Taylor, Zachary
Taylor, Zachary (1784–1850), Mexican War general and U.S. president.Elected president in 1848, Zachary Taylor served only sixteen months in office before his death in 1850. Despite holding the highest office in the land, Taylor is best remembered as a general in charge of the first campaign by the American forces against Mexico during the Mexican War.
Born in Virginia, the son of a prosperous landowner, Taylor grew up in Louisville. In 1808, he gained a commission and served in the War of 1812. For the next three decades he participated in Indian wars and gained the rank of general with the nickname “Old Rough and Ready” during the Seminole Wars. As commander of the U.S. troops on the Mexican frontier with Texas, Taylor directed a series of battles near the Rio Grande. After victories at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma in May 1846, he pressed on into...
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