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Taylor Takes Office
Earning his nickname as a war hero from the Mexican War, he was the likely Whig candidate in 1848. The key issue in the election was THE WILMOT PROVISO, a bill that would prevent slavery in the Mexican Cession. Even though Taylor was likely in favor of the bill, the fact that he owned 100+ slaves won him support from the South. The “Free Soil” Party ran as a strong third choice in the election! -
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Zachary Taylor – “Old Rough and Ready” - Administration
Earning his nickname as a war hero from the Mexican War, he was the likely Whig candidate in 1848. The key issue in the election was THE WILMOT PROVISO, a bill that would prevent slavery in the Mexican Cession. Even though Taylor was likely in favor of the bill, the fact that he owned 100+ slaves won him support from the South. The “Free Soil” Party ran as a strong third choice in the election! -
Clayton-Bulwer Treaty of 1850
Often overlooked, this was the first pact regarding a potential canal in Panama – it stated that any canal would be neutral, neither Britain or the US would “fortify” the canal, and neither would exercise “dominion” over a potential canal. Theodore Roosevelt would eventually “take” the canal zone during our “Age of Imperialism”. Read MORE -
Death in Office
After attending a very hot Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C., President Taylor returned to the White House and ate a bowl of fresh cherries and drank a pitcher of iced milk and cold lemonade. Soon, he began to feel stomach cramps, and he was diagnosed with “gastrointestinal upset” – likely caused from the fresh fruit and milk. He was the second president to die in office. Read MORE
