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President Zachary Taylor Trivia Quiz

I didn't see any other quizzes dedicated to Taylor, so I decided to make one. I hope you enjoy and learn from it. Info for questions 1-8 comes from www.whitehouse.gov unless otherwise noted. Sources for 9-10 will be noted in the interesting info field.

A multiple-choice quiz by Chippy. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Chippy

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
123,972

Updated
Jan 26 23

# Qns
15

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
11 / 15

Plays
800

Last 3 plays: Guest 24 (15/15), Johnmcmanners (15/15), Guest 174 (15/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 15

1. Taylor took office in 1849. When did he leave office? Hint

January 20, 1853

August 15, 1851

January 20, 1857

July 9, 1850

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Question 2 of 15

2. Why did Zachary Taylor leave office? Hint

He was impeached

His first term was up and he was not re-elected

He got sick and died

He served two terms and could not serve any more

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Question 3 of 15

3. Taylor was born in 1784. What state was he born in? Hint

Mississippi

Kentucky

Virginia

Louisiana

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Question 4 of 15

4. He served 40 years in which branch of the military? Hint

Coast Guard

Navy

Army

Marines

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Question 5 of 15

5. Taylor's nickname was "Old Rough and Ready."

True

False

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Question 6 of 15

6. What was Taylor's wife's name? Hint

Virginia

Anne

Margaret

Elizabeth

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Question 7 of 15

7. Who served as President directly before Zachary Taylor? Hint

Franklin Pierce

John Tyler

James K. Polk

Millard Fillmore

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Question 8 of 15

8. Who served as Vice President under Taylor? Hint

Millard Fillmore

James Buchanan

John Tyler

Franklin Pierce

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Question 9 of 15

9. What was Taylor's political party? Hint

Whig

Republican

Democrat

Free-Soil

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Question 10 of 15

10. Taylor was a slave owner.

True

False

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Question 11 of 15

11. What was Taylor's horse's name? Hint

Buster

He didn't have a horse

Old Whitey

Brownie

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Question 12 of 15

12. How many elected public offices had Taylor held before becoming President? Hint

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Question 13 of 15

13. Why didn't Taylor immediately know he had been elected President? Hint

He refused all postage due correspondences

He didn't get the newspaper the next day

He fell asleep listening to the radio

He was told he lost

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Question 14 of 15

14. What did the Whigs rely on to get Taylor elected? Hint

His educational background

His national appeal as a war hero

His personality

His views on foreign affairs

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Question 15 of 15

15. Who was Taylor's closest opponent (in votes) in the election of 1848? Hint

James Buchanan

Martin Van Buren

Lewis Cass

James K. Polk

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Taylor took office in 1849. When did he leave office?

Answer: July 9, 1850

He died in office.

2. Why did Zachary Taylor leave office?

Answer: He got sick and died

He got sick after eating cherries and milk at a July 4 celebration. He was the second president to die in office.

3. Taylor was born in 1784. What state was he born in?

Answer: Virginia

He was taken as an infant to Kentucky and raised on a plantation.

4. He served 40 years in which branch of the military?

Answer: Army

He spent a quarter of a century policing the frontiers against Indians. In the Mexican War he won major victories at Monterrey and Buena Vista.

5. Taylor's nickname was "Old Rough and Ready."

Answer: True

Taylor's willingness to share with his men the hardships of field duty earned him the affectionate nickname.
http://www.americanpresident.org/KoTrain/Courses/ZT/ZT_Life_Before_The_Presidency.htm

6. What was Taylor's wife's name?

Answer: Margaret

They were married in June of 1810.

7. Who served as President directly before Zachary Taylor?

Answer: James K. Polk

Polk served from 1845-49, Tyler from 1841-45, Fillmore from 1850-53, and Pierce from 1853-57.

8. Who served as Vice President under Taylor?

Answer: Millard Fillmore

Fillmore took over as President upon Taylor's death. He served from 1850-1853.

9. What was Taylor's political party?

Answer: Whig

The Whig Party formed in the second quarter of the 19th century, to oppose president Andrew Jackson and the Democratic Party. The term Whig came into common use in 1834, and persisted until the disintegration of the party after the presidential election of 1856.
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/side/whig.html

10. Taylor was a slave owner.

Answer: True

He owned over a hundred slaves when he was elected, and acquired more after becoming President.
http://gi.grolier.com/presidents/ea/bios/12ptayl.html

11. What was Taylor's horse's name?

Answer: Old Whitey

Taylor rewarded his horse, Old Whitey, for serving him so well during the Mexican War. When Taylor became president, he let Old Whitey graze on the White House lawn where the old shaggy horse became a favorite of the tourists.
http://www.americanpresident.org/KoTrain/Courses/ZT/ZT_Presidential_Moments.htm

12. How many elected public offices had Taylor held before becoming President?

Answer: 0

He was previously an Army officer, and the first US president not previously elected to any other public office.

13. Why didn't Taylor immediately know he had been elected President?

Answer: He refused all postage due correspondences

It was several days later when he found out he was the next President.
http://www.ipl.org/ref/POTUS/ztaylor.html

14. What did the Whigs rely on to get Taylor elected?

Answer: His national appeal as a war hero

Whigs presented Taylor as an ideal man "without regard to creeds or principles" and ran him without any platform. As a result, this tactic attracted criticism from many directions. Some thought that Taylor had no position while others felt that he lacked political experience and knowledge. Moreover, there were people who believed that his military success was not enough to qualify him for president. Taylor's refusal to campaign actively allowed him to stand above party politics, although his supporters waged a vigorous battle on his behalf.

15. Who was Taylor's closest opponent (in votes) in the election of 1848?

Answer: Lewis Cass

Taylor had 1,360,967 (47.4%) of the popular vote and 163 electoral votes. Cass had 1,222,342 (42.5%) of the popular vote and 127 electoral votes. Van Buren had 291,263 (10.1%) of the popular vote and 0 electoral votes.
http://www.americanpresident.org/KoTrain/Courses/ZT/ZT_Campaigns_and_Elections.htm
Thanks for playing!

Source: Author Chippy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Lanni before going online.
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