Sarah Dabney Strother Taylor

This oil on canvas portrait, completed by an unknown artist in 1822, depicts President Zachary Taylor's mother, Sarah Dabney Strother Taylor. Sarah is pictured facing left with a lace bonnet. The Taylors were farm and plantation owners, moving from Virginia to Kentucky when the future president was an infant. Prior to being elected, President Taylor served in the United States Army. He fought in the War of 1812, the Black Hawk War, and the Second Seminole War. His reputation as a war hero during the Mexican-American War helped propel him to the presidency.