Millard Fillmore (1800-1874)
Millard Fillmore was not elected as President but filled the position of former President Zachary Taylor after his sudden death for Fillmore was Taylor’s Vice President.
Having grown up in a rather poor farmer’s family Fillmore went to High School and continued his studies at a college for law which allowed him to later work as a lawyer as well. His political career started off by being one of the co-founders of the “Anti- Masonic-Party” which was the third largest party of North America and was, with Fillmore as the representative, integrated into the newly founded Whig Party.
In the election of 1848 Millard Fillmore was voted Vice President with Zachary Taylor as President, whose position he took over aver Taylor’s sudden and unexpected death.
Fillmore put a lot of effort into regulating the slavery issue and was known for the “Compromise of 1850”. The compromise’s five laws were meant to even out the extreme differences regarding slavery in the North and South which then, however, lead to California joining the US territory being the first state in which slavery was prohibited.
The 13th President also pushed the whole project of the transcontinental railroad tracks. Considering foreign affairs Fillmore worked on a peaceful connections and effective trading with other nations.
In the election of 1852 he was no longer the Whip Party candidate and therefore ended his presidency in 1853. Again not being elected in 1856, Fillmore retired from his political career and lived a calm life in Buffalo where he died on March 8th 1874 due to a stroke.
"It is not strange... to mistake change for progress." (Millard Fillmore)