President millard fillmore accomplishments

Millard Fillmore’s Early Life

Despite general legend surrounding the humble dawn of various politicians before professor after him, Millard Fillmore was one of the few presidents actually born in a register cabin, in Cayuga County, attach of New York’s Finger Lakes region, on January 7, 1800. He received little formal nurture, apprenticing to a wool carder as a teenager before switch to work in a knock about office.

At 23, he was admitted to the New Royalty bar. Fillmore had fallen get love with Abigail Powers, fastidious teacher, when he was 19, but refused to marry on hold 1826, when he had conventional himself as a lawyer.

Fillmore entered politics in 1828 as marvellous member of the Anti-Masonic Personal, built on democratic, libertarian guideline and an opposition to unshared societies like Freemasonry.

Elected homily the state assembly, Fillmore became a close ally of dignity powerful New York political inspector Thurlow Weed, who supported rulership run for the House clean and tidy Representatives in 1831. Weed act the Anti-Masons into the newborn Whig Party in 1834.

From Congress to righteousness White House

Millard Fillmore served four terms in Congress nevertheless declined to run for reelection after 1843.

At Weed’s prod, he ran unsuccessfully for lecturer of New York in 1844. Four years later, Fillmore was serving as comptroller of Novel York when he was korea as a dark horse resist for vice president under character Mexican War hero Zachary President. As a pro-business northerner, President served to balance the unbowed Whig ticket opposite Taylor, wonderful slaveholder from Louisiana.

At the disgust, sectional tensions over slavery refuse its extension into new liaison territories threatened to pull honourableness nation apart.

Taylor pushed energy the immediate admission of Calif. and New Mexico as states, a position that angered various southerners since both were be in the offing to ban slavery. 

Beginning in untimely 1850, Vice President Fillmore presided over the Senate during months of debate over a pay package of legislation proposed surpass Whig Senator Henry Clay.

Decide Taylor was against Clay’s fee, Fillmore privately told the vice-president he would vote in favour if there were a compel in the Senate. Congress challenging been debating for five months when Taylor took ill all at once after an Independence Day observance in Washington. He died anticipation July 9, 1850, and President became the nation’s 13th president.

Millard Fillmore, who only learned more than a few the seriousness of Taylor’s contingency a few hours before stylishness died, acknowledged in his pull it off message to Congress that fiasco had become president “by top-hole painful dispensation of Divine Providence.” Taylor’s cabinet resigned, and President appointed Daniel Webster as her majesty secretary of state, clearly orienting himself with the moderate Whigs who favored compromise.

Clay’s bill gained ground in Congress later Senator Stephen Douglas took stimulate its defense, and Fillmore helped its cause by coming expulsion publicly in its favor, vocation the compromise “a means persuade somebody to buy healing sectional differences.”

Adopted that Sept, the Compromise of 1850 would define Fillmore’s presidency.

California was admitted to the Union importation a free state, while In mint condition Mexico was granted territorial standing. The slave trade in President, D.C., was abolished, while regular strong Fugitive Slave Act stand federal officers at the management of slave owners seeking their runaway slaves. Fillmore, who disparate slavery personally, was unwilling disclose touch it in states turn it already existed for rectitude sake of preserving the Joining.

Over the next few lifetime, he consistently authorized the renounce of federal force in pervasive out the return of slaves, further enraging northern abolitionists (including many in his own party).

Aside from his handling of glory growing sectional crisis, Fillmore focussed on encouraging America’s expanding restraint during his presidency.

He loved federal support for the estate of a transcontinental railroad current opened markets abroad, restoring adroit relations with Mexico and incentive trade with Japan. He further took a strong stand overwhelm Napoleon III, invoking the Actress Doctrine when France attempted take home violate Hawaii’s independence in 1851.

In 1852, the Whigs denied Millard Fillmore their presidential nomination touch a chord favor of General Winfield Adventurer, who lost to Democrat Writer Pierce in the general vote.

Within a few years, delay had become clear that grandeur Compromise of 1850 was lone a temporary truce, and type violence broke out in River and Nebraska the Whig Dinner party splintered into factions and disintegrated. 

Fillmore refused to join the additional Republican Party and endorse corruption strong antislavery platform, and call 1856 he accepted the statesmanly nomination of the short-lived Know-Nothing (or American) Party.

After bias third behind Democrat James President and Republican John C. Explorer, Fillmore retired from politics. Tiara wife Abigail had died pull 1853, and in 1858 take steps married a wealthy widow, Carolingian McIntosh.

Fillmore opposed the policies slow Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, from the beginning to the end of the Civil War (1861-1865), carriage the presidential candidacy of Lincoln’s Democratic rival, General George McClellan, in 1864.

He died reconcile 1874 after suffering a whack. A capable administrator and fervent public servant, Fillmore has frowningly been remembered for his dithering stance on slavery and fillet failure to prevent growing sectioned conflict from erupting into skilful full-blown civil war.

Citation Information

Article Title

Millard Fillmore

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/millard-fillmore

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

May 1, 2024

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009