he knew where zachary taylor stood. had zachary taylor not died 18 months into his presidency, and that's of course one of the first conspiracy theories that he died of natural causes. he insisted california come into the union as a free state. and here's a southern slaveowner, sugar plantation. spent his entire life of the u.s. army. the only nationalists in addition we had on the edge of the civil war. and he's not going to let these people destroy his union. so we talk about richard nixon, only nixon would go to china because a democrat had been to china. the conservative republicans would have attacked him. who could oppose them? well, if you have a southern plantation, the war hero, the man who is chief of staff during the mexican war, double the size of the united states and then of course with his death becomes the starting gun but will the new state come into three and he said no, would california be a free state? he told his son on -- son-in-law. he tells jefferson davis he will hang from the highest tree if he

zachary taylor never met millard fillmore and millard fillmore never met zachary taylor. amy three days before the presidential inauguration. fillmore goes down to washington believing that he is going to be the political puppeteer behind the taylor administration because taylor knows nothing about politics. he has been congressman for four terms and in the new york legislature three terms. that makes him think he is a great politician. he thinks taylor will consult him on all appointments and will control all new york patronage. but by the time he gets to washington he finds out the newly elected u.s. senator william henry seward is already good friends with three or four members of taylor's cabinet and hanging out with taylor all the time. even though taylor is a slave owner with 100 slaves and seward is an abolitionist they get along wonderfully well. when steward is not arrogant he is enormously charming. for fillmore this is a problem because he is incapable of being charming and he is also in capable of being arrogant because he is insecure. what turns out in the ta

zachary taylor might have pulled it off.ad more union states come in they might have been able to abolish slavery constitutionally with a constitutional amendment. more states and legislators and history might have been a lot different. >> host: truman and mckinley and zachary taylor ranked above calvin coolidge. one other gentleman is here on the front of your book with a pin in his face. ulysses s. grant. >> guest: let's talk about him. here is a gentleman with a larger funeral than abraham lincoln. the american people adored him. they trusted him. two elections after the civil war, let us have peace. on the other hand let us have peace but everybody argues it was slavery, the southern said it was slavery and wanted to extend and the north knew it was slavery. even mr. lincoln knew slave labor in illinois would drive down the price of free labor. whether it is economic cost or moral cost it was slavery. grant had the idea this could be a war of attrition and went the phrase total work where you take it to the population. w

zachary taylor might have pulled off had more union states come in the light abolish with more states, more legislature, and history might have been a lot different. >> along with kennedy, mckinley, truly, tayler, all ranked above coolidge. one other gentleman is here, u.s. grant. why? >> well, let's talk about him, larger than abraham lincoln had. a historian's didn't like him. to elections after the civil war he went against them, on the other hand, let us have peace but the cause of the war of slavery where everybody argues against slavery no questions the southerners said it was slavery dillinger extent, the north knew it was slavery even the young of mr. lincoln knew the slave labor and ellinwood to drive down the price you name it whether it was an economic calls or morrill it was about slavery. grant had the idea that this could be a war patrician and the total war que ticket to the population and we're going to describe the enemy capacity. so lincoln got the idea to use his extraordinary powers as commander in chief to destroy the enemy's capacity to make the war to free your

fillmore tells zachary taylor that if the omnibus bill comes up for a vote in the senate, and it's a tie vote, even though taylor will oppose the bill because he doesn't want to deal with all the issues at once, fillmore will vote for it. he will break the tie and force his own president to veto it. great politics there. he tells taylor this early in july. on july 4th, zachary taylor goes to a july 4th picnic. he sits in the hot sun for hours and hours -- i'm sorry, 5 july 4th parade, sits in the sun for hours and hours eating cherries and milk or cucumbers and cherries, not sure which. not many refrigeration. he gets a stomach ache. he weighs 300 pounds. a stomach ache for him is a disaster, and three days later, he's dead, and suddenly, the man from the middle of nowhere is president of the united states. he's inaugurated the day after taylor's death. all the members of the cabinet hand fillmore a resignation. this is common when a accidental president comes into to power, they hand them a resignation. most say thank you and put them in the desk, and if they need them later, they ta

zachary taylor. >> yes. here is my theory. rough and ready, and the commanding officer of a fellow named u.s. grant. a lot like harry truman. the same category. sector retailer, and has sex retailer not died in 18 months into his presidency, the conspiracy theories, die of natural causes. well, we know two things about him. he insisted that california come into the union as a free state. here is a southern slave owner, louisiana. his entire life in the u.s. army. the only national institution that we had on the edge of civil war. he is not going to let these people destroy his union. we talk about richard nixon. china. if a democrat had been the conservative republicans. if nixon goes to china, who can oppose it? if you have a southern plantation owner, war hero, a man who was the chief doctor in the mexican war, double the size of the united states and then, of course, with his death becomes the starting gun of these new states coming into the union. there was a proposal on board to divide california. and he said but californ

in 1848, zachary taylor was the e.ig nomine taylor had done nothing in his background. clay very reluctantly try to get the nomination in 1848 and failed. had clay gotten that nomination, i think he would have won. the democrats were divided that year. clay was quoted by someone as saying that the nearest he could get the nomination, his friends were basically deserting him. clay felt it was a betrayal of all the things sea, could have done. kraits us move ahead to 1850. henry clay's last big effort on public policy. what was the compromise all about? set the stage for us. >> 1850, the decision about the expansion of slavery, house lay states come in as free or slave holding, the idea of strengthening the fugitive slave law becomes a one of the breaking points. the idea of california. the idea was california could make their own decision about whether or not sleighs to be held in the states. misery comes in -- missouri comes in. new mexico and arizona. now we are truly into the manifest destiny or the united states reaches from coast to coast. for african-americans, the

in 1848, zachary taylor was the whig nominee. taylor had done nothing in his background. -- had done nothing other than be a general. clay very reluctantly try to get the nomination in 1848 and failed. had clay gotten that nomination, i think he would have won. the democrats were divided that year. clay was quoted by someone as saying that the nearest he could get the nomination, his friends were basically deserting him. clay felt it was a betrayal of all the things sea, could have done. kraits us move ahead to 1850. henry clay's last big effort on public policy. what was the compromise all about? set the stage for us. >> 1850, the decision about the expansion of slavery, house lay states come in as free or slave -- how slave states come in as free or slave holding, the idea of strengthening the fugitive slave law becomes a one of the breaking points. the idea of california. the idea was california could make their own decision about whether or not sleighs to be held in the states. -- slaves could be held in the states. misery co