President of the Day
Which president created the first library in the White House?
- He married his former teacher.
- He created the American party.
- He tried to open trade with Japan.
- His unique first name comes from his mother's maiden name.
Millard Fillmore
What type of room did Fillmore create in the White House during his presidency?
Fillmore was the first president to create a library in the White House. His wife Abigail, a lifelong teacher, took the lead in creating a library in the second floor in the Oval Room.
Where did he attend school?
At age nineteen, he attended New Hope Academy in New Hope, New York, to further his education. He later fell in love with his teacher, Abigail Powers, who was only a few years older than he was.
Under what third party did Fillmore attempt to regain the presidency?
In the election of 1856, Fillmore ran as a third-party candidate for the Know-Nothing Party (also known as the American Party). The Know-Nothing Party was known for its anti-immigrant stance and for its positions against what it saw as increasing Catholic influence in American life. Fillmore accepted the nomination, but finished a distant third in the election behind Democrat James Buchanan, the winner, and Republican candidate John C. Fremont. Fillmore did manage to carry one state, Maryland, and its eight electoral votes.
What foreign country did Fillmore try to open trade with?
Fillmore sent Commodore Matthew Perry to Japan to open up trade with this closed empire. Japan traded only with the Netherlands among Western countries and Fillmore felt that it would help the United States to have access to this Eastern power. Japan officially opened up trade with the United States under Fillmore's successor, Franklin Pierce.
Where did the name "Millard" come from?
Millard was the maiden name of Fillmore's mother, Phoebe.
From The Handy Presidents Answer Book, Second Edition by David L. Hudson, Jr., JD., (c) Visible Ink Press(R) More than 1,600 things you never knew about our nation's leaders
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