Zachary Taylor was a national hero when he came to the White House in 1849. His triumphs in the Mexican War (1846-48) had brought him fame after a forty-year career in the military. He assumed the presidency with a nickname— "Old Rough and Ready"—that suited him perfectly.

As president, Taylor was a member of the Whig Party, a political party made of factions (groups) from the former Democratic-Republican Party to oppose the Democratic Party of Andrew Jackson (1767-1845; see entry in volume 1). Taylor was very independent-minded. He was far more suited to military command than to the diplomatic duties of president. Plain of dress and blunt in his speech, "Old Rough and Ready" had strong ideas on how the United States should proceed. He stuck to his scruples to such an extent that he brought the nation to the brink of civil war. His...