John Tyler

10th President John Tyler, 1841-184510th President John Tyler, 1841-184510th President John Tyler, 1841-1845

10th President John Tyler, 1841-1845

10th President of the United States
(April 6, 1841 to March 3, 1845)

Nicknames: "Accidental President"; "His Accidency"

Born: March 29, 1790, in Greenway, Virginia
Died: January 18, 1862, in Richmond, Virginia

Father: John Tyler (1747-1813)
Mother: Mary Marot Armistead Tyler (1761-1797)
Married: Letitia Chrisitan (1790-1842), on March 29, 1813; Julia Gardiner (1820-1889), on June 26, 1844
Children: Mary Tyler (1815-48); Robert Tyler (1816-77); John Tyler (1819-96); Letitia Tyler (1821-1907); Elizabeth Tyler (1823-50); Anne Contesse Tyler (1825); Alice Tyler (1827-54); Tazewell Tyler (1830-74); David Gardiner Tyler (1846-1927); John Alexander Tyler (1848-83); Julia Gardiner Tyler (1849-71); Lachlan Tyler (1851-1902); Lyon Gardiner Tyler (1853-1935); Robert Fitzwalter Tyler (1856-1927); Pearl Tyler (1860-1947)

Religion: Episcopalian
Education: Graduated from the College of William and Mary (1807)
Occupation: Lawyer
Political Party: Whig
Other Government Positions:

  • Member of Virginia House of Delegates, 1811-16
  • Member of U.S. House of Representatives, 1816-21
  • Virginia State Legislator, 1823-25
  • Governor of Virginia, 1825-26
  • United States Senator, 1827-36
  • Vice President, 1841 (under W. H. Harrison)
  • Member of Confederate States Congress, 1861-62

Presidential Salary: $25,000/year

Presidential Election Results:

Never ran for president.

Vice President: None

Cabinet:

Secretary of State
Daniel Webster (1841-43)
Abel P. Upshur (1843-44)
John C. Calhoun (1844-45)
Secretary of the Treasury
Thomas Ewing (1841)
Walter Forward (1841-43)
John C. Spencer (1843-44)
George M. Bibb (1844-45)
Secretary of War
John Bell (1841)
John C. Spencer (1841-43)
James M. Porter (1843-44)
William Wilkins (1844-45)
Attorney General
John J. Crittenden (1841)
Hugh S. Legare (1841-43)
John Nelson (1843-45)
Postmaster General
Francis Granger (1841)
Charles A. Wickliffe (1841-45)
Secretary of the Navy
George E. Badger (1841)
Abel P. Upshur (1841-43)
David Henshaw (1843-44)
Thomas W. Gilmer (1844)
John Y. Mason (1844-45)

Supreme Court Justices:
Samuel Nelson (1845-1872)

Notable Events:
  • 1841
  • 1842
  • 1844
    • On February 28, an explosion during the inaugural voyage of the USS Princeton killed six, including two cabinet secretaries and his future father-in-law. Tyler was aboard but was unhurt.
    • Far East opened to U.S. traders after a treaty with China signed.
  • 1845
    • Texas annexed followed by war with Mexico.
Internet Biographies:
John Tyler -- from The Presidents of the United States of America
Compiled by the White House.
John Tyler -- from The American President
From the Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia, in addition to information on the Presidents themselves, they have first lady and cabinet member biographies, listings of presidential staff and advisers, and timelines detailing significant events in the lives of each administration.
John Tyler -- from Encyclopaedia Britannica
Facts about Tyler and his presidency.
John Tyler, Tenth Vice President -- from The United States Senate
The Senate Historical Office presents a biographical article that examines his early years, philosophy, and his presidency.
Videos:
Historical Documents:
Address Accepting the Office of the Presidency (1841)
John Tyler Digital Collections - from the Library of Congress

 

Other Internet Resources:
The Best Biographies of John Tyler
In 2012, Stephen Floyd started his search for the best biography of each president. He usually has reviews of multiple biographies for each president.
Health and Medical History of John Tyler
Medical background of each president with references. Compiled by John Sotos, MD.
Julia Gardiner, John Tyler, the White House and the Princeton
The love story of Tyler and his second wife, Julia, in the aftermath of the USS Princeton.
Sherwood Forest
History of the Tyler home, tour information, virtuals tours, and a ghost story.
Points of Interest:
Additional Facts:
  • Tyler was the first vice-president to assume the presidency after the death of the president.
  • Tyler was the first president to have his cabinet nominees rejected by the Senate.
  • Tyler was expelled from his party by Congressional Whigs for vetoing a national bank bill for the second time.
  • Tyler was the first president subjected to impeachment proceedings.
  • Tyler was the first president whose wife died while he was in office.
  • Tyler's marriage to his second wife marked the first time a president was married while in office.
  • Tyler fathered fifteen children, more than any other president.
  • Five years after leaving office, Tyler was so poor he was unable to pay a bill for $1.25 until he had sold his corn crop.
  • The tradition of playing "Hail to the Chief" whenever a president appears at state functions was started by Tyler's second wife, Julia.
  • In 1861, after leaving office, Tyler was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. He was the only president to serve in the Confederacy.
Quotes:

“I can never consent to being dictated to.”

“Wealth can only be accumulated by the earnings of industry and the savings of frugality.”

Previous President: William Henry Harrison
Next President: James K. Polk