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John Tyler: President John Tyler
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John Tyler sought to be a strong president, but his accomplishments proved to be modest. Stubborn, proud, and unpredictable, he decisively established the right of the vice president to assume the full powers of the presidency in the event of a vacancy to an unexpired term. He boldly exercised the veto ten times, a record exceeded only by Andrew Jackson among presidents who served in the nation's first seventy-five years. His chief contributions lay in the field of foreign policy. The annexation of Texas opened a new chapter in the nation's history. The Webster-Ashburton treaty prevented a costly war with Great Britain, and the Treaty of Wanghia obtained economically promising most-favored-nation status for the United States in China.
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With the death of President William Henry Harrison, John Tyler was the first vice president to assume the presidency, a precedent that did not sit well with some members of Congress--particularly his own party, the Whigs. Tyler's general disregard of their agenda eventually caused the resignation of all but one member of his cabinet, and ultimately he was expelled from the party. Yet, despite challenges to his authority, and nicknames like "His Accidency," Tyler refused to open mail addressed to the "Acting President," taking on all the powers and privileges of the presidency. Among Tyler's acts as president were bringing an end to the Seminole War, working on the Webster-Ashburn Treaty of 1842 to resolve the Maine boundary dispute, arranging for the first American trade mission to China, and expanding the Monroe Doctrine to include Hawaii. Another first for Tyler--he was the first president to be married in office.
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John Tyler had three main nicknames. His first one was "Honest John" because he was honest and kind to the people. His second one was "His Accidency" because no one thought he should have been president when Harrison died in office, but as vice president he decided he should be president. People said he was president by accident. His third one was "The Veto President" because he had vetoed so many laws.
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At a crucial time in American history, John Tyler -- elected vice president on the Whig ticket -- became president upon the death of William Henry Harrison. The nation, after expanding across the continent, was suffering from sectional tensions, Indian conflicts, issues over slavery, and economic problems. Tyler's becoming president created a crisis for Whigs, who questioned his intentions, his past record, and his irregular political alliances. Soon, the course he set was unacceptable to both Whigs and Jacksonian Democrats. His presidency has not received extensive scholarly study, but as this bibliography reveals, primary materials are abundant. The bibliography provides an excellent beginning for those wishing to research Tyler and this critical period in American history.
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When President William Henry Harrison died in office on April 4, 1841, John Tyler became the first vice president in American history to be elevated to the presidency. He came to power at a time when the new Whig Party was badly divided. The Northern Whigs, led by Senator Henry Clay of Kentucky, favored government aid to industry, a national bank, and government funds to build roads and canals. The Southern Whigs, headed by John Tyler, believed that government was best when it governed least. Many of them, like Tyler himself, were ex-Southern Democrats who had joined the Whigs in the 1830's because of their dislike of Democratic President Andrew Jackson. The Southern Whigs favored states' rights.
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Like several other of the first ten presidents, John Tyler was born in Virginia, the son ofa southern plantation owner. His father was John Tyler, who was a judge, speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, and governor of Virginia. His father had become the guardian of 21 children. All these children enlivened daily life at the family home called Greenway Plantation. Tyler's mother died when he was only seven years old. He was raised by his father and an old housekeeper.
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President John Tyler