Margaret Taylor (1788-1852) was an American first lady (1849-1850) and the wife of Zachary Taylor, an American military hero and the 12th president of the United States. Margaret supported her husband throughout his long military career, repeatedly uprooting her family to follow him to his postings, but was deeply unhappy with his move into politics—a move which culminated with his election as president in 1848. As first lady, she refused to host social events at the White House, leaving these duties to her youngest daughter Betty.
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This Day in History
Jun 19
Presidential
Taft marries Helen Herron, 1886
Future President William Howard Taft marries Helen "Nellie" Herron in Cincinnati, Ohio, on this day in 1886. According to biographers at the National…
Did You Know?
Throughout the 1848 presidential election, Whig nominee Zachary Taylor repeatedly told others that his wife Margaret was so opposed to the idea of his becoming president that she was actively praying for his opponent's victory—and her husband's defeat.
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