WATCH: Zachary Taylor, The Man Who Might Have Prevented The Civil War

Discover the fascinating story of Zachary Taylor, America’s 12th president, who was a walking contradiction and a career military man with little interest in politics. Despite never voting in a presidential election until he became a candidate himself in 1848, Taylor rose to the rank of Brigadier General and distinguished himself during the Mexican-American War. His victories created new political realities and made him a national hero, but his untimely demise just 16 months into his first term may have cost the US a chance to avoid the devastating Civil War. As a wealthy landowner who controlled several plantations and over 300 slaves, Taylor opposed slavery’s expansion into America’s newly acquired territories and was a firm supporter of the Union. However, he was unable to forge any meaningful compromise during his presidency, and his successor oversaw the Compromise of 1850, which largely set into motion the series of events that would lead to the cataclysmic Civil War. Don’t miss this captivating story of a pivotal moment in American history.