Home > West's Encyclopedia of American Law > Taylor, Zachary

Zachary Taylor served as the twelfth president of the United States from 1849 until his death in 1850. A famous military general, Taylor was an

apolitical leader who accomplished little during his sixteen months in office.

Taylor was born on November 24, 1784, in Orange County, Virginia, but moved as a child to Kentucky. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1808 and was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the infantry that same year. Taylor quickly emerged as a military hero during the WAR OF 1812 while serving under General