Special Report
What Every President Did After Leaving the White House
November 19, 2020 8:44 am
Source: National Archives / Getty Images
James K. Polk
> Presidential term: 1845-1849
> Occupation after leaving office: Died soon after leaving office
James K. Polk died about four months after leaving the White House.
Source: National Archives / Getty Images
Zachary Taylor
> Presidential term: 1849-1850
> Occupation after leaving office: Died in office
Zachary Taylor became the second president to die while in office (after William Henry Harrison). He served for 16 months.
Source: iip-photo-archive / Flickr
Millard Fillmore
> Presidential term: 1850-1853
> Occupation after leaving office: Activist
Three years after leaving the White House, in 1856, Millard Fillmore was nominated by the anti-immigrant (and strangely-named) Know-Nothing Party for president. He finished third. After that he retired in Buffalo, New York, keeping busy with several causes and charities.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Franklin Pierce
> Presidential term: 1853-1857
> Occupation after leaving office: Quiet retirement
Franklin Pierce became a recluse after leaving the White House. He retired in New Hampshire and remained out of public view.
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
James Buchanan
> Presidential term: 1857-1861
> Occupation after leaving office: Writer
James Buchanan was largely blamed for the Civil War. After leaving office, he wrote a book explaining his side of the story. After that, he remained out of public view.
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