Millard Fillmore
Millard Fillmore was the last president hailing from the defunct Whig Party. It is fascinating to learn he grew up in a poor family and took it upon himself to study hard. He eventually became the vice president under Zachary Taylor’s administration. After the 12th President died of cholera, Fillmore succeeded him, though it was not easy. When he entered office, the entire cabinet resigned so he had to establish a new one from scratch. He signed the Compromise of 1850 in an effort to alleviate tensions between the North and the South, though this failed. When it comes to international relations, he helped develop a relationship with Japan, who was only beginning to open up again after a period of isolation.
Millard Fillmore
Herbert Hoover
The 31st President of the United States was in office during a particularly challenging time in history. Herbert Hoover hailed from Iowa and Oregon but matriculated at Stanford University where he met his wife Lou Henry. He spent some time in China before he launched a political career, and he also lived in Europe during the Great War. He became famous when he helped evacuate hundreds of thousands of American tourists from France and Germany. He was in office from 1929 until 1933, which coincided with the stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. In the midst of the challenges, Hoover tried many methods to improve the economic situation by lowering taxes and asking businesses to keep employees.
Herbert Hoover