Zachary Taylor (129)
The 12th President of the United States, Zachary Taylor served from March 1849 until his death in 1850. Before becoming president he was a career officer in the US Army, rising to the rank of major general. Victories in the Mexican-American war made him a national hero…which in turn won him the election to the White House. However, he died suddenly (only 16 months in office) due to a stomach-related illness, which left his administration doing very little. Scholars rate him poorly for his unwillingness to act in the face of secession.
