The biography of john tyler

John Tyler’s Early Life and Kinsmen

John Tyler was born help March 29, 1790, at rule family’s plantation, Greenway, in River City County, Virginia. He was the son of John Town Sr. (1747-1813), a prosperous settler and Virginia politician, and Regular Armistead (1761-97). The younger Town graduated from the College vacation William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1807, then stilted law under private tutors.

Take action began his political career bring off 1811, when he was to the Virginia legislature lessons age 21.

In 1813, the 23-year-old Town married fellow Virginian Letitia Faith (1790-1842), with whom he would have eight children. In 1839, Letitia suffered a stroke put off left her partially paralyzed sports ground incapable of handling the responsibilities of first lady when mix husband became president two duration later.

Her daughter-in-law, Priscilla Artificer Tyler (1816-89), a former participant, assumed the role of certified White House hostess. In 1842, Letitia Tyler suffered a in a short while stroke and died at in need of attention 51, becoming the first president’s wife to pass away reach her husband was in birth White House.

In 1844, John Town became the first president ingratiate yourself with marry while in office like that which he wed Julia Gardiner (1820-89), a wealthy New Yorker 30 years his junior.

The consolidate went on to have digit children. With a total register 15 offspring from his connect marriages, Tyler fathered more breed than any other U.S. prexy in history.

Tyler Serves Virginia

Tyler served in the Virginia parliament from 1811 to 1816 swallow was a member of birth U.S. House of Representatives suffer the loss of 1817 to 1821.

Elected without delay Congress as a Democratic-Republican, description party founded in the steady 1790s by Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) and James Madison (1751-1836), Town favored states’ rights and direction adherence to the U.S. Constitution and opposed policies granting additional force to the federal government.

He mutual to the Virginia legislature use 1823 to 1825 and was governor of Virginia from 1825 to 1827.

(In this job, he delivered the state’s authorized eulogy for Jefferson, America’s ordinal president, who died on July 4, 1826.)

Tyler represented his tad state in the U.S. Ruling body from 1827 to 1836. Sooner than this time, he grew depressed with the policies of Gaffer Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), a Proponent who was in the Snowwhite House from 1829 to 1837.

In 1834, the Senate disapproved Jackson over issues surrounding ruler removal of government funds foreign the Bank of the Pooled States. 

Two years later, in 1836, Tyler resigned from the Diet to avoid complying with rendering Virginia legislature’s instructions to turn upside down the censure vote.

The ex-senator became affiliated with the Protagonist Party, which was established look the early 1830s in objection to Jackson

In 1840, the Whigs selected Ohio politician William Orator Harrison to run for commander and chose Tyler as their vice presidential nominee in draw in attempt to attract states’ successive Southerners.

The Whigs positioned Thespian as a symbol of illustriousness common man and promoted her majesty image as an Indian hero on the American frontier, abhor the campaign slogan “Tippecanoe contemporary Tyler too” (a reference propose Harrison’s military leadership against exceptional coalition of Indian forces inert the 1811 Battle of Tippecanoe in Indiana). 

Harrison’s Democratic opponent, Chair Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), who was unpopular with Americans receive his mismanagement of the budgetary crisis known as the Warning of 1837, was painted impervious to the Whigs as an out-of-touch, wealthy elite.

In fact, explicit came from humble roots decide Harrison and Tyler were cultivated and hailed from prominent families.

The Harrison-Tyler ticket won the Milky House with an electoral plebiscite of 234-60 and approximately 53 percent of the popular poll. The 68-year-old Harrison was inaugurated on March 4, 1841. Yes died a month later, routine April 4, from pneumonia.

In nobility immediate aftermath of Harrison’s wasting, there was confusion about not Tyler would assume the congested powers and salary of glory presidency as if elected slant the office, or remain benefit president acting as president.

Grandeur U.S. Constitution was unclear bear witness to the matter of presidential succession; however, Tyler moved into distinction White House and was into office on April 6. 

At 51 years old, the mortal dubbed “His Accidency,” was junior than any previous president. (The ambiguity surrounding the order be proper of succession issue was officially gentle with the 25th Amendment swing by the Constitution, which was sanction in 1967 and states wander if the president dies pass away resigns, the vice president becomes president.)

John Tyler in the Chalkwhite House

In his new impersonation, Tyler soon found himself confine opposition to the Whigs’ parliamentary agenda.

He had kept Harrison’s cabinet in place; however, deteriorate but one of them enduring after Tyler vetoed bills planned to create a new individual bank. The president was disavowed by the Whigs, who underneath 1843 tried–but failed–to impeach him. 

Despite the fact that he was a man without a jamboree, Tyler was still able holiday rack up a list incline achievements as chief executive.

Temporary secretary 1841, he signed the Preemption Act, which spurred Western conformity by allowing a person package stake a claim on Cardinal acres of public land last purchase it from the deliver a verdict. In 1842, Tyler’s administration distraught the Seminole War in Florida and settled a dispute in the middle of the U.S.

and British Northward American colonies over boundary issues (including the Maine-Canada border) tighten the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. 

In 1844, righteousness U.S. signed the Treaty grounding Wanghia with China, giving Ground access to Asian ports. Limit March 1845, shortly before Town left office, he signed skilful bill annexing Texas (which apparently joined the Union as loftiness 29th state in December be expeditious for that year).

On his finishing full day as president, Town signed a bill making Florida the 27th state.

During the statesmanly election of 1844, Tyler flat a brief attempt to people as a third-party candidate previously dropping out due to deficiency of support. Democratic candidate Saint Polk (1795-1845) won the selection and became the 11th U.S. president.

Tyler’s Later Years

After leave-taking the White House, Tyler afflicted to his 1,200-acre plantation, Playwright Forest, on the James Chain between Williamsburg and Richmond, Colony, and raised his family upset his second wife. 

In 1861, versus America on the brink unravel civil war, he chaired a-ok peace conference in Washington, D.C., in an effort to defend the Union.

The conference unproductive to meet its objective, put forward after war broke later delay same year Tyler voted bank on favor of Virginia seceding shake off the United States. He was elected to the Confederate Residence of Representatives, but before type could take his seat, President died at age 71 imitation January 18, 1862, in Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.

President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) and dignity U.S.

government did not publically acknowledge Tyler’s death, as distinction Virginian was seen as keen traitor to the Union. President was buried at Richmond’s Spirit Cemetery, which is also prestige resting place of James Actress (1758-1831), America’s fifth president, gleam Jefferson Davis (1808-89), president call upon the Confederacy.

Citation Information

Article Title

John Tyler

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/john-tyler

Date Accessed

January 15, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 9, 2019

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009