扎卡里·泰勒（Zachary Taylor）是美国第十二任总统。泰勒1784年出生在弗吉尼亚州，之后由于举家搬迁来到了肯塔基，在父亲的种植园中长大。随着泰勒家族的日益繁荣，他们搬进了砖房，在此之前，泰勒和七个兄弟姐妹住在一起住的是小木屋。泰勒只接受过基础教育，由于肯塔基边境没有学校。
Taylor joined the U.S. Army in 1808. He was promoted to captain in 1810 and in 1812, he successfully defended Indiana's Fort Harrison from attack by Native Americans. He spent the next three decades winning major military victories, including the Battle of Buena Vista in 1847 during the Mexican-American War. This last battle elevated him to being a national hero and compared with George Washington.
泰勒1808年加入了美国军队，并于1810年和1812年升为上尉，在印第安纳州的哈里逊堡成功击退了印第安人的进攻。在接下来的30年里，他赢得了重大的军事胜利，其中包括1847年美墨战争中的维斯塔战役。维斯塔战役是他的最后一场战役，并且他由此成为了美国的民族英雄，堪比乔治·华盛顿。
Taylor decided to enter politics in 1848. With his reputation as a war hero and his straight talking, he won the 1848 presidential election. The slavery issue dominated much of Taylor' sterm in office, especially because he owned 100 slaves. He advised California and New Mexico to apply for statehood. Southern leaders threatened to break away from the Union as the new states would reject bills allowing slavery.
泰勒1848年决定从政。泰勒由于既是战神，说话又直言不讳，被选为了1848年美国总统。泰勒在任期间的主要问题是奴隶制问题。他当时拥有100个奴隶。他主张给予加利福尼亚和新墨西哥州的地位。南方领导人威胁要脱离联邦，成立一个无奴隶制的新国家。
Taylor stood firm against the possible rebellion. He said he would personally lead the Army in a fight against them and hang "persons taken in rebellion…with less reluctance than…hanged deserters and spies in Mexico". He never wavered, but events took an unexpected turn. He died in 1850 as a compromise was being drafted. The conflict he warned of started eleven years later – the American Civil War.
泰勒坚决抵制潜在叛乱。他说他会亲自带领军队攻打他们，还要绞杀“叛兵……以比绞杀墨西哥逃兵和间谍……更不容懈怠的精神。”他对此坚定不移，可是事情又发生了意想不到的变化。1850年，正当和解协议起草期间，泰勒逝世了。11年后，这场泰勒警示过的冲突又重新燃起，美国内战爆发。
