Margaret Taylor

Margaret Taylor was the wife of Zachary Taylor, the 12th President of the United States, and served as First Lady of the United States from 1849 until her husband's death in 1850. She was born in Calvert County, Maryland, to Walter Smith and Ann Mackall Smith, and was raised in a family of Planters and Slave owners. Margaret Taylor was related to several prominent families, including the Mackall family and the Lee family of Virginia. Her family was also connected to the Washington family and the Fairfax family.

● Early Life and Education

Margaret Taylor spent her early years in Calvert County, Maryland, where she was educated at home by private tutors, including John Carroll, the Archbishop of Baltimore. She was raised in a family that valued Episcopalianism and was influenced by the Church of England. Her family's social connections included the Carroll family of Maryland and the Lee family of Virginia. Margaret Taylor was also acquainted with the Madison family of Virginia and the Monroe family of Westmoreland County, Virginia. She received a classical education, studying Latin, French, and Music, and was well-versed in the works of William Shakespeare and John Milton.

● Marriage and Family

In 1810, Margaret Taylor married Zachary Taylor, a United States Army officer who would later become the 12th President of the United States. The couple had six children, including Ann Mackall Taylor, Sarah Knox Taylor, Octavia Pannell Taylor, Mary Smith Taylor, Richard Taylor, and John Taylor. Her husband's military career took the family to various United States Army posts, including Louisville, Kentucky, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Pensacola, Florida. The family was also connected to the Breckinridge family of Kentucky and the Clay family of Virginia. Margaret Taylor was a supportive wife and managed the family's household, often in the absence of her husband, who was serving in the Mexican-American War and other military campaigns, including the War of 1812 and the Black Hawk War.

● White House Years

As First Lady of the United States, Margaret Taylor avoided public duties and social events, preferring to manage the White House household and care for her family. She was assisted by her daughter, Mary Smith Taylor, who served as her mother's social proxy. The Taylor family was known for their simplicity and lack of pretension, and they brought a sense of Middle class values to the White House. During her time in the White House, Margaret Taylor was acquainted with other prominent women, including Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, and Louisa Catherine Adams. She was also familiar with the works of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

● Later Life and Death

After the death of her husband, Zachary Taylor, in 1850, Margaret Taylor returned to Pascagoula, Mississippi, where she lived with her daughter, Mary Smith Taylor. She spent her later years managing the family's estate and caring for her children and grandchildren. Margaret Taylor died on August 14, 1852, at the age of 63, and was buried in Cypress Grove Cemetery in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her legacy as a First Lady of the United States was marked by her simplicity, kindness, and devotion to her family, and she was remembered by her contemporaries, including Millard Fillmore, Daniel Webster, and Henry Clay.

● Legacy

Margaret Taylor's legacy is often overshadowed by that of her husband, Zachary Taylor, but she remains an important figure in American history. She was a supportive wife and mother, and her management of the White House household during her husband's presidency helped to establish a sense of normalcy and simplicity in the Executive Mansion. Margaret Taylor was also a patron of the Arts and supported the work of American writers, including Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville. Her legacy continues to be celebrated by Historians and Scholars of American history, including those at the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress. Category:First Ladies of the United States