John Tyler
John Tyler served as a the 10th president of the United States from 1841 to 1845. Tyler took office as president after the death of President William Henry Harrison. "He brought his large family and several enslaved individuals with him to the White House" (White House History). Tyler was a member of the Whig party.
Prior to the presidency, Tyler served as a representative and senator.
Tyler died in Richmond, VA in 1862.
Resources
- The Enslaved Households of President John TylerAfter the unexpected death of President William Henry Harrison, John Tyler became the first vice president to ascend to the presidency. He brought his large family and several enslaved individuals with him to the White House.
- John Tyler: Miller CenterJohn Tyler signaled the last gasp of the Old Virginia aristocracy in the White House. Born a few years after the American Revolution in 1790 to an old family from Virginia's ruling class, Tyler graduated from the College of William and Mary at the age of seventeen, studied law, and went to work for a prestigious law firm in Richmond.
- John Tyler: White HouseJohn Tyler became the tenth President of the United States (1841-1845) when President William Henry Harrison died in April 1841. He was the first Vice President to succeed to the Presidency after the death of his predecessor.
Reference, Archives, & Primary Sources
- John Tyler: Credo ReferenceA Credo Reference landing page on John Tyler. This page includes links to reference works, journal articles, and a mind map.
- John Tyler Papers: Library of CongressThe John Tyler Papers, one of twenty-three presidential collections in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, contains more than 1,400 items dating from 1691 to 1918, most of which fall between 1757 and 1918. The collection is made up primarily of correspondence, including letters and copies of letters to or from Tyler (1790-1862), a governor and U.S. representative and senator from Virginia, who served as vice president under William Henry Harrison before becoming the tenth president of the United States upon Harrison’s death in 1841.
- Tyler, John, 1790-1862: YaleJohn Tyler archives at Yale.
John Tyler: Whig 1841-1845
-
Tyler believed in states' rights and felt strongly that the federal government had too much power, yet he expanded that power once in office. He was expelled from the Whig party after vetoing bills for a new national bank. Distributed by A&E Television Networks.
Source: Films on Demand
Perspectives
John Tyler, the Accidental President
The first vice president to become president on the death of the incumbent, John Tyler (1790-1862) was derided by critics as "His Accidency." Yet he proved to be a bold leader who used the malleable executive system to his advantage. In this biography of the tenth President of the United States, Edward P. Crapol challenges previous depictions of Tyler as a die-hard advocate of states' rights, limited government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. In pursuit of his agenda, Crapol argues, Tyler exploited executive prerogatives and manipulated constitutional requirements in ways that violated his professed allegiance to a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He set precedents that his successors in the White House invoked to create an American empire and expand presidential power. Crapol also highlights Tyler's enduring faith in America's national destiny and his belief that boundless territorial expansion would preserve the Union as a slaveholding republic. When Tyler, a Virginian, opted for secession and the Confederacy in 1861, he was stigmatized as America's "traitor" president for having betrayed the republic he once led. As Crapol demonstrates, Tyler's story anticipates the modern imperial presidency in all its power and grandeur, as well as its darker side.
The Republican Vision of John Tyler
Historians have generally ranked John Tyler as one of the least successful chief executives, despite achievements such as the WebsterAshburton treaty, which heralded improved relations with Great Britain, and the annexation of Texas. Why did Tyler pursue what appears to have been a politically selfdestructive course with regard to both his first party, the Democrats, and his later political alliance, the Whigs? Monroe has set out to explain the beliefs that led to Tyler=s resigning his Senate seat and exercising politically suicidal presidential vetoes as well as examines the crises Tyler faced during his term in the House: the Panic of 1819, the financially tottering national bank, and the Missouri debate.
John Tyler | 60-Second Presidents | PBS
Here's everything you need to know about John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States, in just 60 seconds.