John Tyler

John Tyler: A Unique American Presidency

  • Historical Context

    • John Tyler became the first vice president to ascend to the presidency following the death of a sitting president, William Henry Harrison.

    • His actions set important precedents for presidential succession, which later influenced the Twenty-fifth Amendment enacted in the 1960s.

  • Inauguration and Party Dynamics

    • Tyler was notable for being expelled from the party that elected him while still in office.

    • He is recognized as the first president against whom impeachment proceedings were initiated by members of his own party.

    • Demonstrating significant partisan divisions during his presidency, Tyler vetoed nearly all major legislation, becoming the first to have a veto overridden by a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress.

    • He was a widower and the first president married in the White House.

    • Uniquely, Tyler was the only U.S. president who supported the secession of the South during the Civil War and was elected to the legislature of a Confederate state.

Early Life and Education

  • Birth and Family Background

    • John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790, at Greenway estate, a tidewater tobacco plantation in Charles City County, Virginia.

    • He hailed from a politically influential family; his father held various positions including judge, Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, and governor.

  • Education

    • Tyler entered the College of William and Mary at the age of 12, graduating at 17 in 1807.

    • He studied law under his father and was admitted to the bar in 1809.

  • Political Beginnings

    • Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates at 21 in 1811, he briefly entered military service as a captain during the War of 1812, although he saw no combat.

Career in Politics

  • U.S. House of Representatives

    • Tyler was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1816 and won a full term, aligning himself with the strict interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

    • His opposition to Henry Clay's American System, which included high tariffs, federal funding for internal improvements, and a national bank, underscored his commitment to states' rights and limited federal power.

  • Virginia Governor and U.S. Senate

    • After serving in the House, Tyler was elected Governor of Virginia in 1825.

    • He was then elected to the U.S. Senate in 1827, where he continued to champion states' rights and strict constructionism.

    • He notably opposed Andrew Jackson on several key issues, including the nullification crisis and the closure of the Second Bank of the United States, despite sharing some common ground in their distrust of the national bank.

    • Tyler resigned from the Senate in 1836 over a dispute regarding his conscience and instruction from Virginia's legislature to vote against a resolution censuring President Jackson.