Presidential Profiles: John Tyler (1841-1845)

John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Virginia to an old family from Virginia's ruling class. After graduating from the College of William and Mary at 17, John Tyler studied law. By the age of 21, he had secured a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, starting a long career in politics. Basic information about president’s childhood/young adulthood.

John Tyler was the first Vice President to be elevated to the office of President by the death of his predecessor. On April 6, 1841, John Tyler took the oath of office. His salary was $25,000 a year. He would serve the majority of 1 term as president from 1841 to 1845. On March 3, 1845, John Tyler's tenure as president would end. On January 18, 1862, he died at 71 years of age in Richmond, Virginia.


John Tyler's Administration

First Lady:

Letitia Christian Tyler, married March 29, 1813 (died in 1841)
Julia Gardiner Tyler, married June 26, 1844

Vice President: None

Secretaries of State:

Daniel Webster (1841-43)
Abel P. Upshur (1843-44)
John C. Calhoun (1844-45)

Secretaries of the Treasury:

Thomas Ewing (1841)
Walter Forward (1841-43)
John C. Spencer (1843-44)
George M. Bibb (1844-45)

Secretaries of War:

John Bell (1841)
John C. Spencer (1841-43)
James M. Porter (1843-44)
William Wilkins (1844-45)

Attorneys General:

John J. Crittenden (1841)
Hugh S. Legare (1841-43)
John Nelson (1843-45)

Postmasters General:

Francis Granger (1841)
Charles A. Wickliffe (1841-45)

Secretaries 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)

Inaugural Information

Since John Tyler was not elected, but became president after the death of William Henry Harrison, he did not have an inauguration. Rather, he had a swearing in ceremony.

Swearing-In of Vice President John Tyler after the death of President William H. Harrison, April 6, 1841

For more information on President Name, check out these resources...

John Tyler, White House

American President: John Tyler, Miller Center, University of Virginia

John Tyler, POTUS, Internet Public Library


Sonnet Ireland
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President John Tyler's Birthday

Today marks the 219th birthday of our 10th president, John Tyler. President Tyler served from 1841-1845 and was dubbed "His Accidency" by his opponents. He was the first Vice President to become President by the death of his predecessor (President William Henry Harrison). To learn more, click on these links:


White House: Biography of John Tyler


Biographical Directory of the U.S. Congress: John Tyler


Sonnet Erin Brown
Federal Documents Librarian
Subject Specialist: Legal Research/Political Science

"John Tyler."Dictionary of American Biography Base Set. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928-1936. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC