Zachary Taylor was the least likely person ever elected to the office of President of the United States. … He spent the vast majority of his career in anonymity, serving one military role after another. … That all changed when Taylor led his troops to successful outcomes in the initial battles of the Mexican War in 1846, prompting President-makers in the East to try to turn the country’s latest military hero into the man to beat in the upcoming national canvass. This phenomenon occurred even though Taylor had never once spoken publicly on political matters, had openly denied interest in the presidency, had only recently proclaimed a party affiliation, and, in fact, had never voted in an election in his life. Taylor was a slave-owner from the South and a war hero – that’s about all the public knew as it went to the polls in 1848 – and it turned out to be enough to win the presidency. … Taylor lasted 16 months before dying, [and his] death actually aided in the passage of the most noteworthy legislation of his term, the Compromise of 1850, as he was against it while his Vice President Millard Fillmore was in favor. … By being in the right place at the right time, the American electorate placed Taylor in the highest office in the land. … An untimely death prevented him from completely fulfilling the charge handed to him by the American citizenry.