CHAPTER 1 MILLARD FILLMORE n 185o the United States was close to civil war over the seemingly impassable prob lems of slavery A proposed compromise had touched off the greatest political storm in the nation s history Amid this bitter struggle President Zachary Taylor suddenly died on July 9 1850 Succeeding to the presidency was Vice President Millard Fillmore a Whig from New York Fillmore worked hard to secure the passage of five separate mea sures dealing with the slavery problem This set of laws called the Compromise of 1850 postponed war for another ten years It also ended Fillmore s political career The Whig party refused to nominate him for a second term in 1852 and Fillmore thus became the nation's last Whig president Fillmore was born in a log cabin on a frontier farm in Cayuga County N Y on Jan 7 18oo Work on the farm took up most of young Millard's time and he was unable to attend school more than three months each year When he was 14 years old his father hired Millard out for seven years as a 12
MLLARD FLLMORE Millard Fillmore Library of Congress Washington D C 13
BIOGRAPHIES OF THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION ABRAHAM LINCOLN Ron woolworker After five years the boy secured his release for 30 He went to Buffalo where he worked in a law office for room and board He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1823 In 1826 he married Abigail Powers of Moravia N Y They reared two children Mary Abigail and Millard Powers In 1828 Fillmore was elected to the New York legislature Four years later he was elected to Congress where he joined the Whig party in opposition to President Andrew Jackson Except for one term 1835 37 Fillmore served in Congress continously until 1843 Defeated in a campaign for governor in 1844 Fillmore won election as state comptrol ler three years later Meanwhile supported by Henry Clay of Kentucky Fillmore had become one of the most prominent Whigs in the party On the burning question of slavery he followed a moderate course This made him acceptable to both Northern and Southern Whigs and led to his nomination and election as Zachary Taylor s vice presi dent in 1848 When President Taylor died Fillmore became president and immediately formed a new Cabinet with the famous orator Daniel 14
MLLARD FILMORE Webster as secretary of state Fillmore also gave his full support to the Compromise of 185o because he felt that this was the only way to preserve the Union These pieces of legis lation devised by Henry Clay were designed to settle the slavery issue to the South's satis faction in the large new territories that had been won in the Mexican War Under these measures California was admitted to the Union as a free state but the question of slavery in the new territories of New Mexico and Utah was left to be settled by the local residents Without the compromise civil war was a genuine threat Except for this series of measures there was no important legislation passed during Fillmore's term Like the other presidents between Jackson and Abraham Lincoln Fillmore could not win a second term His sup port of the Compromise of 185o cost him the backing of many party leaders in the North The Whig convention of 1852 ignored the president and nominated General Winfield Scott a national hero of the Mexican War Scott however was defeated by the Democratic candidate Franklin Pierce This campaign proved to be the last in which the Whigs took an effective part 15
