John Tyler was born in Virginia in 1790 and was raised that the Constitution must always be adhered to. He never wavered from this belief. He attended the College of William and Mary and studied law.
He served in the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1821. Tyler was not a fan of nationalist legislation and opposed the Missouri Compromise. After Tyler left the House of Representatives, Tyler served as Governor of Virginia. He reluctantly supported then-president Andrew Jackson reluctantly. Tyler eventually joined Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and their newly formed Whig party opposing President Jackson.
The Whigs nominated Tyler for Vice President in 1840, noping for support from southern states. All of a sudden, President Harrison was dead and Tyler became the president, becoming the first vice-president to take the place of the president. His first act as president was to compromise on the banking system. Unfortunately, Clay would not budge. He didn't like Tyler's way of doing things, so Tyler vetoed Clay's bill to form a National Bank. A similar bill was brought forth by Congress, but again, Tyler vetoed it.
In retaliation, the Whigs expelled Tyler from their party. This forced Tyler to replace his entire Whig Cabinet with southern conservatives. Tyler died in 1862 a member of the Confederate House of Representatives.
Fun Facts:
- John Tyler was the first vice president to take the place of the president after his death.
- Tyler was an advocate for big families. He fathered fifteen children, more than any other president.
- He was nicknamed "His Accidency" because he was not elected an elected president and his rivals said he got the position on accident.
John Tyler:
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