Fillmore, Millard

Millard Fillmore

Born January 7, 1800

Cayuga County, New York

Died March 8, 1874

Buffalo, New York

Thirteenth U.S. president and candidate of the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party

"May God save the country, for it is evident that the people will not."

Millard Fillmore became president unexpectedly in 1850 upon the sudden death from a stomach ailment of President Zachary Taylor (1785–1850; served 1849–50). As a conservative politician from New York, Fillmore shared in widespread prejudice against immigration that arose after a large influx of German and Irish immigrants during the 1840s. Some of the anti-immigrant prejudice reflected the fact that Irish immigrants in particular were overwhelmingly Catholics, which aroused long-standing religious prejudices by many American Protestants. In 1856, four years after losing the Whig nomination as the incumbent, or current, president, Fillmore was nominated for president by the anti-immigrant American Party (popularly known as the Know-Nothing Party). But in the election in November, he won a majority of votes in just one state, Maryland. Ironically, Maryland was originally founded in the early 1600s as an English colony where Catholics would be safe to practice their religion.

Millard Fillmore was born in Cayuga County, New York, on January 7, 1800.

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