Zachary Taylor

Taylor commanded U.S. forces in the first major battle of the Mexican-American War near present-day Brownsville, Texas. His army defeated Mexican forces under General Mariano Arista, securing the Rio Grande border.

Taylor's outnumbered army defeated a larger Mexican force led by Santa Anna at Buena Vista, Coahuila. The victory made Taylor a national hero and boosted his presidential prospects.

Taylor won the 1848 presidential election as the Whig candidate, defeating Democrat Lewis Cass and Free Soil candidate Martin Van Buren. His military fame and ambiguous stance on slavery secured victory.

Taylor opposed the Compromise of 1850, threatening to veto it and even to lead troops against secessionists. His death in July 1850 removed the main obstacle to the compromise's passage.

Taylor died suddenly on July 9, 1850, after a brief illness likely caused by gastroenteritis. His death elevated Millard Fillmore to the presidency, who then signed the Compromise of 1850.