John Tyler

U.S. President

John Tyler had been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, governor of Virginia and a member of the Senate before being tapped by the Whigs to be William Henry Harrison's running mate in 1840. The Whigs had chosen Tyler not for his policies, but to draw support from the south. A month into his term, Harrison died and Tyler was president. By the end of his term, neither the Whigs nor the Democrats supported him, and he chose not to run for re-election. He was succeeded by Democrat James K. Polk. At the time of his death, Tyler was a member of the Confederate Congress, in revolt against the United States.

Extra credit: First Lady Letitia Christian Tyler died in the White House in 1842. Two years later, at the age of 54, John Tyler married 24 year-old Julia Gardiner... Tyler had 15 children, the most fathered by any U.S. president... Tyler featured in Harrison's famous campaign slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler too!"

For more on Tyler and his second wife see our loop on May-December Presidents.

Blog posts mentioning John Tyler:
Tippecanoe and Tyler, Terminated