Interior: Spittoon - Chewed tobacco and was famous for never missing the spittoon
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Zachary Taylor Curriculum Vitae
Presidential Number: 12th
Years President: March 1849 – July 1850
Party Affiliation: Whig
Main Contender: Lewis Cass
State Represented: Louisiana
Birthday: November 24, 1784
Place of Birth: Barboursville, Virginia
Higher Education: none
Prior Occupations: United States Army Major General (2 stars)
Nickname: Old Rough and Ready
Height: 5’ 8”
Favorite Food: creole food
Hobbies: horseback riding
Pets: Old Whitey, a wartime horse; Apollo, a former circus pony
Legacy: Despite being a Southerner and a slaveholder, Taylor did not push for expansion of slavery. To avoid the question, he urged settlers in New Mexico and California to bypass territorial stage and draft constitutions for statehood, setting the stage for Compromise of 1850. Taylor believed the Union should stay together and said he would use the army to keep the South from seceding. Taylor’s last act as president was the Clayton–Bulwer Treaty, recognized as an important step in scaling down the nation's commitment to Manifest Destiny. Taylor died suddenly of a stomach-related illness in July 1850, after only 16 months in office. Some believe he was poisoned.
Trivia: Due to frontier upbringing, had little formal education and was a terrible speller; from a distinguished family that included 3 passengers on the Mayflower; second cousin was future president James Madison; chewed tobacco and famous for never missing the spittoon; first president who did not hold a previous political office; last president to own slaves while in the White House.