ZACHARY TAYLOR DURING THE MEXICAN AMERICAN-WAR 🇺🇸🇲🇽

In Kentucky, Taylor received a rudimentary level of education, and he learned about farming and horsemanship, but he desired a life of military service.

Zachary Taylor gained fame during the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) for his military victories, particularly at Monterrey and Buena Vista. His success in these battles, despite being outnumbered, made him a national hero and paved the way for his eventual election as president.

Battle of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma:
Taylor's early victories against Mexican forces in Texas set the stage for the war.

Battle of Monterrey:
Taylor's capture of the key Mexican city of Monterrey in September 1846 was a significant military accomplishment.

Battle of Buena Vista:
Taylor's decisive victory at Buena Vista, where he defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna, cemented his status as a military hero and made him a prominent figure in the Whig Party.

Criticism and Displeasure from President Polk:
Taylor's granting of generous terms of surrender at Monterrey and his criticisms of President Polk alienated the president, who later transferred Taylor's troops to General Winfield Scott.
Taylor's military achievements made him a popular candidate for the Whig Party, and he was elected President in 1848.

On April 25, 1846, Mexican forces attacked and killed U.S. troops commanded by General Zachary Taylor in a disputed territory. The Mexican forces then laid siege to Fort Texas, but Taylor fought back with the help of reinforcements and emerged victorious in the Battle of Palo Alto and the Battle of Resaca de la Palma. By May 13, Congress declared war on Mexico formally beginning the Mexican-American War. During the war, Taylor earned a name for himself defeating the Mexicans in the city of Monterrey, but he truly became a hero after his victory at the Battle of Buena Vista. At Buena Vista, General Taylor was left with half of his men because they were commanded to serve General Winfield Scott at Veracruz. However, when Mexican General Santa Anna intercepted a letter that revealed that General Taylor was short soldiers, he decided to attack. Even with half of his men, Taylor still was able to secure a victory, and it was this heroism that propelled him all the way to the presidency in 1848.

The election of 1848 was a contentious one. Occurring after the ratification of the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, the United States had just won a sizable amount of territory from Mexico, and the nation was divided on whether these territories should permit slavery. General Taylor won the Whig nomination, and he ran without a definitive platform, but he was able to appeal to a wide array of voters considering his ownership of enslaved persons and military background. Taylor’s opponents were Democrat Lewis Cass, an advocate of “squatter sovereignty,” and Free-Soil candidate Martin Van Buren. Cass and Van Buren split the vote to elect Taylor as the twelfth president of the United States.

These victories made him a popular hero, and in May 1846 Taylor received a brevet promotion to major general and a formal commendation from Congress. In June, he was promoted to the full rank of major general. The national press compared him to George Washington and Andrew Jackson, both generals who had ascended to the presidency, but Taylor denied any interest in running for office. "Such an idea never entered my head," he remarked in a letter, "nor is it likely to enter the head of any sane person."

After crossing the Rio Grande, in September Taylor inflicted heavy casualties upon the Mexicans at the Battle of Monterrey, and captured that city in three days, despite its impregnable repute. Taylor was criticized for signing a "liberal" truce rather than pressing for a large-scale surrender. Polk had hoped that the occupation of Northern Mexico would induce the Mexicans to sell Alta California and New Mexico, but the Mexicans remained unwilling to part with so much territory. Polk sent an army under the command of Winfield Scott to besiege Veracruz, an important Mexican port city, while Taylor was ordered to remain near Monterrey. Many of Taylor's experienced soldiers were placed under Scott's command, leaving Taylor with a smaller and less effective force. Mexican General Antonio López de Santa Anna intercepted a letter from Scott about Taylor's smaller force, and he moved north, intent on destroying Taylor's force before confronting Scott's army.

In recognition of his victory at Buena Vista, on July 4, 1847, Taylor was elected an honorary member of the New York Society of the Cincinnati, the Virginia branch of which included his father as a charter member. Taylor also was made a member of the Aztec Club of 1847, Military Society of the Mexican War. He received three Congressional Gold Medals for his service in the Mexican-American War and remains the only person to have received the medal three times.

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