John Tyler

John Tyler
George Peter Alexander Healy · Public domain · source
Name	John Tyler
Order	10th
Office	President of the United States
Term start	April 4, 1841
Term end	March 4, 1845
Vicepresident	None
Predecessor	William Henry Harrison
Successor	James K. Polk
Order2	10th
Office2	Vice President of the United States
Term start2	March 4, 1841
Term end2	April 4, 1841
President2	William Henry Harrison
Predecessor2	Richard Mentor Johnson
Successor2	George M. Dallas
Office3	United States Senator from Virginia
Term start3	March 4, 1827
Term end3	February 29, 1836
Predecessor3	John Randolph of Roanoke
Successor3	William C. Rives
Office4	23rd Governor of Virginia
Term start4	December 10, 1825
Term end4	March 4, 1827
Predecessor4	James Pleasants
Successor4	William Branch Giles
Birth date	March 29, 1790
Birth place	Charles City County, Virginia
Death date	January 18, 1862 (aged 71)
Death place	Richmond, Virginia
Party	Democratic-Republican (1811–1828), Democratic (1828–1834), Whig (1834–1841), Independent (1841–1844, 1844–1862), Democratic (1844)
Spouse	Letitia Christian (m. 1813; died 1842), Julia Gardiner (m. 1844)
Children	15, including David and John Alexander
Alma mater	College of William & Mary
Profession	Lawyer

John Tyler. The tenth President of the United States, his assumption of the full powers of the office upon the death of William Henry Harrison established a critical precedent for presidential succession. His administration was marked by the annexation of Texas and significant cabinet turmoil, leading to his expulsion from the Whig Party and earning him the derisive nickname "His Accidency." Tyler's later allegiance to the Confederate States of America rendered him a uniquely controversial figure in American history.

Early life and education

Born into a prominent slaveholding family at Greenway Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, he was the son of John Tyler Sr., a close friend of Thomas Jefferson and a Governor of Virginia. He entered the College of William & Mary at age twelve, graduating in 1807, and subsequently studied law under the guidance of his father and later Edmund Randolph, the former United States Attorney General. Admitted to the Virginia bar in 1809, he began his legal practice in Richmond, quickly establishing himself within the political circles of the Virginia House of Delegates.

Political career before presidency

Tyler's political ascent was rapid, serving in the United States House of Representatives where he opposed the policies of the National Republican Party and President John Quincy Adams. He later became Governor of Virginia before being elected to the United States Senate. In the Senate, he emerged as a fervent advocate for states' rights and a strict constructionist of the United States Constitution, opposing the Second Bank of the United States and the Tariff of Abominations. His break with President Andrew Jackson over the issue of nullification led him to join the emerging Whig Party, which selected him as the vice presidential nominee on the "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" ticket with William Henry Harrison in the 1840 election.

Presidency (1841–1845)

His tenure began abruptly following Harrison's death just one month into his term, creating a constitutional crisis over succession that was ultimately resolved by Tyler's firm insistence on assuming the full title and authority of the presidency. This "Tyler Precedent" was later codified in the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. Clashing repeatedly with Whig leaders like Henry Clay, he vetoed key legislation to re-establish a National Bank, leading his entire cabinet, except Secretary of State Daniel Webster, to resign and his expulsion from the Whig Party. Major accomplishments included the signing of the Webster–Ashburton Treaty with Great Britain and, in his final days in office, orchestrating the annexation of Texas via a congressional joint resolution rather than a treaty.

Post-presidency (1845–1862)

Retiring to his Virginia plantation, Sherwood Forest Plantation, he remained politically active, advocating for Southern interests in the escalating sectional conflict. He presided over the unsuccessful Washington Peace Conference of 1861 in a last-ditch effort to avert civil war. Following the outbreak of the American Civil War, he was elected to the Provisional Confederate Congress and won a seat in the Confederate House of Representatives. His death in Richmond, Virginia in January 1862 made him the only former U.S. president to die as a citizen of a foreign government, the Confederate States of America, and his passing was not officially mourned in Washington, D.C..

Personal life and family

Tyler fathered fifteen children, more than any other president. His first wife, Letitia Christian Tyler, died in the White House in 1842. Two years later, he married Julia Gardiner Tyler, thirty years his junior, in a ceremony in New York City. His extensive family included sons who served as officials for the Confederacy, such as John Alexander Tyler. The Tyler lineage includes grandson Lyon Gardiner Tyler, who became a historian and president of the College of William & Mary.

Legacy and historical view

Historians have often ranked Tyler among the least effective presidents, citing his lack of a stable political base and the contentious nature of his administration. However, his decisive action in securing the presidential succession established an enduring constitutional principle. His central role in the annexation of Texas significantly expanded U.S. territory but also intensified tensions over the expansion of slavery, contributing to the path toward the Civil War. His post-presidential allegiance to the Confederacy continues to define his complex and controversial legacy in American memory.

Category:Presidents of the United States Category:Vice Presidents of the United States Category:1790 births Category:1862 deaths