John Tyler - President of the United States (POTUS)

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John Tyler

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
Mother: Mary Marot Armistead Tyler
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)

Notable Events:

1841
- Tyler's cabinet resigned after he vetoed banking bills supported by the Whigs.
1844
- 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 Table of Presidents and Vice Presidents of the United States - MSN Encarta: Grolier Online has created this resource from its collection of print articles in Encyclopedia Americana. Contains a full biography, written by Robert J. Morgan of the University of Virginia, along with suggestions for further reading.
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 the Hall of Forgotten Presidents: A case for considering Tyler as one of the "near-great" presidents.
John Tyler's Obituary -- from Dead Presidents: The text from The New York Times.

Historical Documents:

None

Other Internet Resources:

Sherwood Forest: History of the Tyler home, tour information, virtuals tours, and a ghost story.

Points of Interest:

Tyler was the first president whose wife died while he was in office.
Tyler was the only president to hold office in the Confederacy.
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. For more on the origins of "Hail to the Chief," see C-SPAN's Vignette on The Origins Of "Hail To The Chief" (RealAudio).

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