Millard Fillmore Quotes

A collection of quotes by Millard Fillmore.

Millard Fillmore (1800-1874) was the 13th President of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853. He was born on January 7, 1800, in Cayuga County, New York, to a poor farming family. Following his father's death, Fillmore became an apprentice cloth maker and later pursued a career in law.

Fillmore entered the world of politics and became a prominent member of the Whig Party. He served in the House of Representatives from 1833 to 1843, advocating for economic protectionism and infrastructure development. Fillmore then became New York's Comptroller and later served as Vice President under President Zachary Taylor.

Upon Taylor's sudden death in 1850, Fillmore assumed the presidency, inheriting a nation deeply divided over the issue of slavery. In an attempt to find a compromise between free and slave states, he signed the Compromise of 1850, which temporarily resolved some of these tensions but ultimately failed to prevent the Civil War.

Fillmore's presidency also witnessed the opening of Japan to the Western world through the Treaty of Kanagawa in 1854. However, his pro-slavery views and the Fugitive Slave Act, which he supported, tarnished his legacy.

After leaving office, Fillmore remained involved in politics, founding the American Party and running for president again in 1856 but was unsuccessful. Millard Fillmore passed away on March 8, 1874, in Buffalo, New York.