Millard Fillmore

1800 – 1874

Millard Fillmore was the 13th president of the United States, serving from 1850 to 1853 after the death of Zachary Taylor elevated him from the vice presidency. He is best known for signing the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which conscripted Northern law enforcement and ordinary citizens into the recapture of escaped enslaved people and made it a federal crime to assist refugees from slavery. After his presidency he ran for the office again in 1856 as the candidate of the nativist anti-Catholic Know-Nothing Party.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM