After the Mexican War, slavery became the dominant issue in the United States. Democrats supported unrestricted slavery. The Whig Party crumbled over the issue with Northerners becoming Republicans and opposing the institution. Southern Whigs eventually became Confederates. As a result, each president from Taylor to Lincoln had their legacy intimately tied to the issue of slavery.
Zachary Taylor (1849-1850): When California wanted admission to the Union, Taylor supported it even when it was clear they would enter as a Free State. The South felt betrayed. Taylor was a Louisiana slave holder, but he opposed the spread of slavery. When a compromise was put forth that would allow California to enter Free while strengthening slavery elsewhere, Taylor opposed it and threatened to start hanging Democrats. Then, he died.
Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): While Taylor opposed the Compromise of 1850, Fillmore supported it. California entered the US as a free state. Utah and New Mexico entered without restrictions of slavery. A tough fugitive slave law was enacted and the interstate slave trade was banned. The Fugitive Slave Law was a particularly heinous creation. Persons of color had no rights if they were accused of being a runaway. So, slave catchers could go North and haul free persons back to the South with impunity under Federal Law. The Compromise was meant to quell sectionalism. Instead, it helped inflame sectionalism especially after Harriet Beecher Stowe published "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
Franklin Pierce (1853-1857): Franklin Pierce had no backbone. When Stephen Douglas marched into the White House and demand he support the Kansas-Nebraska Act, Pierce folded like a card table. The act split Kansas and Nebraska up into two states. The people of each state could vote on whether they would be a slave state or a free state. It was assumed Nebraska would vote free and Kansas would go slave. Nebraska voted to ban slavery. Kansas was a mess. Several Chicago style elections and an in-state civil war left Pierce in ruins.
James Buchanan (1857-1861): Buchanan attempted to pacify the South. He tried to force a pro-slavery Constitution onto Kansas. He failed. He tried to start a war with the Mormons to bring about national unity. He failed. After Lincoln's election, the South seceded from the union. Buchanan did nothing. James Buchanan was the worst president in history.
Showing posts with label Millard Fillmore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Millard Fillmore. Show all posts
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Underachievers
Continuing the categorization of the 43 presidencies, here are the five guys that were below average. They weren't absolute failures, but they were not successful either. Each one served only one term. They are listed chronologically.
1. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams was a lame duck when he assumed office. Most people voted against him and he ascended to the White House through the mechanisation of Henry Clay. While in office, he did not do much except wait for the whoopin' Jackson would put on him in 1828. The one major piece of legislation was the Tariff of Abominations. This raised tariffs to a ridiculously high rate and caused a rift between north and south.
2. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): The minute Van Buren took office, a depression hit. As such, he got the blame. The depression did not end until he left office. Now, that was not the reason for his inclusion here. During the Amistad Case, he supported slaveholder interests and while in office was a southern lapdog. He lost his re-election bid to William Henry Harrison.
3. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): He took office upon the death of Zachary Taylor. He supported the Compromise of 1850 and the horrible Fugitive Slave Law. On the positive side, he peacefully opened Japan to Western Trade. The Japanese celebrate this event to this day.
4. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Presidents can not fix the economy when it heads south. They can help ease the pain or give people hope. On the other hand, presidents can mess up the economy. Harrison's economic plans did just that. In 1893, a panic hit. His one major success was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which was not really used in the manner it was meant until Theodore Roosevelt.
5. William Howard Taft (1909-1913): The Era of Bungled Diplomacy, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff fiasco, the Income Tax, Dollar Diplomacy, the Ballinger-Pinchot rift, and the Republican Party schism...Taft's Administration sells itself! However, he did bust many monopolies and the country was in decent shape despite the bungling. So, he was not a complete failure!
1. John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams was a lame duck when he assumed office. Most people voted against him and he ascended to the White House through the mechanisation of Henry Clay. While in office, he did not do much except wait for the whoopin' Jackson would put on him in 1828. The one major piece of legislation was the Tariff of Abominations. This raised tariffs to a ridiculously high rate and caused a rift between north and south.
2. Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): The minute Van Buren took office, a depression hit. As such, he got the blame. The depression did not end until he left office. Now, that was not the reason for his inclusion here. During the Amistad Case, he supported slaveholder interests and while in office was a southern lapdog. He lost his re-election bid to William Henry Harrison.
3. Millard Fillmore (1850-1853): He took office upon the death of Zachary Taylor. He supported the Compromise of 1850 and the horrible Fugitive Slave Law. On the positive side, he peacefully opened Japan to Western Trade. The Japanese celebrate this event to this day.
4. Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893): Presidents can not fix the economy when it heads south. They can help ease the pain or give people hope. On the other hand, presidents can mess up the economy. Harrison's economic plans did just that. In 1893, a panic hit. His one major success was the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which was not really used in the manner it was meant until Theodore Roosevelt.
5. William Howard Taft (1909-1913): The Era of Bungled Diplomacy, the Payne-Aldrich Tariff fiasco, the Income Tax, Dollar Diplomacy, the Ballinger-Pinchot rift, and the Republican Party schism...Taft's Administration sells itself! However, he did bust many monopolies and the country was in decent shape despite the bungling. So, he was not a complete failure!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Elections: 1844-1852
John Tyler was a one term incumbent president without a party. The former Democrat turned Whig was abandoned by his party when he started vetoing bills sent to him from Whig leader Henry Clay. Tyler's cabinet resigned in protest and the Whigs nominated Henry Clay for the presidency in 1842.
The Democrats were not as united as the Whigs. At their convention, it took eight ballots to come up with James K Polk. Martin Van Buren had been the early leader, but he could not get enough delegates for the nomination. The party turned to Polk as a compromise that everyone could settle on.
The election of 1844 was very close. Polk edged Clay 50%-48%. Democrats united against Clay. They hated him almost as much as today's Democrats hate W. In New York, abolitionist James Birney siphoned away enough votes to ensure Polk captured the state. Without Birney, Clay probably wins New York and the election. Instead, he's a three time loser.
In 1848, Polk stepped down after a successful term in office. The Democrats nominated Lewis Cass of Michigan while the Whigs nominated General Zachary Taylor. The main issue was slavery in the territory captured during the Mexican War. Taylor did not speak on any issue. Since he was a Louisiana slaveholder, the South did not have one of their hissy fits, and found him acceptable.
The slave holding war hero Taylor was not the only problem for Democrats. They also had to deal with Martin Van Buren. The former Democratic president decided to run as a third party candidate with the Free Soil Party. This is the equivalent of Al Gore running with the Green Party today. With Democrats Cass and Van Buren in the race, Taylor won with 47%. A united Democratic Party probably wins this election.
Zachary Taylor died in office and the Whigs did not want to nominate the boring President Millard Fillmore in 1852. Instead, they went the general route again. This time, they nominated Old Fuss and Feathers, Winfield Scott. Scott was the worst candidate in presidential history. He managed to insult just about everyone while looking inept.
Meanwhile, the Dems also nominated a Mexican War vet. Franklin Pierce got the Democratic nomination for two reasons. First, he was a veteran which countered Scott somewhat. Second, he was offensive to no one in the party. The country was beginning to splinter on the slavery issue and Pierce was a likeable fellow. At this point, Pierce was liked by all and offensive to none. Franklin Pierce wins the election 51%-44%. Pierce would go on to have a very gloomy presidency and even gloomier life while Scott would lead the army in the early days of the Civil War before being forced into retirement.
The Democrats were not as united as the Whigs. At their convention, it took eight ballots to come up with James K Polk. Martin Van Buren had been the early leader, but he could not get enough delegates for the nomination. The party turned to Polk as a compromise that everyone could settle on.
The election of 1844 was very close. Polk edged Clay 50%-48%. Democrats united against Clay. They hated him almost as much as today's Democrats hate W. In New York, abolitionist James Birney siphoned away enough votes to ensure Polk captured the state. Without Birney, Clay probably wins New York and the election. Instead, he's a three time loser.
In 1848, Polk stepped down after a successful term in office. The Democrats nominated Lewis Cass of Michigan while the Whigs nominated General Zachary Taylor. The main issue was slavery in the territory captured during the Mexican War. Taylor did not speak on any issue. Since he was a Louisiana slaveholder, the South did not have one of their hissy fits, and found him acceptable.
The slave holding war hero Taylor was not the only problem for Democrats. They also had to deal with Martin Van Buren. The former Democratic president decided to run as a third party candidate with the Free Soil Party. This is the equivalent of Al Gore running with the Green Party today. With Democrats Cass and Van Buren in the race, Taylor won with 47%. A united Democratic Party probably wins this election.
Zachary Taylor died in office and the Whigs did not want to nominate the boring President Millard Fillmore in 1852. Instead, they went the general route again. This time, they nominated Old Fuss and Feathers, Winfield Scott. Scott was the worst candidate in presidential history. He managed to insult just about everyone while looking inept.
Meanwhile, the Dems also nominated a Mexican War vet. Franklin Pierce got the Democratic nomination for two reasons. First, he was a veteran which countered Scott somewhat. Second, he was offensive to no one in the party. The country was beginning to splinter on the slavery issue and Pierce was a likeable fellow. At this point, Pierce was liked by all and offensive to none. Franklin Pierce wins the election 51%-44%. Pierce would go on to have a very gloomy presidency and even gloomier life while Scott would lead the army in the early days of the Civil War before being forced into retirement.
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