The Death of President Zachary Taylor
The controversial demise of the 12th president
Old Rough and Ready died just a little over a year into his term as the United States’ 12th president. He became the 2nd president to die in office, the first being 9th president William Henry Harrison. Though not much controversy surrounds the death of Harrison, the same cannot be said for Taylor. Was his passing due to illness or something more malicious? Some historians endorse the latter.
Taylor’s Origin
Zachary Taylor was born on November 24th, 1784 in Virginia, though his family moved westward to Louisville, Kentucky during his youth. Born into a prominent family of plantation owners, Taylor used his social standing and hardened work ethic to climb the military ladder becoming a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army in 1808. He would be promoted to captain during the War of 1812 and again promoted to colonel before the Black Hawk War of 1832. However, it was during the Mexican-American War of the mid 1840s when Taylor truly established himself as a great general and renowned American hero.
Because of his leadership and charisma, Taylor was awarded the Whig Party’s nomination for president in 1848. He would soundly defeat Democrat Lewis Cass 163–127 and become the successor to his rival and 11th president, James K. Polk.
A Brief Presidency
Taylor’s abbreviated presidency revolved around the institution of slavery. With newly acquired territories in out west, the wedge between North and South was becoming deeper and deeper. The Kentuckian was a peculiar man to have in office during the time. Though President Taylor was able to appeal to Northerners through his Whig leanings, as well as his military prowess, he was also a slave owner, which gave Southerners a leg to stand on in Taylor’s White House. This created a sort of continuous clash between the North and South fighting for Taylor’s support.
Taylor’s time in office is best remembered by the Compromise of 1850, though it was finalized after his death. The Compromise was designed to appease northern and southern states, though neither side was truly satisfied by the results.
The Death of President Taylor
On the 4th of July, 1850, just a little over a year into office, President Taylor was amongst the attendees enjoying festivities at the grounds of the newly dedicated grounds of the Washington Monument. It is reported that Taylor ate a generous helping of cherries and drank his fair share of milk on that hot afternoon. Once returning to the White House, Taylor drank copious amounts of water as well. Shortly after, however, President Taylor was stricken with terrible abdominal pains.
Washington was notorious for being a swampy mess of poor sanitation during much of the 1800s. It seemed as though between Taylor’s cherries, milk, or even water he consumed, the president had contracted some sort of bug thriving in the damp, dreadful Washington landscape. President Taylor suffered through stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and severe dehydration for a few days before ultimately succumbing to his disease on July 9th.
Following his death, Taylor’s personal doctor attributed his death to “cholera morbus,” a term which was used to describe gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines from an infectious source) of unknown origin manifesting as diarrhea, nausea, and cramping. Speculation suggests that either bacteria from sewage contamination in his drinks or an acidic mix between cherries and milk killed the president.
However, not everyone remains 100% convinced that Taylor’s convenient passing is devoid of foul play. Some historians have suggested that arsenic poisoning may be to blame for the death of Taylor. Poisoning from the heavy metal can manifest as gastrointestinal distress, as seen with Taylor. This theory is not a randomly concocted proposition either. Taylor, though a slave owner himself, was not quick to push forward with policy to appease Southerners, a fact that made him plenty of enemies in the South. Following his death, many laws easily moved past Congress under the assistance of the newly sworn in President Fillmore. Fillmore even reportedly received a letter confessing that a Jesuit official had poisoned his predecessor. All of this has led some to consider that maybe Old Rough and Ready’s expiration is more nuanced than originally considered.
Conclusions
So what actually killed the 12th president? Well, Taylor’s remains were actually analyzed following a push for the body to be exhumed from his resting place in Louisville and tested for arsenic. Low and behold, they were arsenic positive, however, the levels were much too low to suggest any kind of poisoning, even when adjusted for the length of time between the president’s death and testing in the 1990s.
With arsenic poisoning effectively being ruled out, it seems that Taylor fell victim to the same killer that so many of his contemporaries did — poor sanitation. With modern medicine, he most likely would have survived, a similarity shared by so many during the mid 1800s.
Historical conspiracies can be fun and intriguing, even when they are ultimately suppressed. Zachary Taylor’s death boils down to a much simpler explanation despite what some have insisted upon. Nonetheless, the event makes for an interesting discussion point and keeps history alive.
Grant Fuerstenau is a Medical Student at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and the editor of The Biographical Historian.
References
A&E Television Networks. (2009, November 16). President Zachary Taylor dies unexpectedly. History.com. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/president-zachary-taylor-dies-unexpectedly
Holt, M., Michael Holt Emeritus Professor of History University of Virginia, Holt, M., & Emeritus Professor of History University of Virginia. (2017, June 26). Zachary Taylor: Death of the president. Miller Center. Retrieved September 4, 2022, from https://millercenter.org/president/taylor/death-of-the-president
