PRESIDENT+MILLARD+FILLMORE

PRESIDENT MILLARD FILLMORE author: Kelly O

INTRODUCTION: Do you know who the United States thirteenth president was? Well, it was Millard Fillmore. He was a strong independent man. Millard Fillmore spent most of his life in New York. He was poorly educated but still loved to read. He married twice and had two children. He thought that the United States needed to build a transcontinental railroad. He had a personal library that contained about 4, 000 books. Fillmore and I have many things in common, however we have a lot of differences as well. ( Casey, Jane C. 22 April 2010 )

LIFE: Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800. Sadly, he died seventy- four years later on March 8, 1874 due to a stroke. He was born in Locke, New York. At age nineteen he moved to Montville, New York. At age twenty- three he moved to East Aurora, New York, and at age thirty he moved to Buffalo, New York. This is were he spent most of the rest of his life. His parents were Phoebe Millard Fillmore (mother) and Nathaniel Fillmore (father). He had five brothers and three sisters. His first wife was Abigail Powers, together they had one boy and one girl. Millard and Abigail then divorced. Millard then married Caroline Carmichael McIntosh. Millard Fillmore loved to read. Even though he was poorly educated he loved to have his face in a book. He also loved debating. No matter if he knew he was wrong, he argued so well that you would believe him. ( Joseph, Paul. 22 April 2010 )

EDUCATION: Millard Fillmore attended school in Summerville, New York. He only went to school for six months (back then one school year was equivalent to three months). He never passed grade school. In 1828 Millard Fillmore became a New York state legislature. In 1832 he went to Congress. He was an apprentice for cloth making in 1814. Can you believe that someone that had little education was so successful? This really proves that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. ( Casey, Jane C. 25 April 2010 )

IDEAS: Millard Fillmore acted upon a foreign policy agenda. The foreign policy agenda emphasized expanding trade. Even though it would expand trade it would also limit American commitments outside the Western Hemisphere. Millard's most important recommendation was that the United States government should build a transcontinental railroad. ( EBSCOhost. 26 April 2010 )

FACTS/ MYTHS: Millard Fillmore loved reading. He even collected books! People use to call Fillmore, 'Last of the Whigs.' He was the first president to have a step- mother! His first wife, Abigail, had the first bathtub with running water in the White House! Abigail and Millard had a personal library that held 4, 000 books! Can you imagine reading all of those? One myth about Millard Fillmore was that people actually thought he was a homosexual. This is completely false! Millard Fillmore once said, "It's not strange... to mistake change for progress." What he means by this is that if someone changes something it doesn't mean that it's a good thing. It just means that if something is changed it doesn't mean that it's beneficial. Fillmore also said, "May god save the country, for it is evident that people will not." This quote means that he basically lost all faith in humanity. He believes that people no longer want to fix things and are quiting, so he relies on the lord. ( Scarry, Robert J. 27 April 2010 )

COMPARE/ CONTRAST: Millard Fillmore and I are both good at debating and arguing. He always had something to say, as do I. Fillmore and I both like to be right, we hate being wrong. It's always our way or the "highway." A difference between him and I is that he was probably better at arguing. Also, I probably have a better education that him. ( Elston,eidi M. 26 April 2010 )

CONCLUSION: Millard Fillmore's presidency might have changed how some people view the economy. He was born, lived, and died in New York. His education did not pass grade school. Fillmore's idea about a transcontinental railroad was brilliant. Millard Fillmore loved reading. On the other hand he hated being wrong. ( http://millercenter.org. 26 April 2010 )

1 Casey, Jane C. Encyclopedia of Presidents. Chicago: Regensteiner Enterprise, 1988. Print. Millard Fillmore.2 Joseph, P**aul.** **U.S. Presidents**  **. Edina: Abdo Company, 1999. Print. Millard Fillmore.****3** **American President: Millard Fillmore**  **. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, 2010. Web. 26 Apr. 2010. .****4 "Fillmore, Millard."**  **Britannica Biographies** **(January 2010).**  **Middle Search Plus**  **, EBSCO**  **host**  **(accessed April 26, 2010).**
 * 5 Elston, Heidi M. D.** **U. S. Presidents**  **. Edena: ABDO Company, 2009. Print. Millard Fillmore.**
 * 6** **Scarry, Robert J.** **Google Books**  **. Jefferson: McFarland and Company, 2001. Print. Millard Fillmore.**