Zachary Taylor: The American Presidents Series: The 12th President, 1849-1850

You can not find a lot of books about Taylor. This is a good one. The question it leaves one with is how would have Taylor handled the Slave issue. He was from the South but I think he would have worked to do away with slavely. We will never know.

Another great addition to the Presidential Series. A slim volume and easy to read.

To bring perspective to this year's eventful presidential campaign, I have been reading several volumes of the American Presidents Series edited by the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr., and Sean Willentz. Each volume consists of a short biography of one of our presidents, prepared by a scholar with a particular interest in him, together with an assessment of his achievements. There is much to be learned in these short books about American history and about the nature of leadership. The series covers the great and important presidents, such as Washington, Lincoln. Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt, together with the lesser-known and less successful presidents. This recent volume in the series by John Eisenhower explores one of the shorter and more obscure presidencies, that of Zachary Taylor. Taylor (1784 -- 1850) was the twelfth president of the United States. He served only 16 months (1849 -- 1850) before dying in office. Even though Taylor's time in office was short and uneventful, Eisenhower's book suggests that he has something to teach in our difficult days. Taylor was born in Virginia but lived from his early years in Kentucky. Although not highly educated, Taylor became wealthy, owned several plantations, and was a slaveholder. Through mid-life, his life oscillated between military service and his plantation, including the desire for time with his family. Taylor earned a reputation in the War of 1812 and in several Indian wars. But his early military career had many long idle stretches. Taylor's life shows a certain restlessness. Taylor's fame catapaulted with his success in the Mexican War, as he won impressive victories at Palo Alto, Monterrey, and Bueno Vista. He became a national hero even while quarreling with General Winfield Scott and with President Polk. Taylor had not been politically active, but as a military hero, he let it be known he was interested in the presidency. But he distrusted political parties. Nominally a Whig, he would not commit to the party until forced to do so by a group of party leaders as a condition to the presidential nomination. When he identified himself as a Whig in a lengthy letter, Taylor was careful to note that he would consider himself a president of the people and would not mindlessly follow a party line. Taylor became president when he defeated the Democratic candidate, Lewis Cass. The Washington insiders of the day probably believed that with his military backgound and political inexperience, Taylor would be malleable. And Southerners assumed that Taylor would be faithful to their cause. Taylor was himself a Southerner and a slaveholder. Both the insiders and the Southerners underestimated Taylor. The new president did not support the extension of slavery although he had no intention of abolishing it in the states where it already existed. Taylor fought for the admission of California and New Mexico -- the prizes of the Mexican War -- as free states. With the impending admission of Californ

Eisenhower handles Taylor's military career and his exploits in the Mexican War very neatly and offers selections from other Taylor biographers like Hamilton and Bauer to aid his case and offer the casual reader alternate windows into the life. A very neat summary of a very brief administration, Eisenhower's account never seems rushed or unduly cursory. The books in the American Presidents series vary wildly in quality. This particular volume is not a breath-taking small gem like Hans Trefousse on Hayes or a specialist treasure like Ira Rutkow's book on Garfield, but Eisenhower nevertheless provides a splendid small book on an unfortunately overlooked president.

Another home run in the superb American President's series. John Eisenhower paints a picture of Zachary Taylor that leaves us wishing he was among today's candidates for President. Had he lived, he may have been able to head off the Civil War, we will never know. In short, a great biography of a great man.