JOHN TYLER O45 John Tyler became the first of America’s Vice Presidents to become President because of the President’s death. He succeeded William Henry Harrison who died one month after being inaugurated. Because he was Harrison’s Vice President, he was expected to continue those policies and practices. But he regarded the position quite differently and chose to interpret the Constitu tion literally to “act as its President,” even to the point of issuing an Inaugural Address. The Whig Party, which had put him and Harrison into office, differed from his southern states’ rights position. He vetoed most bills passed on to him that were designed to carry out the politics of the Whig Party to the point where he was finally considered a man without a party. The final straw was his vote on a tariff, which brought on such wrath from Congress that im peachment charges were initiated against him. Even though the move failed by a vote of 127-83, the Whig Party was destroyed. Among his achievements were the Pre-Emption Act, which allowed settlers in the West to claim 160 acres of land; the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, which settled a boundary dispute between the United States and Canada; and the annexation of Texas. Even though John Tyler was not highly regarded by his contemporaries as a President, many historians today characterize him as a man of courage and conviction who stood up for what he believed. He was born in 1790 in Virginia, the son of a judge and prominent politician. He studied political science at William and Mary College and, after graduating, studied law under his father. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates before being elected to the House of Representatives where he advocated a strict interpretation of the Constitution. He was also elected Governor of Virginia and later to the United States Senate before being chosen by the Whigs as the Vice President running mate of William Henry Harrison. He was chosen because the Whigs thought he would draw votes from the South against Martin Van Buren. John Tyler married Letitia Christian, a lady of substandard wealth in 1813. Together they rais ed eight children on their large estate with the help of several slaves. Letitia became ill and was partially paralyzed by a stroke and was confined to a wheelchair until her death, which occurred while Tyler was still in the White House. During his last years in office Tyler remar ried, this time to Julia Gardiner, a high society beauty who was thirty years younger than the 54-year-old Tyler. The marriage precipitated more than its share of “Washington gossip”; however, Julia’s charming manner, her complete devotion to her husband and her fashionable parties soon made her a favorite. After Tyler left the White House, he and his wife retired to his estate, where they raised a sec ond family. 28 _____ _________ ___________ ___________ ___________ ______ ________ ________ ______ TO11N TYLER Name Presidential Trivia 1. The leader of the Whig Party at the time John Tyler was nominated as its vicepresidential candidate 2. As a famous trail to the West, this 2000-mile route became popular during Tyler’s ad ministration. 3. The name given to John Tyler’s beautiful Virginia estate 4. Before becoming Governor of Virginia, John Tyler served as chancellor of this college. 5. The Pre-Emption Act, which permitted a settler in the West to claim 160 acres of land before it was offered for public sale, was better known to the people as the____________ 6. Under this legislation, (Pre-Emption Act), how much would a 160-acre farm cost a settler who built a house on it? 7. Under Tyler’s administration, Congress passed legislation that peacefully settled a boundary dispute between Canada and the United States. This legislation was known as the 8. Which former U.S. President headed the committee in the House of Representatives that tried to impeach John Tyler? 9. Altogether John Tyler raised two families in his marriages to Letitia and Julia and fathered children. 10. What was the name of the American frigate on which Julia Gardiner’s father was killed when a gun exploded? (Also aboard were Tyler and Julia, later to be Tyler’s second wife.) 11. John Tyler’s Vice President 12. Tyler’s half of the flag-waving nationalistic Whig campaign slogan of 1840 29 ON_TYLER ‘www Name For Thinking and Discussing 1. Why were John Tyler and the South so anxious to annex Texas when in effect it looked like there would be trouble with Mexico? 2. When John Tyler died in 1862, the government in Washington did not officially recognize his death. It was not until 1915 that Congress finally elected a monument to him in his final resting place in Richmond, Virginia. Why do you suppose there was such apathy on the part of Washington? 3. One of the accomplishments of the Tyler administration was the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. The chief negotiator for the U.S. was Daniel Webster, who had been given the assignment by William Henry Harrison. Webster stayed on as Secretary of State under Tyler to finish negotiations on this treaty. Find out the terms of this peaceful negotiated settlement. 4. What incident caused John Tyler, always a strong-willed person, to resign from the U.S. Senate? -- 30 -