A prominent American politician became the last president of the United States from the Whig party, which collapsed shortly after the end of his tenure at the country's top post. Millard Fillmore became the 13th head of state after the unexpected death of his predecessor. In the history of the United States, he remained a man who signed the odious Runaway Slave Act (1850), which provoked the outrage of supporters of the prohibition of slavery.
early years
Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800 in Summerhill (New York State), in the family of a poor farmer. From childhood, he was very fond of reading, retaining this passion for his whole life. With his future wife, Abigail Power met while still in school, where she worked as his teacher.
The family lived poorly, and Millard had to start working early. At first the boy studied tailoring skills, and already from the age of fifteen he worked at the cloth factory. All his free time, the guy attended self-education and reading books. Thanks to sponsorship from several wealthy people at the age of 19, he was able to continue his education at New Hope School and get a law degree in Buffalo, the second largest city in New York State.
Start of work
In 1823, after receiving a law degree, he was admitted to law practice. A few years later, Millard Fillmore met with local politician T. Weed, who persuaded him to join the anti-Masonic movement, which had existed for a very short time. The young lawyer became actively interested in politics, was a supporter of John Quincy Adams, who became the sixth president of the United States.
In 1829, the political career of Millard Fillmore began. At the age of 24, he was elected to the state legislature. For the next three years he lived in Buffalo. In 1832, the young politician participated in the organization of the Whig party in western New York, which consolidated the forces opposing the first American president, Andrew Jackson. In the same year, Fillmore was elected from the new party to the US Congress.
Legislative activity
For two electoral periods (1833-1835 and 1837-1843) he worked in the American Congress. In the legislative body, he dealt with issues of foreign and domestic policy. Millard Fillmore became the author of the customs law, which entered into force in early 1842, despite the fact that US President John Tyler returned him to Parliament twice. As a member of the Whig party, Fillmore stood out for his great penchant for compromises and moderation in his position on major political issues. After working in Congress, in 1844, Millard Fillmore made an attempt to be elected Governor of New York, but lost the election to his Democratic rival.
In 1848, the Whig party nominated him to the post of vice president of the United States. Millard Fillmore enjoyed the great support of party leader Henry Clay, and only because of this became the partner of Zachary Taylor, the Whig presidential candidate. They were not even familiar and met for the first time during the election campaign.
At the head of state
Millard Fillmore did not show himself as the Vice President of the United States, since he was almost completely removed from power. The presidential administration almost completely ignored him, even when appointing officials in New York State.
After the unexpected death of Zachary Taylor from a digestive system disease, Fillmore took over the country's top public office. Millard Fillmore became the 13th President of the United States on July 9, 1850. Unlike his predecessor, he supported the adoption of Clay's compromise, according to which, in exchange for the acceptance of California into the United States, southerners (slave owners) received a law that allowed capturing slaves even in states where slavery was abolished. This exchange to a large extent ruined Fillmore's further political career, as he quarreled with most members of the same party and did not reconcile with the Democrats. He supported the principle of sovereignty of peoples, which gave the states the right to prohibit or allow slavery.
In foreign policy, Millard Fillmore was also inclined to compromise, opposing the desire of the southerners to start a war with the Spaniards over the rich plantations of Cuba. His achievements include the fact that thanks to his efforts, US-Japanese trade relations were established.
