Secrets & Scandals Of America’s First Ladies

Margaret Taylor

In 1850, President Taylor passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Supposedly he was out in the sun for too long and reports say he thusly ate something that many believe was poisoned with arsenic. First Lady Margaret was so distraught by his passing that she displayed some troubling behavior. On several occasions, she felt the need to paw away some of the preserving ice from his corpse so that she could see his face. And an even more troubling fact – she also refused to have him embalmed – her needs were met with strange looks that led to serious questions.