presidential issues...
...some fun facts...
...And his famous quote, that doubles as his last words.
His props got added to his tombstone.
That completes all the November born presidents!!
Oh, and the boys got to enjoy prohibition cocktails with cherries while we did the timeline. (I wanted cherries with dinner, but nobody seems to have them this time of year).
We watched our president in 60 seconds..
...did our owl mail....
...and made our birthday cards....
And while our trip to Louisiana could have counted as our activity, we did pan for gold.
The it came with a nice little book about the gold rush, gold and fools gold, and explained how to pan for gold. Peyton went first.
Then Hayden went next...
And while he tweezed out some gold, Calib got to panning.
For dinner we had creole shrimp and gumbo. Zachary Taylor was a fan of any Louisiana food, and since we just got back with all our seasonings and hot sauce, we were all set for that. Oh, and we had properly refrigerated milk too.
His hashtag: #EatLessCherries goes well with Millard Fillmore's #EatMoreCherries
And that my friends mean's we are down to just THREE presidents left. I can't even believe I have done this 40 times. It's so exciting to be almost done with this project. I did order our free 2016 calendar from Shutterfly this week, and at the boy's request all the president's birthdays are back on it for next year (though we won't be celebrating like this again, I think it would be fun to read the blogs or go through the files.) We also added some key guys like Jefferson Davis, Benjamin Franklin and Henry Clay, along with guys who should have been president (Al Gore, and Sam Tilden), and guys who tried a whole bunch to be president (here's looking at you William Jennings Bryan and Adali Stevenson).
I have been killing it on organization, couponing, planning, and packing over the last few weeks. Plus, I am very nearly done with Christmas shopping and have gotten some GREAT deals. It's a big 'pat myself on the back' kind of week around here. Tomorrow we're off to Disney for Thanksgiving with my family. Should be a good time, once I get us all packed up.
Next Up: Disney at Thanksgiving, hellllllooooo crowds!
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