The Whig Party and Zachary Taylor, 1848

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In the nineteenth century, newspapers were powerful allies of political parties or, in this case, politicians.  This broadside advertises a new paper published explicitly in support of Taylor’s presidential candidacy. The editors of the "Rough and Ready" defined their audience as "every American who loves their country," and not the "rabid partizan," suggesting Taylor’s loose adherence to Whig principles and broad crossover appeal. Courtesy of Duke University Libraries via North Carolina Digital Heritage Center.

In the election of 1848, the Whig Party, which had emerged in the 1830s in opposition to the Democratic Party, turned to a politically inexperienced military hero as their candidate for president. Zachary Taylor, like Jackson, served in the War of 1812 and Seminole War, but had risen to national hero status as General "Old Rough and Ready" during the Mexican-American War (1845-1847).  

Taylor, a slaveowner, had no political affiliation prior to his candidacy for president and, on some issues, blatantly conflicted with established Whig principles like their adamant anti-Mexican War stance and opposition to the expansion of slavery. The Whigs gambled that Taylor’s celebrity and broad public appeal would outweigh his lack of strong political conviction and help them compete against the Democratic party’s Lewis Cass and Martin Van Buren of the Free Soil Party. Ultimately, the Whigs won that bet, but lost party unity in the long run.  

Taylor won the election by a small margin but, in the process, sharply divided the Whig Party between those who seized the opportunity for a celebrity candidate and those who remained true to political principle. The Whig Party never again succeeded in electing a candidate to the presidency and in the succeeding years dissolved amidst internal tensions over slavery. Over the following decade, the Republican Party emerged, replacing the Whigs as the second major party in opposition to the Democrats. The 1848 win was even less gratifying when Taylor died after less than a year and a half in office.