Taylor, Zachary (The New Student's Reference Work, 1914)

What it is

This is a short entry on Zachary Taylor in The New Student's Reference Work, published in Chicago by F.E. Compton and Co. in 1914. It is a reference article written for students, not a document by Taylor. It describes his birth in Orange County, Virginia, his defense of Fort Harrison in 1812 against a force led by Tecumseh, and his later campaigns in Florida and during the Mexican War.

Why it matters

Student reference works were written to teach young readers the standard story of a figure. This entry follows the common summary of Taylor's career, which presents his military achievements first and his presidency last. Because it was made for schools, it shows what early twentieth-century teachers expected students to learn about the Mexican War and the Indian conflicts of the frontier.

Look closer

• What kind of achievements does the entry choose to highlight for a student reader?
• How does the article describe the Indian peoples and the Mexican War, and whose point of view does it seem to take?
• What questions would you want to ask about Taylor that this short article does not answer?