During the American Civil War, Fillmore denounced secession and agreed that the Union must be maintained by force if necessary, but was critical of Abraham Lincoln's war policies. After peace was restored, he supported the Reconstruction policies of U.S. President Andrew Johnson. Fillmore remained involved in civic interests in retirement, including as chancellor of the University of Buffalo, which he had helped found in 1846.
Historians and political scientists consistently rank Fillmore as one of the worst presidents in American history, largely for his policies regarding American slavery. His association with the Know-Nothing Party and his support of Johnson's reconstruction policies in later life further tarnished his reputation and legacy.[1][2][3]

Early life and career[edit]
Millard Fillmore was born on January 7, 1800, in a log cabin, on a farm in what is now Moravia, Cayuga County, in the Finger Lakes region of New York. His parents were Phoebe Millard and Nathaniel Fillmore,[4] and he was the second of eight children and the oldest son.