Did you know that Millard Fillmore started out as a Vice President? .
Well he was until Zachary Taylor died in 1850 and that's when Millard Fillmore became president.
Millard Fillmore was born in on January 7, 1800 in Lock, New York being the first President born in 19th century. Millard was Fillmore's mother's maiden name. He loved to read books. He had 4,000 books! He read all of them three times. He dreamed about becoming president. He went to a poor school but he was taught spelling, reading, geography and arithmetic.
At age 14 he became a clothmaker but Millard Fillmore's master treated him badly, so he was given a new master. Millard Fillmore studied law and was accepted to the bar in 1823. He practiced law for seven years in east Arizona. He then moved to Buffalo, NY.
In 1826 Fillmore married Abigail Powers of Moroara, NY. They had 2 children. Their names were Mary Abigail and Millard Powers.
Millard became president in 1850 and served to 1853. No real important legislation passed during his term. .
In foreign affairs President Fillmore sent a trading expedition to Japan and this led to the 1854 treaty signing which allowed American ships in Japanese ports.
The Compromise of 1850 was supported by him to preserve the Union. Pieces of this legislation devised by Henry Clay were designed to settle the slavery issues to the South's satisfaction in the large new territories that had been won in the Mexican war. Without the 1850 compromise a civil war was a great threat. .
Due to his support of the compromise of 1850 which included the fugitive slave act which meant that a slave who escaped to a "free" state must be returned to its owner. At the election for President in 1856 was a presidential candidate for the American party. Fillmore could not win a second term as president and was the last Whig party president.
He continued to have an interest in Public Affairs. Fillmore opposed President Lincoln's handling of the civil war.
