The Story of John Tyler
2020 Edition
Two-hundred and 30 years ago today (March 29), the future 10th president of the United States of America was born in Charles, County Virginia. For time perspective, George Washington had been president for just under a year.
We all know John will eventually become the second half of “Old Tippecanoe and Tyler Too”, and while Tippecanoe was 17 years older than Tyler, their early days has a few things in common. The two shared a home town, both of their dads were wealthy plantation owners who veered off to build a career in politics, and their dads were even friends, and co-workers!
Remember William’s dad, Benjamin, aka Wreck it Ralph, aka signer of the Declaration of Independence (aka President Benjamin Harrison’s namesake?) Well John’s dad, John Tyler Sr., was a judge who served in the Virginia General Assembly alongside Benjamin V. And just like Benjamin, John Tyler Sr. would become governor of Virginia. Benjamin wasn’t John Sr’s only famous friend. In fact, he was once roommates with Thomas Jefferson!
Basically, what this all boils down to, is John Tyler’s family had money, prestige, and influence. Which means John has a pretty charmed, privileged life. Sure his mom died when he was only 7, but the Tyler’s had enough money to hire the best tutors. Little JT played the violin and read Shakespeare and all that elitist crap.
Not only that, but Tyler’s daddy would come to his rescue whenever necessary. An 11 year old JT was a rebellious strong-willed kid, who once staged a revolt with his friends at his school, tying a particularly terrible teacher. When the teacher managed to get out of his predicament, he marched right over to the Tyler’s to tell TJ’s dad what his son had done. But John Sr. simply said ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis’ (aka- that’s what you get for being a tyrant). JT’s dad didn’t really correct his son’s rebellious phase, which JT will never grow out of, instead it will sort of end up defining him.
By 12, JT is off at prep school, and by 17 he’s graduated from the College of William and Mary (in Williamsburg, Virginia). Two years later he was admitted to the bar to become a lawyer. Nineteen seems pretty young to be a lawyer, right? It was a violation of the rules. But JT was a rule breaker. Perhaps it was an oversight, perhaps daddy paid to have the rules bent, but either way we have another lawyer turned president.
His fast tracked career continued full-speed ahead, by 21 he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates. JT is going to identify as a Democratic Republican. Of course he is, his dad was friends with THE Democratic-Republican, Thomas Jefferson (who had retired to Monticello by now—Monroe was president).
While he was going from college graduate, to lawyer, to politician, he was dating Letitia, a bashful, graceful, quintessential belle was polite, pious, and reserved. She was good at avoiding public conversation, especially on matters considered as “province of men”. In other words, she was a quiet, pretty girl good at smiling and keeping her mouth shut. Also, she was a great knitter!
Not unlike most women of the 1800’s, little is recorded about her early life. But, her father was also a wealthy planter in Virginia, who taught his daughters how to be good wives.
When she meets JT, he’s a law student with ambition and intelligence. He’s attracted to her good looks, and agreeable nature. Downside: Letitia is a little too churchy for him. She’s kind of obsessed with doing things the “proper” way, and JT isn’t even allowed to kiss her on the hand until 3 weeks before their wedding. JT didn’t lose patience though. They dated for five years before they were married on John’s 23rd birthday. So it’s not just JT’s birthday today, it’s also his wedding anniversary. Yay.
Letitia is going to be happy to be a housewife taking care of 8 kids. She’ll be the one in charge of raising them, and educating them, while managing the plantation. Thank goodness she has slaves. Letitia cannot imagine life without them. She’s not a monster though, her female slaves won’t be forced to work out in the fields. They’ll get jobs inside the house!
Letitia needs the help, because JT is off rising through the political ladder. He’s elected to the US House of Representatives, before returning to Virginia to be Governor.
Letitia prefers to stay out of the spot light. But she’ll do what she has to do. By the time JT is Governor, the Tyler’s are land rich, but cash poor. In another similarity to William Henry Harrison, Tyler’s been given a lot by old daddy dearest, he’s not the best with his own money.
Anyway, Letitia thinks if she throws a party making it obvious they could use a little more money, the Governor just might get a little salary bump. So she serves ham, bread, and whiskey hoping that would earn them some sympathy and money. It doesn’t work, and Letitia will be done throwing parties.
JT is only going to be Governor for less than a year and half before he’s off to serve in the United States Senate. It’s a contentious time to be in the Senate, because JQA is finishing up his first term, Andrew Jackson is coming back for round two, and people have to pick sides. JT isn’t a big fan of either. But, if he has to pick, he’s going to go with Jackson, and the newly formed Democrats. After all, they are both state’s rights guys.
Of course, we know Andrew Jackson wins the election, and starts going veto crazy and feuding with South Carolina over tariffs, and destroying the National Bank. JT is not a fan, and rebel JT is going to let Andrew Jackson know it, criticized whatever Jackson says, and vote against almost anything Jackson wants, which lets admit it, takes some guts. Disagree with Andrew Jackson, and next thing you know, you’ll be on his hit list along with John C. Calhoun and Henry Clay.
JT is actually getting kind of famous for his rebellion and refusing to work with Jackson, and he’s siding now with the likes of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster and JQA (who, spoiler alert: went to work in Congress after being president carrying his intense Andrew Jackson hatred with him). Sure, JT didn’t support JQA to begin with, but now they have a common enemy.
So JT goes off with JQA, and Henry Clay and joins the brand new party that has formed in opposition of “King Andrew” and the Democrats, the Whig party!
Eventually, JT will find himself at odds with many of the people he’s supposed to be representing. The Virginia house will require he vote a certain way (they want him to expunge a censure that was placed on Jackson), and JT will refuse, ending in his resignation.
That’s fine with Letitia. She’s happy to have JT finally back home with his family in Williamsburg, VA. But, the happy family will last for only a couple of years, before Letitia has a stroke. All that child-rearing and slave-ownership on her own has taken a toll, and she will never be the same again. She’s left partially paralyzed, and religion now becomes her only obsession. She is wheelchair and bible bound at this point. She can still run the house from her wheelchair though, so she does.
Someone has to run the house, because JT isn’t done with politics. It’s taken a little while for the Whig party to get off the ground. MVB will beat ‘the three little Whigs’ in 1836, but by 1840 the Whigs will be more unified, and they’ll have a plan.
A plan that involves rolling tin balls down the street, drinking whiskey from log cabin shaped glass bottles, and selling their “homespun log cabin candidate” William Henry Harrison to the American public.
There wasn’t really a reason in selecting John Tyler for Vice President, but there was a rhyme. “Old Tippecanoe and Tyler too!” are going to make the best puppets for Henry Clay to get his agenda pushed through Congress and enacted. Vice President doesn’t really matter anyway, it’s more of a ceremonial job. Nobody has actually ever failed to serve out their term. It’s fine, just pick a guy, any guy. Preferably some guy that likes slavery, to help balance the ticket, and someone who supports Henry Clay, designer of the Whig party. JT will do.
JT might have fought the authority of William Henry Harrison, because that was just kind of his thing. But, JT wasn’t in a rush to get to Washington DC after the election. It’ll be hard to move Letitia there, and he can just show up to argue with whoever when he’s needed.
But then one day, JT is playing marbles with his sons (according to legend) when Daniel Webster’s son rides up on his horse and delivers some news to JT. (Daniel Webster is Secretary of State). William Henry Harrison died yesterday, and JT is going to need to get himself to DC asap.
The Whigs, who had rejoiced and gloated like no one before them, had their celebration come to a screeching halt, their president was dead. The Whigs were devastated.
The Democrats, however, were joyus. They won’t pause for a second to mourn the dead president. Some of them openly said their only regretted his death because “he did not live long enough to prove his incapacity for the office of president.” Jackson says Harrison’s death is “the deed of a kind and over-ruling (God)”.
But the ugliness is Washington over the death of the president extends to John Tyler too. Since this is the first time a president hasn’t finished their term, we’re going to need to go to the Constitution to see exactly how to handle this. Unfortunately after consulting the document, the answer is still kind of vague. Is Tyler president, president? Or just “acting president”?
Well, if you ask JT he’s president-president (so, suck it- basically), with all the powers that come with it. He is just going to take control. JT will be sworn in as president in his hotel room in DC, and with that, John Tyler becomes the 10th president of the United States. At 51 years old, he’s the youngest man (up until that point) to ever be president.
On April 9, he gave an inaugural address to Congress. In the House of Representatives, JQA was annoyed. He was in the Tyler should be “acting president” camp, thinking Tyler’s title should always remain “Vice President”. Over in the Senate, Henry Clay was wondering if Tyler would be as easy to manipulate as William Henry Harrison. In a Harrison presidency, Henry Clay planned to be "the real power behind a fumbling throne".
As president-president John Tyler’s going to be in the same pickle as William Henry Harrison. You either Let Henry Clay run the country, and play nice with the Whigs, or you go your own way, and deal with the repercussions of pissing off Clay.
JT is a rebel though, so obviously he’ll go ahead with his own agenda. Screw whatever William Henry Harrison had planned, or more specifically what Henry Clay had planned for his William Henry Harrison puppet, JT is his own man, and he’s going to do what he wants, when he wants. And don’t call him “Acting POTUS”, in fact, if you so much as mail him a letter with that title, he’ll have it sent back “addressee unknown.”
This is what the Whigs get for nominating someone just because they thought it didn’t matter, and it made for a good rhyme. Tyler will become a cautionary tale for future generations. Picking a Vice-President is like picking a spouse. You’re going to want to have someone for the long haul. Gotta look past the honeymoon, because things can change.
JT starts acting less like a Whig, and more like a Democrat. He’s not the “firm and decided” Whig he claimed to be during the election. When he vetoes the Whig Bill for a new Bank of the United States (you know, because Jackson gutted the first one), because he’s a states rights guy who fears the bank is too big, the Whigs, and Henry Clay go berserk.
The Whig party banishes JT from their party, disowning him publicly in an extraordinary statement: “Those who brought the President into power can no longer, in any manner or degree, be justly held responsible, or blamed” (for his actions). The Whigs resort to name calling. JT is “His Accidency”, a “President without a party”, “the accident of an accident”, “a man destitute of intellect and integrity”, and my favorite, “executive ass.”
Everyone resigns in protest. Henry Clay leaves his Senate Seat, and Tyler’s entire cabinet but one person. The holdout was Daniel Webster, who told President Tyler “If it’s up to me, Mr. President, I will stay.” Tyler shook his hand and said “Give me your hand on that, and now I will say to you that Henry Clay is a doomed man.” JT will end up being the doomed man, here, though.
Secretary of State Webster had ongoing negotiations with the British, and he didn’t want to give that up. To be fair, the Webster-Ashburton Treaty that settled firm boundaries between Maine and Canada (owned by Britain) was one of two presidential accomplishments for John Tyler. After his work on the treaty is done, Daniel Webster will also resign.
The other accomplishment for Taylor will be the annexations of Texas, but we’ll circle back to that in a few minutes.
In the meantime, lets see how things are going for JT. The short answer: not well. He’s hated by both parties, and the general public at this point. He’s popular in the South because he believes states should have more say, especially regarding slavery (JT hearts slavery, after all), but outside of that, people are not fans. His policies make Congress boil with rage.
I have a story for you to illustrate just how much people disliked him: President Tyler wants to order a special train for a trip, so his son Bob goes to talk to a railroad superintendent, who says he doesn’t run special trains for presidents. Bob points out that the guy furnished a funeral train for William Henry Harrison, and the superintendent says “yes, and if you being President Tyler here in the same shape (ie dead), you shall have the best train on the road.” Ouch.
JT has a gloomy four years ahead of him. Threats against his life arrive daily at the White House (probably addressed to “acting president” Tyler just to piss him off even more). A flu epidemic hits the nation and is nicknamed the “Tyler grippe”(grip, old fashioned term for flu).
But on a personal note, Letitia has finally made it to DC to join her husband, but life there wouldn’t be easy for her. The White House wasn’t wheel chair accessible, and she was basically imprisoned by the mansion that offered her very little maneuverability.
She is rarely seen at the White House, instead the official hostess was her daughter in law, Priscilla. Letitia doesn’t make public appearances, prompting rumors in Washington that JT made her up, that she doesn’t really exist. Letitia was bashful and shy anyway, but after her health declined she exclusively stayed up in her bedroom, confined to her wheelchair, clutching her Bible, even during White House parties.
There was a rare sighting of Letitia at her third daughter Elizabeth’s wedding. Letitia came down from her sanctuary for the occasion, and it was one of the few times she was even seen.
Letitia suffered another stroke in the White House, and spent her last few months watching her husband become one of the most alienated presidents in history. She dies on September 10, 1842 at the age of 51, and her funeral will be the first for a sitting president’s spouse. It’s a tragedy the US has never known before, but as they never really got to know her, people quickly move on, almost as fast as JT does.
Letitia isn’t dead even 5 months when JT is out chasing skirts. One particular woman has caught his eye: Julia Gardiner. Julia is a catch. She’s graceful, educated, fun-loving, good mannered and naturally flirtatious. She’s also 22 years old. For those keeping track at home, she’s 30 years younger than John Tyler, and younger than three of his kids. (Remember, he’s got 7 of them, one of them John Tyler III, actually had his eye on Julie- akward!)
Julia had a charmed life. She was born on her family’s private island in New York. Her dad, a rich lawyer. Her mom, a rich heiress. Julia was schooled at the most prestigious academies, and by the time she was a teenager she was used to all the finer things her family’s money could buy, and took advantage of everything her “elevated life” provided her.
She once modeled for an advertisement. Julia, who called herself “the Rose of Long Island” was thrilled about it. Julia’s parents, not so much. Modeling back then might as well have been prostitution, and so they whisked Julia off to Europe until the embarrassment to the family had subsided. Over in France, Julia was present to the French Court by her parents, who were looking for a suitor for her. Nobody held Julia’s interest.
So back to the states the Gardiner’s went. This time Dad Gardiner takes Julia and her sister to DC. He rents out a space large enough to entertain all the guys who are now interested in being the suitor of one of the now-sensation Gardiner girls. Julia loves all the attention, but turns down proposals from all of them, and these guys weren’t too shabby. One of them was a Supreme Court Justice.
John Tyler saw Julia and knew he just had to have her, and didn’t care how it looked. After dinner and cards at a party in the White House, JT throws caution to the wind and starts shamelessly showering Julia with attention while scandalized guests look on. Letitia hasn’t been dead five months, and here JT is chasing Julia around the White House like a smitten school boy.
Julia plays it cool as a cucumber, even after JT proposes to her at a ball thrown in honor of Washington’s birthday. Julia refuses to marry him three times! And JT says that’s fine, but just to go ahead and consider his proposal as a standing invitation.
This all goes on for a year, and then one fateful day, Julia, her dad, JT, a bunch of guys in his cabinet, and about 400 Washington Elites board the U.S.S. Princeton for a gala event full of toasts, bad political jokes, and good food, organized by the one, the only, Dolley Madison, who is still dominating the social scene in DC. She’s on board too.
The U.S.S. Princeton has a giant cannon on it, the largest in the world, in fact. It even has a name: the Peacemaker. While cruising the Potomac, they shoot off the cannon in celebration.
The Secretary of the Navy decides they’re going to fire it one more time, in the direction of Mount Vernon, as a salute to George Washington. But, the Peacemaker exploded upon it’s third firing, spraying hot iron across the deck instantly killing six men. Among those guys, the Secretary of the Navy, the Secretary of State, and David Gardiner (aka Julia’s dad).
John Tyler was safe and sound below deck, but came rushing up to see what had happened, and found Julia distraught. She fainted into his arms, and JT becomes her knight in shining armor, carrying her off the ship when they dock. Apparently it’s here that Julia’s feelings are “cemented” for John Tyler. She finally decides to accept the proposal from the President of the Unite States. You might say, their relationship started with a ‘bang’.
The wedding is going to be top secret. In fact, Tyler’s bodyguards sneak him out of the White House and get him to New York for the very private affair of friends and family only. The press had no idea.
Tyler’s kids weren’t thrilled with the marriage, his daughter Letitia (named for her mom) is just about Julia’s age, and will never forgive Julia for trying to take her mother’s place.
From pretty much the moment John Tyler became president, it was pretty obvious he would have an entire lame duck presidency. By the time Julia married him, she wouldn’t even have a full year as First Lady, so she’s got to make her time count! She’s going to dive right into her new role, drinking in the celebrity of being married to the president. She’ll host frequent dinner parties and receptions with enthusiasm nobody had seen since Dolley.
But Julia wouldn’t be as beloved as Dolley. People either loved her or hated her. Those who loved her, read about her in the NY Herold where Julia was friends with a reporter who liked to post only the best stories about the first lady who was a legendary dancer. She can waltz, and she introduces the world to polka! For some she’s going to be a bright spot in JT’s failed presidency.
But her haters are a plenty. Some people in DC are disgusted with her aristocratic excess as first lady. JT just couldn’t say no to his spoiled bride. She redecorates the White House, and travels around DC in a regal coach pulled by four Arabian horses. JT buys her expensive gowns, and a greyhound from Italy named Le Beau.
She travels everywhere with her entourage of 12 friends who are called “Ladies in Waiting”. At White House receptions they line up on either side of her, while she sits crowned up on a stage as if she is royalty.
Julia insists “Hail to the Chief” be played by the marine band, to announce her husband’s arrival. It’s actually a show-tune from a London play “The Lady of the Lake”, and has lyrics. This is will be the only thing from the John Tyler era that seems to stick. We still play Hail to the Chief when a president enters the room.
She better enjoy being married to the president, because her days as First Lady are numbered. The election of 1844 is quickly approaching. John Tyler’s chances of being nominated by the Whigs is less than zero. JT make’s overtures to the Democrats, but they don’t trust him either (after all he once betrayed them by jumping ship during the Jackson presidency). So instead, Henry Clay is going to face off against James K. Polk.
But Tyler does have a nice parting gift. He negotiated a treaty to annex the slave-holding republic of Texas. But slavery is starting to become quite the decisive issue, and the situation of Texas is a tricky one. If you annex Texas, you’re going to have to decide if that’s going to be a slave state, or a free state. And we are quickly approaching the disaster that was the Compromise of 1850 that sent us hurtling toward the Civil War, so right now in history, people in both parties are still trying to avoid having to make those decisions.
JT puts a patriotic spin on it, saying if we don’t grab Texas, Mexico will, and we don’t want that (one thing everyone could agree on- we don’t want that!) His treaty to annex Texas will be vetoed in the Senate, but it will have a profound effect on the election of 1844, which we will get to when we celebrate Polk’s birthday in November.
Remember how I said JT has to presidential triumphs? He had the treaty Webster negotiated that set the boarder of Maine and Canada. But, for JT, he’ll see the “beginning annexation of Texas” as his greatest accomplishment. That’s his greatest accomplishment. He almost annexed a territory we’ll get eventually anyway. I’d argue his biggest accomplishment was admitting Florida into the Union, but I’m partial. Also, the fact that John Tyler was the one who admitted Florida is the most Florida thing ever.
JT might be going out, but he’s not going out without rubbing Henry Clay’s nose in it all one more time. Henry Clay calls JT ‘a man without a party’, and JT says ‘if it’s a party he wants, I will give him a party’.
So Julia is going to be throwing one big “Grand Finale Ball” at the White House. She invites 3,000 guests in a blowout that sees Julia popping champagne and dancing the night away with ambassadors from nearly ever European Union. It will go down as one of the most lavish nights in DC history. JT finishes it up saying “yes, they can no longer say now that I am a President without a party.”
A few weeks later, James K. Polk is sworn in as the 11th president of the United States, and Julia and JT are saying goodbye to the White House.
After Polk is inaugurated, the Tyler’s with all their carriages, and trunks, and slaves in tow, head to the Potomac River to board a boat back home. The Captain of the boat, is an old Clay Whig and pulls away before JT can board, saying “ Ex-President Tyler be dashed. Let him stay!” The Tyler’s are left with all their stuff and no way to get home.
They eventually manage to get back to their Virginia plantation, where JT and Julia will have 7 children. In total, JT has 15 kids. The most of any president. Back at the Sherwood Forest, they will continue to throw parties, where JT will break out his violinist skills, and Julia will play on guitar.
Julia became the Southern Belle of Sherwood Forest, kind of weird for a girl who grew up on Long Island. She will continue to talk about her stint as a wife of a president, signing her letters “Mrs. Ex-President” Tyler, and insisting people call her “Ex-Presidentress”.
In the south, they are still popular. See, the Taylors love slavery. They’re not in the ‘we hate slavery, but can’t abolish it because the Constitution guarantees it’ camp. No, they are in the ‘we need slaves to survive, and don’t you dare tell me what I can and cannot do with the people I own’ camp.
They are supporters of the southern cause to protect their right to slavery, but they do want to avoid succession. With the Civil War brewing, JT reached out to now president Abraham Lincoln trying to negotiate a peace treaty, but Lincoln rejected it.
JT then became a traitor to the Union. He not only believed in the Confederate Cause but he joined the Confederate Government, and was a mean guy. He accused Ulysses Simpson Grant of not even burying his dead, and instead letting their bodies rot on the battlefield. Um, you don’t take shit about Sam Grant.
His involvement in the Confederacy would be short lived, not because JT had a change of heart, but because he had a stroke, and died at the age of 71, in a hotel in Richmond, Virginia. It was less than a year after the Civil War began.
Lincoln didn’t even comment on Tyler’s death. It’s the only time in American History Washington did not acknowledge the death of a former US President.
Tyler wanted a simple funeral, but the president of the Confederacy had other plans. Jefferson Davis devised a grand, political funeral for John Tyler, painting him as a hero for the Confederacy. JT’s coffin was draped in a Confederate Flag, making him the only president ever to be laid to rest not under the American flag.
Julia was only 41 when JT died. Their youngest child, Mary was just one and half. Mary will live until the Harry Truman administration. Remember, her dad was born during Washington’s presidency, meaning the family spanned 150 years, and 32 presidents. Two of John Tyler’s grandson’s are still living today (Probably anyway, the last article I can find about it was in 2018). John Tyler wasn’t the only one in the family to have kids late in life, so three generations of Tylers span nearly 230 years.
Anyway, Julia is left with a bunch of kids to raise, and a cause to support, which she continues to do with a passion. But money becomes an issue, thanks to JT’s stupid investments, there isn’t much cash left. Sherwood Forest declines, and Julia flees to her mom’s estate in Staten Island.
But, she’s not exactly welcome there. Her brother is a staunch Unionist and has little sympathy for his rebel sister. They argue over their mother’s estate, but eventually Julia will win out.
Things aren’t easy for her though. Supporting Slavery is going to cost her now that the war is over. Her kids will be mocked and assaulted for being the children of traitors. It gets so back she has to sell off her southern properties, to send the kids over to Europe for school to get them out of dodge.
Seven years after the war ends, Julia will go back to DC. She just can’t stay away from the social scene. She becomes a Catholic, and fights Congress to give her a first lady pension (even though she supported the Confederacy. The nerve!) She’ll live out her final years with the city elites before dying of a stroke eat the same hotel JT died at 27 years earlier. Julia was 69.
For obvious reasons, John Tyler is not a ‘national treasure’ president. He’s remembered for being the first Vice President to ascend to the office of the presidency upon a president’s death, and that’s if he’s remembered at all. I guess that’s better than being remembered as the president who was buried under a Confederate flag.
Future presidents have not had anything good to say about Tyler. Harry Truman called him “a contrary old son of a bitch,” and “One of the Presidents we could have lived without.” Teddy called him a “politician of littleness.”
The only guy trying to make sure the public doesn’t forget about President Tyler is one of those living grandsons, who turned Sherwood Forest into a tourist attraction. At least it’s finally making money!
