Millard Fillmore

Millard Fillmore (January 7, 1800 – March 8, 1874) was the 13th president of the United States. He was president from 1850 to 1853 following the death of Zachary Taylor. He was the last Whig president and the last president who was not a Democrat or Republican while in office.

He attempted to run in 1852, but failed to secure the Whig nomination. He ran for president in 1856 for the Know-Nothing Party but lost to James Buchanan.

Early life
Millard Fillmore grew up in a poor family. He worked hard to do well in school and go to college. He got a job as a lawyer in 1823. In 1828, he was voted to be part of the New York State Assembly and made friends in the Whig Party, which helped him get chosen to run for vice president in 1848.

Vice presidency and Presidency
When he was vice president, Fillmore was in charge of the U.S. Senate while it was fighting over a decision about slavery involving Texas and New Mexico.

When he became president, the slavery issue was very intense to the point that the southern states were close to leaving the United States.

Fillmore signed the Compromise of 1850, five laws to calm down the slavery issue by pleasing both the northern states and the southern states. Although the Compromise of 1850 made the states get along, the peace did not last forever. In the late 1850s, the North and the South began arguing once more.

He personally fought a fire at the Library of Congress in December 1851. He then signed a bill to fund the replacement of all the books that were destroyed in the fire.

Fillmore admitted California as the 31st U.S. state on September 9, 1850.

His decision to sign the Compromise of 1850 made many of the people in his Whig Party angry at him. They refused to let him run president in 1852.

He started the first library at the White House.

 Later life 

Franklin Pierce became the 14th preside, succeeding Fillmore. Fillmore got a job in charge of the University of Buffalo. Fillmore joined the Know-Nothing Party and ran for president again in 1856, but he lost and came behind both the Democrat and the Republican candidates. He eventually moved to the Democratic Party following his defeat. He died in Buffalo, New York, of a stroke at the age of 74.

There is a statue of Fillmore at City Hall in Buffalo.

Notes

References

Other websites
 Fillmore's White House biography

Category:1800 births
Category:1874 deaths
Category:Deaths from cerebral hemorrhage

Category:Presidents of the United States
Category:United States representatives from New York (state)
Category:Lawyers from New York (state)
Category:Deaths from cerebral infarction
Category:Deaths from stroke
Category:Politicians from Buffalo, New York
Category:Unitarians
Category:Whig Party (United States) politicians
Category:19th-century American politicians
Category:American mayors
Category:Vice presidents of the United States
Category:19th-century presidents of the United States