John Tyler (The American Presidents
Series: The 10th President,
1841-1845) by Gary May
An Outstanding Addition To Ther Series!
The first “accidental president,” whose secret maneuverings brought Texas
into the Union and set secession in motion
When William Henry Harrison died in April 1841, just one month after his
inauguration, Vice President John Tyler assumed the presidency. It was a
controversial move by this Southern gentleman, who had been placed on
the fractious Whig ticket with the hero of Tippecanoe in order to sweep
Andrew Jackson’s Democrats, and their imperial tendencies, out of the
White House.
Soon Tyler was beset by the Whigs’ competing factions. He vetoed the
charter for a new Bank of the United States, which he deemed
unconstitutional, and was expelled from his own party. In foreign policy, as

well, Tyler marched to his own drummer. He engaged secret agents to
help resolve a border dispute with Britain and negotiated the annexation of
Texas without the Senate’s approval. The resulting sectional divisions
roiled the country.
Gary May, a historian known for his dramatic accounts of secret
government, sheds new light on Tyler’s controversial presidency, which
saw him set aside his dedication to the Constitution to gain his two great
ambitions: Texas and a place in history.
Personal Review: John Tyler (The American Presidents Series:
The 10th President, 1841-1845) by Gary May
As we look back on the chaotic and fractious reign of President George W.
Bush, this book is a timely reminder that no president's term of office has
been a walk in the park.
John Tyler, like Bush, was an "accidental president." Elected Vice
President in 1840, Tyler became president when William Henry Harrison
died a month after taking office. He inherited a mess; the U.S. was on the
brink of a war with Canada, Seminoles were fighting in Florida and Texas
was pushing for annexation.
He left, by all immediate appearances, a greater nation that included
Florida, Texas and the Oregon territory. As his term was ending, he
signed a measure to annex Texas, an event which resulted in the Mexican
War of 1846 and a hardening of slavery attitudes that in 15 years became
the Civil War.
This book is a timely reminder of the implications of presidential
decisions. For example, could the Texas/slavery issue have been handled
in a manner that would not have led to the Civil War? In today's terms,
what will be the eventual social impact of the economic stimulus plan
President Barack Obama will surely implement?
Like Bush, Tyler wanted a legacy. Perhaps like Bush and the wars
in Iraq and Afghanistan, Tyler believed the annexation of Texas "shall
crown off my public life ... I shall neither retire ignominiously nor soon be
forgotten."
In retrospect, Tyler ranks 35th in the latest Wall Street Journal
"greatness" poll of presidents as rated by distinguished historians. By
comparison, Jimmy Carter ranks 34th. Harry Truman summed up Tyler as
"one of the presidents we could have done without."
Perhaps. The issue relates to how much control a president has
over events, and how many presidencies are controlled by events. That in
itself is an endless debate about the role of fate in our lives.

It's a relevant issue for modern times, provided we define "modern
times" as any and all presidents we can remember and those we are about
to come to know. This book isn't mere nostalgia about an almost forgotten
president -- tippy canoe and tie her too, or something like that -- it's as
relevant as the next four years, and probably much longer.
It's the beauty of this 'Presidents Series' ... it's more than history,
it's current events and even some thoughts about the future.
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