ZACHARY TAYLOR 1784 1850 TWELFTH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES TAYLOR ZACHARY 1784 1850 U.S GOV'T EXECUTIVE U.S GOVERNMENT AND CONSTITUTION ELECTIONS AND POLITICS BORN IN ORANGE COUNTY VIRGINIA ZACHARY TAYLOR JOINED THE ARMY IN 1808 AND SERVED AS AN OFFICER UNDER WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON DURING THE WAR OF 1812 FOR 21 YEARS HE SERVED IN FORTS ALONG THE WESTERN FRONTIER AFTER BEING PROMOTED TO GENERAL TAYLOR COMMANDED U.S TROOPS IN TEXAS IN 1845 HE WAS ORDERED TO DEFEND THE NEWLY ANNEXED STATE AGAINST A POSSIBLE INVASION BY THE MEXICAN ARMY HE LED THE U.S ARMY OF THE RIO GRANDE AND CAPTURED THE MEXICAN CITY OF MONTERREY IN 1846 TAYLOR ENDED THE WAR IN NORTHERN MEXICO BY DEFEATING GENERAL ANTONIO LOPEZ DE SANTA ANNA AT THE BATTLE OF BUENA VISTA IN 1847 AFTER ACHIEVING FAME AS A WAR HERO TAYLOR EARNED THE NICKNAME OLD ROUGH AND READY IN 1848 TAYLOR WON THE PRESIDENCY AFTER RUNNING ON THE WHIG PARTY TICKET WHILE IN OFFICE HOWEVER HE BECAME SERIOUSLY ILL AND DIED IN 1850 ONLY A FEW DAYS AFTER ATTENDING AN INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION
