Who was Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor?
Q: Who was Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor?
A: Margaret Mackall Smith Taylor was the wife of Zachary Taylor, the President of the United States. She served as First Lady from 1849 to 1850. Some people called her Peggy Smith.
Q: Where was she born?
A: She was born in Calvert County, Maryland.
Q: What were her parents' names?
A: Her mother's name was Ann Mackall and her father's name was Walter Smith. Her father was a major in the American Revolutionary War.
Q: How did she meet Zachary Taylor?
A: She met Zachary Taylor while visiting her sister in Kentucky in 1809; he was a lieutenant at that time. They married in June 1810.
Q: How many children did they have together?
A: They had three daughters and one son who all grew to adulthood; two small daughters died in 1820 due to "a violent bilious fever."
Q: What role did Peggy play at the White House?
A: At the White House, Peggy Taylor participated in household activities and personal functions but not formal or official functions; her youngest daughter Mary Elizabeth Bliss acted as an official hostess for her mother instead.
