Millard Fillmore

Fillmore was elected vice president on the Whig ticket with Zachary Taylor. He was chosen to balance the ticket geographically, representing New York.

Upon Taylor's death, Fillmore became the 13th president. He immediately reversed Taylor's opposition to the Compromise of 1850, signaling a shift in policy.

Fillmore signed the five bills that made up the Compromise of 1850, including the Fugitive Slave Act. The compromise temporarily delayed secession but intensified sectional tensions.

Fillmore ordered federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners. This policy angered Northern abolitionists and increased anti-slavery sentiment.

Fillmore sought the Whig nomination for president in 1852 but lost to Winfield Scott. The party split over the Compromise of 1850, leading to its eventual collapse.

Fillmore ran as the American (Know Nothing) Party candidate in the 1856 presidential election. He won only Maryland's electoral votes, finishing third behind James Buchanan and John C. Fr