Reference
- Tyler, LetitiaVery little is known of Letitia Christian Tyler as none of her letters have survived. The daughter of a wealthy and politically prominent family, she was born at Cedar Grove Plantation, just outside Richmond, Virginia, on November 12, 1790. On March 29, 1813, she married John Tyler at Cedar Grove. The Tylers used an inheritance from her parents to build a large home on land owned by John. Beginning in 1815, Letitia bore the first of nine children (seven survived infancy). Much of Letitia's life during this period was focused on tending her children and the plantation's slaves.
In 1825, John Tyler was elected governor of Virginia, and two years later, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. After resigning in 1836, he moved the family to Williamsburg. In 1839, Letitia Tyler suffered a stroke that left her partially paralyzed and bedridden. When Tyler was elected as William Henry Harrison's vice president in the election of 1840, he had planned to remain in Williamsburg. However, when Harrison died a month after taking office, President Tyler left for Washington. Letitia moved to Washington and was installed in a second-floor bedroom where she received guests and visiting dignitaries. Her daughter-in-law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler, served as official hostess for President Tyler. In 1842, Letitia suffered a second stroke, and she died on September 10. Her husband would later marry Julia Gardiner Tyler in 1844.
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- The Ladies of Tippecanoe, and Tyler TooThe wives of William Henry Harrison and John Tyler occupy unique places in the history of American first ladies. Anna Harrison was the first whose husband died while in office. She thus became the first widow of an incumbent president. Letitia Tyler became the first presidential wife to die while her husband served in the office. Julia Tyler was the first to marry an incumbent president. The uniqueness of these women within the context of first ladies, however, is confined almost solely to the accidents of fate that placed them in their positions. Their abbreviated tenures as first lady virtually ensured they would not play significant roles in the development of the institution itself. Anna Harrison took no part in her husband's administration; she had not even made the trip to Washington before William Henry Harrison died in 1841. Letitia Tyler had suffered a stroke in 1839 that left her virtually incapacitated and unable to fulfill the duties of first lady. A surrogate—the Tylers’ daughter‐in‐law, Priscilla Cooper Tyler—assumed the duties of White House hostess in Letitia's place. Finally, in her short time as first lady, Julia Tyler enjoyed a limited political role, which somewhat mirrored the function Dolley Madison perfected three decades earlier, but her tenure displayed more style than substance.
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Portrait and Perspectives
Letitia Christian Tyler
The first wife of President John Tyler and first lady of the United States from 1841 to 1842
The Health of the First Ladies
This first comprehensive study of the medical histories of America's first ladies--from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama--discusses their illnesses, their treatments and their physicians in the context of their times. As the categories of illness afflicting Americans have changed through history so have the kinds of maladies affecting the first ladies. Infectious diseases and the consequences of poorly supervised pregnancies have been replaced by cerebrovascular accidents and malignancies. The secrecy with which the White House has traditionally handled inquiries about the health of the president's wife is explored in detail; however, several first ladies, notably Betty Ford, have been transparent about their illnesses in order to educate the public. The effects of a first lady's responsibilities on her health is examined. This book also seeks to discern how the well-being of the first lady influences presidential performance.
Wives of the American Presidents, 2d Ed
Their personalities often set the tone for Washington society, from Julia Tyler's open hospitality to Sarah Polk's somber religious devotion. Some, like Abigail Adams, had little formal schooling. Others, such as Pat Nixon and Hillary Clinton, earned college degrees. There were those who outlived their spouses as well as women who died before seeing their husbands realize their presidential dreams. In spite of differing circumstances, these presidential wives influenced--sometimes overtly and often inadvertently--everything from domestic political agendas to foreign policy through their relationships with their husbands. This book discusses the lives and circumstances of the women who have been married to an American president. It emphasizes the relationship each wife had with her husband and the ways in which this contributed to the success or failure of his presidency. Details include birthplace, upbringing, political viewpoints and final resting place. Chapters are also included on women such as Hannah Van Buren and Jane Wyman, who although married to men who eventually became president, never became first lady.