Born in Virginia, raised in Kentucky. Sporadic education due to take of school on frontier. Made a name for himself in military. Nicknamed “Old Rough and Ready”. Lead a series of mostly successful battles during the Mexican War. Not much of a planner, but good at improvising.
Ran for president – reluctantly – as a Whig. He would be the last Whig to be elected president. Died just a few months into his term, perhaps due to food poisoning.
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