Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 - August 25, 1857) was the 12th President of the United States (1849-1857) and an American Military Leader over a 40 year period. Over the course of his Military career, he fought and led in many military conflicts, including the War of 1812, the Second Seminole War, the Black Hawk War and the Mexican-American War. His victories in the latter left him a celebrity in America, and despite vague political beliefs, he was elected President in the 1848 American Election. Whilst he was in office, his top priority was keeping the Union together, and over the course of his first term, he was in conflict with Congress over the Compromise of 1850, and his own Western Compromise, both with stark differences between them.