Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument1848

The Taylor Text-Book, or Rough and Ready Reckoner

Samuel Sands · 1848

An 1848 Whig campaign pamphlet promoting Zachary Taylor's run for president, highlighting his military record.

A campaign pamphlet promoting Taylor's 1848 presidential candidacy by celebrating his military career.

Ask Zachary Taylor about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
The Taylor Text-Book, or Rough and Ready ReckonerPDF · 76 pages
The Taylor Text-Book, or Rough and Ready Reckoner. Baltimore: Samuel Sands, 1848.

About this source

What it is

This is a campaign pamphlet from 1848 titled 'The Taylor Text-Book, or Rough and Ready Reckoner,' printed in Baltimore to support Zachary Taylor's candidacy for president. It outlines his early life and military service, including his battles during the Mexican-American War.

Why it matters

Campaign literature like this was used to build public support for candidates by highlighting their achievements, in this case Taylor's military victories such as Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey, and Buena Vista. It shows how Taylor's war record, rather than political experience, was used to sell him to voters as the nickname 'Rough and Ready' suggests.

Look closer

  • Why might a campaign pamphlet focus so heavily on military battles rather than policy ideas?
  • What does the title 'Rough and Ready Reckoner' suggest about how Taylor was being marketed to voters?
  • Who do you think produced and paid for pamphlets like this, and why?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Zachary Taylor on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Zachary Taylor sources

Meet the AI Zachary Taylor →
Document

Primary source

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Nicholas Trist; Mexican commission · 2 February 1848

Handwritten manuscript on aged paper with cursive text and crossed-out words, showing the resolutions of the Compromise of 1850, including provisions on California statehood and slavery in the territories.Document

Primary source

Compromise of 1850

Henry Clay · 29 January 1850 (resolutions); statutes enacted September 1850

Speech

Primary source

Inaugural Address of Zachary Taylor

Zachary Taylor · 5 March 1849

Black-and-white daguerreotype of eight men in dark suits and white collars seated and standing in a row against a dark background. The plate is scratched and worn, with a mottled border.Photograph

Primary source

The Taylor Administration

Mathew Benjamin Brady · 1849

Sepia-toned daguerreotype portrait of an older man with white, tousled hair in a dark military-style double-breasted uniform coat with rows of buttons and shoulder insignia, seated with hands out of view, facing the camera with a stern expression against a gray backdrop.Photograph

Primary source

Zachary Taylor half plate daguerreotype

unknown, possibly Maguire of New Orleans · c. 1843-1845

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Zachary Taylor now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions