James K. Polk had fulfilled his campaign promises, and with his failing health weighing heavily on his mind, the president declined to seek reelection. Almost immediately, one name resonated with both Democrats and Whigs as the most electable candidate. Interesting, right? Both parties considering the same potential candidate does not happen in modern times, but how could it have happened in 1848?

Potentially the most famous person following the victories of the Mexican War was General Zachary Taylor, but he had never discussed his political leanings, and he had never voted in an election. What? He had never voted prior to casting his ballot in the 1848 election! What makes the story so fascinating is that he had been so silent in the political realm that Southern Democrats believed he would promote the expansion of slavery into the newly claimed territories, while the Northern Whigs felt that his willingness to serve in the U.S. Army was a predictor that he was a strong “Union” man. But, truthfully, no one knew his feelings about … well, any of the pressing issues confronting the country.

So, what did Zachary Taylor believe? He was a slave owner who considered himself neutral on party issues. When pressed to identify his “political” heroes, he might have answered Thomas Jefferson, but he certainly had no love for Andrew Jackson’s “Democrat” policies, especially the idea of patronage based on political allegiance to any candidate. On the issue of secession, Taylor was firm; too many battles had been fought to create the republic, and the idea that any state could leave the union was alien to his thinking. If slavery was going to be the deciding issue of the 1848 election, Taylor was going to side with the Whigs, and he let it be known that he would allow the Wilmot Proviso the stand if supported by both houses of Congress.

So, the Whigs and Northerners loved him, right? No. Abolitionists wanted a strong voice in the White House, and since he owned slaves, they simply did not trust him to stand firm on the expansion-of-slavery issue. Even the more moderate voters in the North believed he should be more vocal in his opposition to expansion.

How did he get elected if he had critics on both sides of the aisle?

Well, the Whigs endorsed him but did not fashion a political platform (!?) for the campaign. They decided that “WAR HERO” was his greatest asset, and since Taylor refused to campaign for the job, they fashioned him as being above the fray — and it worked. Taylor defeated the opposition, and the soldier became the commander-in-chief.

If the election news stories only focused on his military service, what else might the electorate have wanted to know about “Old Rough and Ready”?

Taylor had always wanted to be a soldier. While he had been born into a family of Virginia planters in 1784, his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky (the frontier!), when Zachary was young. The family’s Kentucky holdings grew to over 10,000 acres, a large brick plantation home, and a substantial number of slaves. By 1808, Taylor had been commissioned into the U.S. Army and assigned command of Fort Pickering, near today’s Memphis, Tennessee. And Taylor loved life in the military. From 1808 until 1848, he was a soldier’s soldier, willing to serve in the field and noted for sharing the hardships with his men — hence, the affectionate nickname “Old Rough and Ready.” Even his wife, originally from a prominent Maryland family, and their children accompanied him on most assignments.

Interestingly, most war stories about Taylor offer commentary about his awe and respect for his Native American opponents on the western frontier. He encouraged his own men to adopt the guerrilla tactics of Native fighters.

Even with almost 40 years of frontier engagements, it was the Mexican War that made Zachary Taylor a household name. His close relationship with his men, his lack of pretension, and his love of country — as advertised by the political voices — resounded with common people. He was often mentioned in the same sentence with George Washington, a comparison based on leadership without the desire for fame. Often sketched on his favorite steed, Old Whitey, the subtle message was Taylor was a true leader of men.

So, how would he perform as chief executive?

Next week, friends.