Full Answer
What did Millard Fillmore do as president?
He became vice president under President Zachary Taylor, assuming the presidency after Taylor's death in 1850. As the 13th U.S. president, Fillmore was responsible for forcing open Japan to trade with the Treaty of Kanagawa. Millard Fillmore was born in extreme poverty in a log cabin on January 7, 1800, in Locke Township, New York.
What did John Fillmore do in the 1850s?
Beginning in early 1850, Vice President Fillmore presided over the Senate during months of debate over a compromise package of legislation proposed by Whig Senator Henry Clay. While Taylor was against Clay’s bill, Fillmore privately told the president he would vote in favor if there were a tie in the Senate.
What was Millard Fillmore childhood like?
Millard Fillmore was born in extreme poverty in a log cabin on January 7, 1800, in Locke Township, New York. At age 15, he was apprenticed to a cloth maker by his father to keep the family solvent. After nearly two years of brutal apprenticeship, Fillmore left and moved to New Hope, New York.
Why did Millard Fillmore get so much ridicule?
According to biographer Scarry: "No president of the United States ... has suffered as much ridicule as Millard Fillmore." He ascribed much of the abuse to a tendency to denigrate the presidents who served in the years just prior to the Civil War as lacking in leadership.
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Who is Millard Fillmore and what did he do?
Millard Fillmore, (born January 7, 1800, Locke township, New York, U.S.—died March 8, 1874, Buffalo, New York), 13th president of the United States (1850–53), whose insistence on federal enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 alienated the North and led to the destruction of the Whig Party.
Where did Millard Fillmore work?
In 1846 Fillmore was involved in the founding of what is now the University at Buffalo (earlier the University of Buffalo), became its first chancellor, and served until his death in 1874.
What were Millard Fillmore's major accomplishments?
Fillmore's most notable achievement was supporting and signing into law the 1850 Compromise which angered both pro- and anti-slavery factions. Fillmore's support of the 1850 Compromise has caused him to be viewed negatively by historians. Fillmore dispatched the first fleet to Japan to open it to western trade.
What did Millard Fillmore do after he was president?
He retired in Buffalo and married Caroline McIntosh, a wealthy Albany widow, in early 1858. Fillmore was thereafter active in many causes and charities. When the Civil War erupted three years later, Fillmore became a staunch Unionist, helping to organize enlistment and war-financing drives.
What presidents were not elected?
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (/ˈdʒɛrəld/ JERR-əld; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913 – December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected to the office of president or vice president.
Who was the last President born in the 1800s?
U.S. Presidents Birth and Death InformationPresidentBirth DateDeath DateJohn TylerMar 29, 1790Jan 18, 1862James K. PolkNov 2, 1795June 15, 1849Zachary TaylorNov 24, 1784July 9, 1850Millard FillmoreJan 7, 1800Mar 8, 187441 more rows
Was Millard Fillmore a successful President?
Fillmore was the second president to succeed to the office without being elected to it, after John Tyler. He was the last Whig president. His presidency ended after losing the Whig nomination at the 1852 Whig National Convention....Presidency of Millard Fillmore.PartyWhigSeatWhite HouseFranklin Pierce →Seal of the President (1850–1894)4 more rows
Who signed the Compromise of 1850?
Senator Henry Clay introduced a series of resolutions on January 29, 1850, in an attempt to seek a compromise and avert a crisis between North and South. As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was amended and the slave trade in Washington, D.C., was abolished.
What Millard Fillmore is best known for?
Millard Fillmore is best known for assuming the presidency after the death of Zachary Taylor, becoming the 13th U.S. president.
How did Millard Fillmore change the world?
It is often said that the best compromise is the type that pleases none of the compromisers. By the end of his presidency, Millard Fillmore knew this all too well. By championing the Compromise of 1850, he can be credited for keeping America from civil war for more than a decade.
Was Millard Fillmore a Know Nothing?
Historian Allan Nevins, writing about the turmoil preceding the American Civil War, states that Millard Fillmore was never a Know Nothing nor a nativist. Fillmore was out of the country when the presidential nomination came and had not been consulted about running.
Did Millard Fillmore serve in the military?
Fillmore was also a member of the New York Militia in the 1820s and 1830s, and served as Inspector of New York's 47th Brigade with the rank of Major. In 1846, he helped found the private University of Buffalo, which today is the public University at Buffalo, the largest school in the New York state university system.
What are some fun facts about Millard Fillmore?
10 Things You Should Know About Millard FillmoreFillmore rose up out of extreme poverty. ... He got his political start as an Anti-Mason. ... Fillmore was one of five “accidental” presidents. ... Fillmore did not have a vice president. ... Fillmore attempted to reduce tensions between the North and South.
When did Millard Fillmore became a lawyer?
1826Millard Fillmore's Early Life Fillmore had fallen in love with Abigail Powers, a teacher, when he was 19, but refused to marry until 1826, when he had established himself as a lawyer.
Where was Millard Fillmore born?
Early life and career. Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800, in a log cabin, on a farm in what is now Moravia, Cayuga County, in the Finger Lakes region of New York . His parents were Phoebe Millard and Nathaniel Fillmore, and he was the second of eight children and the oldest son.
Who did Fillmore apprentice to?
Hoping that his oldest son would learn a trade, he convinced Millard, who was 14, not to enlist for the War of 1812 and apprenticed him to the clothmaker Benjamin Hungerford in Sparta. Fillmore was relegated to menial labor. Unhappy at not learning any skills, he left Hungerford's employ.
What did Fillmore support in the 1850 compromise?
Fillmore, unlike Taylor, supported Henry Clay 's Omnibus Bill, which was the basis of the 1850 Compromise. Upon becoming president in July 1850, Fillmore dismissed Taylor's cabinet and pushed Congress to pass the compromise. The Fugitive Slave Act, expediting the return of escaped slaves to those who claimed ownership, was a controversial part of the compromise. Fillmore felt duty-bound to enforce it despite its damage to the popularity of both him and the Whig Party, which was torn between its Northern and Southern factions. In foreign policy, Fillmore supported U.S. Navy expeditions to open trade in Japan, opposed French designs on Hawaii, and was embarrassed by Narciso López 's filibuster expeditions to Cuba. Fillmore sought the Whig nomination to a full term in 1852 but was passed over by the Whigs in favor of Winfield Scott .
Where did Nathaniel Fillmore and Phoebe Millard live?
Nathaniel Fillmore and Phoebe Millard moved from Vermont in 1799 and sought better opportunities than were available on Nathaniel's stony farm, but the title to their Cayuga County land proved defective, and the Fillmore family moved to nearby Sempronius, where they leased land as tenant farmers, and Nathaniel occasionally taught school. The historian Tyler Anbinder described Fillmore's childhood as "one of hard work, frequent privation, and virtually no formal schooling."
When did Fillmore and Weed meet?
All pretense at friendship between Fillmore and Weed vanished in November 1849 when they happened to meet in New York City and exchanged accusations. From a Peter F. Rothermel engraving: Vice President Fillmore (upper right) presides over the Compromise debates as Henry Clay takes the floor of the Old Senate Chamber.
What did Dorothea Dix write to Fillmore?
In August 1850, the social reformer Dorothea Dix wrote to Fillmore to urge support of her proposal in Congress for land grants to finance asylums for the impoverished mentally ill. Though her proposal did not pass, both became friends, met in person, and continued to correspond well after Fillmore's presidency.
When was Fillmore sworn in as Vice President?
Further information: Compromise of 1850. Fillmore in 1849 . Fillmore was sworn in as vice president on March 5, 1849, in the Senate Chamber. Since March 4 (which was then Inauguration Day) fell on a Sunday, the swearing-in was postponed to the following day.
What did Millard Fillmore do?
In 1819, Millard Fillmore got a job as a clerk with a local judge, and was admitted to the New York bar in 1823. Fillmore joined the Anti-Masonic Party as a young lawyer, and his political career subsequently began. In 1828, he ran for the New York State Assembly and won, serving three terms before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1832. During this time, Fillmore supported the protective tariff and eliminating the enslaved people trade between the states. He eventually joined the Whig Party through his association with party boss Thurlow Weed, who would later help Abraham Lincoln become president.
What party did Millard Fillmore belong to?
As the Whig Party disintegrated, Millard Fillmore refused to join the emerging Republican Party. Instead, he ran for the presidency as a member of the American Party, which was affiliated with the Know-Nothing movement. Officially retired from politics, he criticized President James Buchanan for not taking immediate action when South Carolina seceded from the Union in 1860, but opposed President Lincoln's unconditional policies toward the South during the Civil War. He later supported President Andrew Johnson's more conciliatory approach during Reconstruction.
What did Millard Fillmore do to help the Hawaiian Islands?
In foreign policy, President Millard Fillmore dispatched Commodore Perry to "open" Japan to western trade and worked to keep the Hawaiian Islands out of European hands. He also refused to back an invasion of Cuba by adventurous Southerners who wanted to expand slavery into the Caribbean.
What did Fillmore do in 1828?
In 1828, he ran for the New York State Assembly and won, serving three terms before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1832. During this time, Fillmore supported the protective tariff and eliminating the enslaved people trade between the states.
Who was the Whig Party boss?
He eventually joined the Whig Party through his association with party boss Thurlow Weed, who would later help Abraham Lincoln become president. In 1843, Millard Fillmore attempted to strengthen his position in New York: He resigned from the House, thereafter making an unsuccessful run for the New York governorship.
Who was the only person to serve as both a U.S. chief justice and president?
William Howard Taft. William Howard Taft, the 27th president of the United States, fulfilled a lifelong dream when he was appointed chief justice of the Supreme Court, becoming the only person to have served as both a U.S. chief justice and president. (1857–1930)
Did Zachary Taylor and Milliard Fillmore meet?
Zachary Taylor and Milliard Fillmore won a bitterly fought election, but could not have been more different in backgrounds and political positions. The two did not even meet until after the election, and, when they did finally meet, they didn't hit it off well.
What was Millard Fillmore's career?
Millard Fillmore’s Post-Presidency Career. Born of humble origins in New York State, Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) became a lawyer and won election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 1833. He served four terms in Congress but left in 1843 to mount an unsuccessful run for the governorship of New York.
What did Fillmore do during his presidency?
Aside from his handling of the growing sectional crisis, Fillmore focused on encouraging America’s expanding economy during his presidency. He favored federal support for the building of a transcontinental railroad and opened markets abroad, restoring diplomatic relations with Mexico and urging trade with Japan. He also took a strong stand against Napoleon III, invoking the Monroe Doctrine when France attempted to violate Hawaii’s independence in 1851.
Why did Fillmore oppose slavery?
Though Fillmore personally opposed slavery, he saw the Compromise as necessary to preserving the Union and enforced its strong Fugitive Slave Act during his presidency. This stance alienated Fillmore from voters in the North, and in 1852 he failed to gain the Whig nomination.
Where was Millard Fillmore born?
Despite popular legend surrounding the humble origins of various politicians before and after him, Millard Fillmore was one of the few presidents actually born in a log cabin, in Cayuga County , part of New York’s Finger Lakes region, on January 7, 1800. He received little formal education, apprenticing to a wool carder as a teenager before switching to work in a law office. At 23, he was admitted to the New York bar. Fillmore had fallen in love with Abigail Powers, a teacher, when he was 19, but refused to marry until 1826, when he had established himself as a lawyer.
Who was Thurlow Weed's ally?
Elected to the state assembly, Fillmore became a close ally of the powerful New York political boss Thurlow Weed, who supported his run for the House of Representatives in 1831. Weed led the Anti-Masons into the new Whig Party in 1834.
Who was the comptroller of New York in 1844?
Four years later, Fillmore was serving as comptroller of New York when he was chosen as a dark horse pick for vice president under the Mexican War hero Zachary Taylor. As a pro-business northerner, Fillmore served to balance the victorious Whig ticket opposite Taylor, a slaveholder from Louisiana.
Who did Fillmore join?
Fillmore refused to join the new Republican Party and endorse its strong antislavery platform, and in 1856 he accepted the presidential nomination of the short-lived Know-Nothing (or American) Party. After finishing third behind Democrat James Buchanan and Republican John C. Fremont, Fillmore retired from politics.
Where did Millard Fillmore live?
Nathaniel and Phoebe Fillmore had originally lived in Vermont, but by the time of Millard's birth on January 7, 1800, they had settled in upstate New York on a farm between Syracuse and Ithaca.
Where did Fillmore's family move to?
About this time, Fillmore's family gave up their troubled farm and moved to East Aurora, a town near Buffalo. The young man moved with them, taught school and clerked, and gained admission to the New York bar in 1823. He opened a law practice in East Aurora and married Abigail Powers in early 1826.
Why did Millard have little schooling?
While Millard had very little schooling as a young child due to the demands of the farm, he displayed both curiosity and ambition. Thinking his son needed a trade and perhaps relishing the prospect of one fewer mouth to feed, Nathaniel Fillmore arranged an apprenticeship for Millard when the boy became a teenager.
What happened to Fillmore after he married?
A few months after the marriage, a strange incident catapulted Fillmore into politics. Many of the era's ruling politicians were Freemasons, including General Andrew Jackson, the most popular man in America at the time. A man named William Morgan, a disaffected Mason evidently readying an exposé of the organization, was allegedly kidnapped and never seen again. Widespread suspicion arose that Masonic interests were behind Morgan's disappearance, and soon an Anti-Masonic Party arose to combat the fraternal order's political influence. One hotbed of the new party lay in western New York, and Fillmore joined it.
How many times was Fillmore reelected?
Fillmore was reelected to Congress three times between 1837 and 1843. During his last term, which spanned from 1841 to 1843, he was named chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which dealt with tax and financial issues.
Who was Millard's teacher?
He pored over any book he could get his hands on and attended school in a nearby town. The teacher there, a highly intelligent, well-read young woman named Abigail Powers, would be the greatest influence on his life. Just nineteen, not even two years older than Millard, Abigail was probably the first person to encourage his ambition to become anything but a farmer or a tradesman. She loaned him books, challenged him to study difficult subjects, and cheered him on. Nathaniel Fillmore, meanwhile, finally saw that his son might have meant what he said about wanting to become a lawyer and arranged a clerkship with a local judge that would also allow Millard to study law. The teenager attacked the difficult bookwork with untiring relish, teaching school to support himself. He also began courting Abigail Powers. Impressed with his work ethic and aspirations, she accepted his engagement proposal in 1819.
Who was the New York comptroller in 1847?
In 1847, he won election as New York's comptroller, or chief financial overseer. Fillmore's winning margin over his Democratic rival was so wide that he was instantly seen as a leading Whig candidate for the upcoming 1848 national campaign.
Who was Fillmore associated with?
At the beginning of his career Fillmore was associated with the democratic and libertarian Anti-Masonic Movement and Anti-Masonic Party. He was a protégé of the leading anti-Mason, Thurlow Weed, and when Weed left the anti-Masons, Fillmore too followed suit.
Where was Millard Fillmore born?
Childhood & Early Life. Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800, in Summerhill, New York, to Nathaniel Fillmore and Phoebe Millard. He was the second of nine children in a family of modest means. He received little formal education as a young boy and was apprenticed to a cloth maker at the age of 14.
How did President Taylor die?
President Taylor died after a short illness on July 9, 1850. The nation was shocked by his sudden death and being the vice president, Millard Fillmore took over the duties of the president the very same day. Following Taylor’s death, his entire cabinet resigned and Fillmore had to appoint others to fill the vacancies.
What party did Fillmore belong to?
Fillmore forayed into politics in 1828 as a member of the democratic and libertarian Anti-Masonic Movement and Anti-Masonic Party. He was elected to the New York State Assembly where he served three one-year terms, from 1829 to 1831.
When was Fillmore elected to the House of Representatives?
Fillmore followed in his mentor’s footsteps and left the Anti-Masons to join the Whigs. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1832 and served in the Congress from 1833 to 1835. He was re-elected twice and served from 1837 to 1843 and declined further re-nomination.
Who was the first New York State Comptroller?
Soon Weed became a prominent Whig organizer, and Fillmore again followed his mentor and joined the Whigs. A lawyer by profession, Fillmore served in the state legislature as a U.S. Representative. He went on to become the first New York State Comptroller elected by general ballot.
How was Millard Fillmore Hospital heated?
Millard Fillmore Hospital was heated by steam produced in boilers. A network of pipes delivered steam to radiators throughout the hospital. Boilers, pipes, valves and pumps within the heating system were covered with asbestos-containing insulation. When workers performed repairs, the insulation was removed. New insulation was applied after the repair procedures were completed. When asbestos-containing insulation was removed and applied, asbestos fibers were released into the air. Most workers were completely unaware of the dangers of exposure to the asbestos dust, and performed their work without masks or protective gear.
What materials did laborers use in the 1970s?
Up until the late 1970s, laborers utilized asbestos-containing materials during the hospital’s initial construction and in maintenance procedures. Laborers removed and applied asbestos-containing joint compound, pipe covering, insulating cement, block insulation, gaskets and fireproof insulation. Workers who handled asbestos-containing materials are at risk for developing an asbestos-related disease, such as mesothelioma or lung cancer.
Overview
Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853, the last to be a member of the Whig Party while in the White House. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Upstate New York, Fillmore was elected as the 12th vice president in 1848, and succeeded to the presidency in July 1850 upon the deat…
Early life and career
Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800, in a log cabin, on a farm in what is now Moravia, Cayuga County, in the Finger Lakes region of New York. His parents were Phoebe Millard and Nathaniel Fillmore, and he was the second of eight children and the oldest son.
Nathaniel Fillmore was the son of Nathaniel Fillmore Sr. (1739–1814), a nativ…
Buffalo politician
Other members of the Fillmore family were active in politics and government in addition to Nathaniel's service as a justice of the peace. Millard also became interested in politics, and the rise of the Anti-Masonic Party in the late 1820s provided his entry.
Many Anti-Masons were opposed to the presidential candidacy of General And…
Representative
In 1832 Fillmore ran successfully for the U.S. House of Representatives. The Anti-Masonic presidential candidate, William Wirt, a former attorney general, won only Vermont, and President Jackson easily gained re-election. At the time, Congress convened its annual session in December and so Fillmore had to wait more than a year after his election to take his seat. Fillmore, Weed, and others realized that opposition to Masonry was too narrow a foundation to build a national p…
National figure
Out of office, Fillmore continued his law practice and made long-neglected repairs to his Buffalo home. He remained a major political figure and led the committee of notables that welcomed John Quincy Adams to Buffalo. The former president expressed his regret at Fillmore's absence from the halls of Congress. Some urged Fillmore to run for vice president with Clay, the consen…
Election of 1848
President Polk had pledged not to seek a second term, and with gains in Congress during the 1846 election cycle, the Whigs were hopeful of taking the White House in 1848. The party's perennial candidates, Henry Clay and Daniel Webster, both wanted the nomination and amassed support from congressional colleagues. Many rank-and-file Whigs backed the Mexican War hero, General Z…
Vice presidency (1849–1850)
Fillmore was sworn in as vice president on March 5, 1849, in the Senate Chamber. Since March 4 (which was then Inauguration Day) fell on a Sunday, the swearing-in was postponed to the following day. Fillmore took the oath from Chief Justice Roger B. Taney and, in turn, swore in the senators beginning their terms, including Seward, who had been elected by the New York legislature in F…
Presidency (1850–1853)
July 4, 1850 was a very hot day in Washington, and President Taylor, who attended the Fourth of July ceremonies to lay the cornerstone of the Washington Monument, refreshed himself, likely with cold milk and cherries. What he consumed likely gave him gastroenteritis, and he died on July 9. Taylor, nicknamed "Old Rough and Ready", had gained a reputation for toughness thro…