John Tyler (1790–1862) was the tenth President of the United States (1841–45).
John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 at Greenway Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia, U.S. He was born the same day as his future running mate, William Henry Harrison.
His father John Tyler Sr., commonly known as Judge Tyler, served in the Virginia House of Delegates alongside Benjamin Harrison V, father of William. He served four years as Speaker of the House of Delegates before becoming a state court judge.
John's mother, Mary Marot (Armistead), was the daughter of a prominent plantation owner, Robert Booth Armistead. She died of a stroke when John was seven years old.
John was reared with his two brothers and five sisters, on Greenway Plantation, a 1,200-acre (5 km2) estate with a six-room manor house his father had built.
After graduating from the elite College of William and Mary, Tyler read law. He was erroneously admitted to the Virginia bar at the premature age of 19—the admitting judge neglected to ask his age. The young Tyler then started a practice in Richmond, the Virginia state capital.
In 1811, at age 21, Tyler was elected to represent Charles City County in the House of Delegates. He served as a Virginia state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and senator before his election as vice president in 1840 on the Whig Party ticket led by William Henry Harrison.
Tyler became the first vice president to succeed to the presidency without being elected to the office after the death of William Henry Harrison on April 4, 1841. A lot of people called him "the accidental president" or "His Accidency".
Taking the oath of office, Tyler immediately moved into the White House and assumed full presidential powers, a precedent that would govern future successions and eventually become codified in the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
John Tyler believed that the president, not Congress, should set the nation's legislative agenda, and he clashed repeatedly with members of his own party, the Whigs. He vetoed a number of Whig-backed bills during his first months in office, prompting much of his Cabinet to resign in protest. The Whig Party also expelled Tyler from the party, bringing domestic legislation to a near standstill during the remainder of his term.
When the U.S. Congress passed legislation overriding President John Tyler's veto in 1845, it was the first time Congress had done so.
Tyler had several foreign-policy achievements, including the Webster–Ashburton Treaty with Britain and the Treaty of Wanghia with Qing China.
He dedicated his last two years in office to the annexation of Texas, then retired to his Virginia plantation.
John Tyler first met Letitia Christian, the daughter of Colonel Robert Christian, a prosperous planter in 1808. They married on March 29, 1813, Tyler's 23rd birthday at Cedar Grove, her family's home.
They had four daughters and three sons who lived to maturity plus another daughter who died in infancy.
Letitia Tyler avoided the limelight during her husband's political ascension, preferring domestic responsibilities to those of a public wife.
In 1839, Letita suffered a paralytic stroke that left her an invalid.
As first lady, Letita remained in the upstairs living quarters of the White House; she came down once, to attend the wedding of their daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.
Letitia Tyler died on September 10, 1842 aged 51.
On June 26, 1844 John Tyler took Julia Gardiner as his second wife, thus becoming the first U.S. President to marry while in office. The nuptials were performed by the Right Reverend Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk, fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, at the Church of the Ascension, not too far from the Gardiner's residence on LaGrange Terrace.
President Tyler was 54 years old, while Julia was just 24 when they got married. The children from his first wife did not approve of his new bride and did not attend.
Tyler and Julia retired to Sherwood Forest Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, after leaving the White House.
Between 1846 and 1860, Julia and John had seven children together.
John Tyler had the most children of any president - 15. His youngest child was born when he was 70.
John Tyler had two grandsons who were alive well into the 21st century. He had a son Lyon Gardiner Tyler, when he was 63, and that son had children at ages 71 and 75. At the beginning of 2017 those grandchildren were 89 and 93.
When the Confederate States of America was created in 1861, Tyler thought that states should be allowed to make their own laws, even about slavery. He did not want a civil war. Instead, he tried to get the United States to agree to let the southern states keep slavery. But the United States Congress declined, and Tyler decided that Virginia had to join the Confederacy.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Tyler won election to the Confederate House of Representatives.
On January 12, 1862, after complaining of chills and dizziness, Tyler collapsed. He died six days later on January 18, 1862, most likely due to a stroke.
Tyler's death was the only one in Presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington, D. C. because of his loyalty to the Confederacy.
His coffin was covered with the Confederate flag. He is the only United States President ever to be buried and honored ceremoniously under a foreign flag that is not the United States flag.
EARLY LIFE
John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 at Greenway Plantation, Charles City County, Virginia, U.S. He was born the same day as his future running mate, William Henry Harrison.
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| Tyler's birthplace, Greenway Plantation |
His father John Tyler Sr., commonly known as Judge Tyler, served in the Virginia House of Delegates alongside Benjamin Harrison V, father of William. He served four years as Speaker of the House of Delegates before becoming a state court judge.
John's mother, Mary Marot (Armistead), was the daughter of a prominent plantation owner, Robert Booth Armistead. She died of a stroke when John was seven years old.
John was reared with his two brothers and five sisters, on Greenway Plantation, a 1,200-acre (5 km2) estate with a six-room manor house his father had built.
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| Woodburn Plantation, Tyler's residence 1813–1821 |
PRE-PRESIDENCY CAREER
After graduating from the elite College of William and Mary, Tyler read law. He was erroneously admitted to the Virginia bar at the premature age of 19—the admitting judge neglected to ask his age. The young Tyler then started a practice in Richmond, the Virginia state capital.
In 1811, at age 21, Tyler was elected to represent Charles City County in the House of Delegates. He served as a Virginia state legislator, governor, U.S. representative, and senator before his election as vice president in 1840 on the Whig Party ticket led by William Henry Harrison.
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| An engraving of Tyler in his mid-thirties (c. 1826) as Governor of Virginia |
PRESIDENCY
Tyler became the first vice president to succeed to the presidency without being elected to the office after the death of William Henry Harrison on April 4, 1841. A lot of people called him "the accidental president" or "His Accidency".
Taking the oath of office, Tyler immediately moved into the White House and assumed full presidential powers, a precedent that would govern future successions and eventually become codified in the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
John Tyler believed that the president, not Congress, should set the nation's legislative agenda, and he clashed repeatedly with members of his own party, the Whigs. He vetoed a number of Whig-backed bills during his first months in office, prompting much of his Cabinet to resign in protest. The Whig Party also expelled Tyler from the party, bringing domestic legislation to a near standstill during the remainder of his term.
When the U.S. Congress passed legislation overriding President John Tyler's veto in 1845, it was the first time Congress had done so.
Tyler had several foreign-policy achievements, including the Webster–Ashburton Treaty with Britain and the Treaty of Wanghia with Qing China.
He dedicated his last two years in office to the annexation of Texas, then retired to his Virginia plantation.
PERSONAL LIFE
John Tyler first met Letitia Christian, the daughter of Colonel Robert Christian, a prosperous planter in 1808. They married on March 29, 1813, Tyler's 23rd birthday at Cedar Grove, her family's home.
They had four daughters and three sons who lived to maturity plus another daughter who died in infancy.
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An oil portrait of Letitia Christian Tyler, by an unknown artist |
Letitia Tyler avoided the limelight during her husband's political ascension, preferring domestic responsibilities to those of a public wife.
In 1839, Letita suffered a paralytic stroke that left her an invalid.
As first lady, Letita remained in the upstairs living quarters of the White House; she came down once, to attend the wedding of their daughter Elizabeth in January 1842.
Letitia Tyler died on September 10, 1842 aged 51.
On June 26, 1844 John Tyler took Julia Gardiner as his second wife, thus becoming the first U.S. President to marry while in office. The nuptials were performed by the Right Reverend Benjamin Treadwell Onderdonk, fourth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, at the Church of the Ascension, not too far from the Gardiner's residence on LaGrange Terrace.
 |
| An oil portrait of Julia Gardiner Tyler, by Francesco Anelli |
President Tyler was 54 years old, while Julia was just 24 when they got married. The children from his first wife did not approve of his new bride and did not attend.
Tyler and Julia retired to Sherwood Forest Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, after leaving the White House.
Between 1846 and 1860, Julia and John had seven children together.
John Tyler had the most children of any president - 15. His youngest child was born when he was 70.
John Tyler had two grandsons who were alive well into the 21st century. He had a son Lyon Gardiner Tyler, when he was 63, and that son had children at ages 71 and 75. At the beginning of 2017 those grandchildren were 89 and 93.
LAST YEARS AND DEATH
When the Confederate States of America was created in 1861, Tyler thought that states should be allowed to make their own laws, even about slavery. He did not want a civil war. Instead, he tried to get the United States to agree to let the southern states keep slavery. But the United States Congress declined, and Tyler decided that Virginia had to join the Confederacy.
When the Civil War began in 1861, Tyler won election to the Confederate House of Representatives.
On January 12, 1862, after complaining of chills and dizziness, Tyler collapsed. He died six days later on January 18, 1862, most likely due to a stroke.
Tyler's death was the only one in Presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington, D. C. because of his loyalty to the Confederacy.
His coffin was covered with the Confederate flag. He is the only United States President ever to be buried and honored ceremoniously under a foreign flag that is not the United States flag.
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