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Zachary Taylor did not last long.  He died after only one year in office.  His sole contribution was to encourage New Mexico and California to apply for admission to the United States as a free (rather than slave) state.  Remember that Taylor was a Whig, and the Whig Party tended to side with the northerners and against slavery.

Zachary Taylor did not last long.  He died after only one year in office.  His sole contribution was to encourage New Mexico and California to apply for admission to the United States as a free (rather than slave) state.  Remember that Taylor was a Whig, and the Whig Party tended to side with the northerners and against slavery.

Taylor's vice president, Millard Fillmore, succeeded him in office, the second time a vice president replaced a president due to his death.  Fillmore, who was from New York, was an average American who had been born in a log cabin, and who succeeded through hard work.<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/mf13.html</ref>  He then played a key part in passing the Compromise of 1950, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the entire 19th century.

Taylor's vice president, Millard Fillmore, succeeded him in office, the second time a vice president replaced a president due to his death.  Fillmore, who was from New York, was an average American who had been born in a log cabin, and who succeeded through hard work.<ref>http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/mf13.html</ref>  He then played a key part in passing the Compromise of 1850, one of the most important pieces of legislation in the entire 19th century.

The Compromise of 1950 admitted California as a state, and established that the South had the right to bring slaves into the United State's Southwest Territories.  The Compromise also abolished the slave trade in D.C., although slavery itself was allowed to continue.  Specifically, this Compromise enacted the following in a series of separate laws:

The Compromise of 1850 admitted California as a state, and established that the South had the right to bring slaves into the United State's Southwest Territories.  The Compromise also abolished the slave trade in D.C., although slavery itself was allowed to continue.  Specifically, this Compromise enacted the following in a series of separate laws:

*admitted California as a free state

*admitted California as a free state

The slavery issue had become so divisive by the election of 1852 that it was almost impossible for a political party to nominate anyone with strong views on it.  Instead, political parties turned more to "dark horse" nominees whose positions were not so clear, and thus not so objectionable to one side or the other.  That enabled them to appear to be more electable ''without'' having taken a stand.

The slavery issue had become so divisive by the election of 1852 that it was almost impossible for a political party to nominate anyone with strong views on it.  Instead, political parties turned more to "dark horse" nominees whose positions were not so clear, and thus not so objectionable to one side or the other.  That enabled them to appear to be more electable ''without'' having taken a stand.

The Whig Party, with its concentration in the North, collapsed over the slavery issue, as the pro- and anti-slavery members went in different directions.  The Democratic Party, which was more the party of the South, nominated the dark horse candidate Franklin Pierce in 1852.  He had been quietly pro-slavery, and he won the presidential election because of the Whig Party was no longer strong enough to oppose him.

The Whig Party, with its concentration in the North, collapsed over the slavery issue, as the pro- and anti-slavery members went in different directions.  The Democratic Party, which was more the party of the South, nominated the dark horse candidate Franklin Pierce in 1852.  He had been quietly pro-slavery, and he won the presidential election because the Whig Party was no longer strong enough to oppose him.

The Compromise of 1850 resulted in a brief respite from the divisive conflict.  In 1853, when Pierce became president, he tried hard to prevent further conflict from breaking out, but he could not control the conflict any better than anyone else.   

The Compromise of 1850 resulted in a brief respite from the divisive conflict.  In 1853, when Pierce became president, he tried hard to prevent further conflict from breaking out, but he could not control the conflict any better than anyone else.