The Life of Zachary Taylor, with a Sketch of Millard Fillmore

What it is

This is a campaign pamphlet from 1848 written by Arthur Sumpter, focused on the life of Major-General Zachary Taylor, the Whig nominee for president. It also includes a brief biographical sketch of Millard Fillmore, the Whig nominee for vice-president.

Why it matters

This pamphlet was created to promote the Whig ticket of Taylor and Fillmore during the 1848 presidential election. It shows how political campaigns of the time used printed biographies to introduce candidates to voters, and gives a view of how Fillmore was presented to the public before he became president.

Look closer

• Why would a campaign pamphlet focus mostly on Taylor and give only a brief sketch of Fillmore?
• What kind of information might a campaign biography include or leave out to make a candidate appealing?
• How might this pamphlet differ from a more neutral historical account of Fillmore's life?