“His Accidency”

Presidential Basics

Full name: Millard Fillmore
Years in office: 1850-1853
Political party: Whig (during Presidency); Know-Nothing Party (from 1854)
Vice president: None (following Taylor’s death)
Age at inauguration: 50
Nicknames: “His Accidency,” “The American Louis Philippe”

Random Trivia

Know-Nothings: Fillmore joined the Know-Nothing party for the 1856 election.

Birth & Death

Birthday: January 7, 1800
Birthplace: Locke, New York
Death date: March 8, 1874
Place of death: Buffalo, New York
Place of burial: Forest Lawn Cemetery – Buffalo, New York
Last words: “The nourishment is palatable.”

Family

Father: Nathaniel Fillmore (1771–1863); Farmer
Mother: Phoebe Millard Fillmore (1781–1831)
First wife: Abigail Powers (1798–1853)
First marriage: February 5, 1826 in New York
Second wife: Caroline Carmichael McIntosh (1813–1881)
Second marriage: February 10, 1858 in New York
Kids (from first wife): Two
- Millard Powers (1828–1889)
- Mary Abigail (1832–1854)
Home: East Aurora, New York

Other Facts

Height: 5’9″
Eye color: Blue
Ancestry: English
Religion: Unitarian
Born in a log cabin: Yes
Owned enslaved people: No
Freemason: No

Education

Early education: Public schools
College degree: No
- Studied law in Cayuga County and Buffalo, New York

Career

Military Service: Yes
Lawyer: Yes
Lawyer (1823–)
New York Assembly (1828–1831)
U.S. House of Representatives (1833–1835, 1837–1845)
Chancellor of University of Buffalo (1846–1847)
Comptroller of New York State (1847)
Served in the New York Militia during the Mexican War (1847–1848)
Vice President Taylor administration (1849–1850)
Thirteenth president (1850–1853)
Chancellor of the University of Buffalo

Writings

Millard Fillmore Papers

Elections

Millard Fillmore was never elected to the presidency.

Spotlight Event

Campaign Poster

13 Mf, Millard Fillmore, American Candidate for President of the United States, woodcut proof, by Baker & Godwin, c.1856 — Millard Fillmore, American Candidate for President of the United States, woodcut proof by Baker & Godwin c.1856 (Image: Library of Congress)

This is a woodcut proof from the 1856 election. After leaving the White House in 1853, Millard Fillmore ran again for president as the nominee for the newly-formed Know-Nothing Party. Fillmore won 22% of the popular vote, but just one state. The election went to James Buchanan.

13. Millard Fillmore