When Did Zachary Taylor Born ?
Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, was born on November 24, 1784. He was a career military officer and became the president because of his many victories during the Mexican War. He was a courageous soldier who was always leading his troops from the front, and he never lost a battle in the 40 years that he served in the army. |
Taylor's was born in a prominent family of Virginia. His father, Richard Taylor, served during the American Revolution along with George Washington. His mother was Sarah Dabney Strother. He was the third child among nine brothers and sisters.
In the early days of his childhood, Taylor lived in a log cabin in the woods on the frontier of Kentucky. After the American Revolution, his father was given a war bonus of 2,400 hectares of land from the state. This made the family prosperous. Soon, Richard Taylor became well known and influential in Kentucky. He became a delegate to the territorial constitution convention in 1792, and later he was appointed to the state legislature. George Washington appointed Richard Taylor as the Collector of Customs for the Port of Louisville.
Although the family was wealthy and influential, Zachary Taylor hardly had any formal education. He was tutored for a short while by a private tutor hired by his father and that was all the education he received. His knowledge came from living on the frontier. Although as a boy, Taylor used to help his father run the farm, he had no interest in becoming a farmer.
In 1806, Taylor joined the militia to defend the borders of Kentucky after President Thomas Jefferson informed the public about the Burr conspiracy. Aaron Burr, the former US vice president, had formed a private army with the intention of grabbing land in the West. However, Burr's army was repelled and the militia was disbanded. Then in 1808, Taylor was appointed as lieutenant in the Seventh Infantry Regiment after receiving a recommendation from James Madison, Secretary of State and a second cousin. This started Taylor's long 40-year career in the army.
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