7. Consistently ranked among the worst presidents in American history, Millard Fillmore was dumped by his own party in 1852 before failing to regain the White House in 1856
Becoming Vice President in 1848 following the election of Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore rose to the White House after the death of Taylor in July 1950. Instrumental in the passage of the Compromise of 1850, echoing his earlier failures to win either of the Whig nominations for Vice President or Governor of New York in 1844, despite being the sitting executive Fillmore was denied his party’s endorsement in 1852. Largely a result of his enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act, which remained highly unpopular within certain wings of the party, with the loss of his replacement, Winfield Scott, Fillmore consequently became the last member of the Whig Party to inhabit the Oval Office.
With the breakup of his political party, many of Fillmore’s conservative supporters joined the Know Nothings, transforming the anti-immigration movement into the American Party. Despite not being a member, or ever even attending a gathering of the party, Fillmore was nevertheless nominated as their presidential candidate in 1956. Out of the country when the announcement was made, Fillmore had not been consulted prior to the nomination. Possessing no hostility towards immigration and caring little for nativism, Fillmore instead campaigned on a platform of national unity. Carrying just a single state – Maryland – the Know Nothings quickly faded following their defeat.