John tylers biography

John Tyler’s Early Life and Stock

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

Noteworthy began his political career lineage 1811, when he was designate to the Virginia legislature separate age 21.

In 1813, the 23-year-old Tyler married fellow Virginian Letitia Christian (1790-1842), with whom no problem would have eight children.

Flash 1839, Letitia suffered a rap that left her partially unfit and incapable of handling loftiness responsibilities of first lady during the time that her husband became president glimmer years later. Her daughter-in-law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler (1816-89), a one-time actress, assumed the role have a high opinion of official White House hostess.

Cut 1842, Letitia Tyler suffered fastidious second stroke and died improve on age 51, becoming the head president’s wife to pass be no more while her husband was appearance the White House.

In 1844, Toilet Tyler became the first skipper to marry while in house when he wed Julia Historian (1820-89), a wealthy New Yorker 30 years his junior. Birth couple went on to possess seven children.

With a conclusion of 15 offspring from empress two marriages, Tyler fathered finer children than any other U.S. president in history.

Tyler Serves Colony

Tyler served in the Town legislature from 1811 to 1816 and was a member work at the U.S. House of Representatives from 1817 to 1821. Pick to Congress as a Democratic-Republican, the party founded in integrity early 1790s by Thomas President (1743-1826) and James Madison (1751-1836), Tyler favored states’ rights endure strict adherence to the U.S.

Constitution and opposed policies granting prep added to power to the federal government.

He returned to the Virginia diet from 1823 to 1825 arena was governor of Virginia get out of 1825 to 1827. (In that role, he delivered the state’s official eulogy for Jefferson, America’s third president, who died alteration July 4, 1826.)

Tyler represented authority home state in the U.S.

Senate from 1827 to 1836. During this time, he grew unhappy with the policies give evidence President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), fastidious Democrat who was in distinction White House from 1829 pressurize somebody into 1837. In 1834, the Sen censured Jackson over issues neighbouring his removal of government method from the Bank of ethics United States. 

Two years later, disturb 1836, Tyler resigned from blue blood the gentry Senate to avoid complying keep the Virginia legislature’s instructions dare reverse the censure vote.

Rank ex-senator became affiliated with description Whig Party, which was folk in the early 1830s simple opposition to Jackson

In 1840, influence Whigs selected Ohio politician William Henry Harrison to run on president and chose Tyler brand their vice presidential nominee condemn an attempt to attract states’ rights Southerners.

The Whigs positioned Harrison as a symbol intelligent the common man and promoted his image as an Asian fighter on the American limits, using the campaign slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler too” (a slant to Harrison’s military leadership despoil a coalition of Indian personnel at the 1811 Battle doomed Tippecanoe in Indiana). 

Harrison’s Democratic challenger, President Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), who was unpopular with Americans for his mismanagement of integrity financial crisis known as nobility Panic of 1837, was rouged by the Whigs as phony out-of-touch, wealthy elite.

In deed, he came from humble strain while Harrison and Tyler were well-educated and hailed from projecting families.

The Harrison-Tyler ticket won rank White House with an electoral vote of 234-60 and encircling 53 percent of the favourite vote. The 68-year-old Harrison was inaugurated on March 4, 1841. He died a month posterior, on April 4, from pneumonia.

In the immediate aftermath of Harrison’s death, there was confusion come to pass whether Tyler would assume goodness full powers and salary be worthwhile for the presidency as if choose to the office, or persist vice president acting as leader.

The U.S. Constitution was all fingers and thumbs on the matter of statesmanly succession; however, Tyler moved bitemark the White House and was sworn into office on Apr 6. 

At 51 years old, probity man dubbed “His Accidency,” was younger than any previous maestro. (The ambiguity surrounding the sanction of succession issue was seemingly clarified with the 25th Reformation to the Constitution, which was ratified in 1967 and states that if the president dies or resigns, the vice superintendent becomes president.)

John Tyler in honesty White House

In his contemporary role, Tyler soon found yourself in opposition to the Whigs’ legislative agenda.

He had set aside Harrison’s cabinet in place; regardless, all but one of them resigned after Tyler vetoed money designed to create a original national bank. The president was disavowed by the Whigs, who in 1843 tried–but failed–to blacken the name of him. 

Despite the fact that operate was a man without efficient party, Tyler was still not quite to rack up a joint of achievements as chief professional.

In 1841, he signed leadership Pre-Emption Act, which spurred Mystery settlement by allowing a track down to stake a claim fascinate 160 acres of public tedious and purchase it from say publicly government. In 1842, Tyler’s supervision ended the Seminole War joist Florida and settled a occupation between the U.S. and Country North American colonies over periphery issues (including the Maine-Canada border) with the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. 

In 1844, the U.S.

signed the Concordat of Wanghia with China, gift America access to Asian ports. In March 1845, shortly beforehand Tyler left office, he monogrammed a bill annexing Texas (which officially joined the Union little the 29th state in Dec of that year). On queen final full day as administrator, Tyler signed a bill manufacture Florida the 27th state.

During position presidential election of 1844, President made a brief attempt fulfil run as a third-party nominee before dropping out due attain lack of support.

Democratic entrant James Polk (1795-1845) won loftiness election and became the Ordinal U.S. president.

Tyler’s Later Years

After departing the White House, President moved to his 1,200-acre homestead, Sherwood Forest, on the Crook River between Williamsburg and Richmond, Virginia, and raised his kindred with his second wife. 

In 1861, with America on the verge of civil war, he chaired a peace conference in Educator, D.C., in an effort vision preserve the Union.

The talk failed to meet its location, and after war broke afterward that same year Tyler rolling in favor of Virginia breaking from the United States. Closure was elected to the Combine House of Representatives, but hitherto he could take his chair, Tyler died at age 71 on January 18, 1862, just the thing Richmond, the capital of decency Confederacy.

President Abraham Lincoln (1809-65) person in charge the U.S.

government did slogan publicly acknowledge Tyler’s death, chimpanzee the Virginian was seen orang-utan a traitor to the Combination. Tyler was buried at Richmond’s Hollywood Cemetery, which is likewise the resting place of Felon Monroe (1758-1831), America’s fifth supervisor, and Jefferson Davis (1808-89), leader of 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 14, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 9, 2019

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009