John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845. He was born on March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the son of John Tyler Sr., a wealthy planter and judge, and Mary Armistead Tyler. Tyler was educated at the College of William and Mary, where he studied law. After graduating in 1807, he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Charles City County.
Tyler was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 1811 to 1816 and was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1816. He served in the House until 1821, when he was elected to the United States Senate. He served in the Senate until 1827, when he was elected Governor of Virginia. He served as Governor until 1836, when he was elected Vice President of the United States on the Whig ticket with William Henry Harrison.
When Harrison died in April 1841, Tyler became the first Vice President to assume the office of President. He was sworn in on April 6, 1841. As President, Tyler was a strong advocate of states' rights and limited government. He opposed the Second Bank of the United States and vetoed a bill to re-charter it. He also vetoed a bill to create a new national bank. He was a strong supporter of the annexation of Texas, which he accomplished in 1845.
Tyler was a controversial president. He was the first president to be impeached, though the House of Representatives failed to convict him. He was also the first president to marry while in office, when he wed Julia Gardiner in 1844.
Tyler's presidency was marked by a number of accomplishments. He was the first president to issue a proclamation of neutrality in a foreign war, when he declared neutrality in the war between Britain and China in 1842. He also negotiated the Webster-Ashburton Treaty with Britain in 1842, which settled a long-standing boundary dispute between the United States and Canada. He also negotiated the Treaty of Wanghia with China in 1844, which opened up trade between the two countries.
Tyler's presidency was also marked by a number of failures. He was unable to pass any major legislation, and his vetoes of bills to create a new national bank and to re-charter the Second Bank of the United States were overridden by Congress. He also failed to resolve the issue of slavery, which was becoming increasingly divisive in the United States.
John Tyler's presidency was a mixed bag. He was a strong advocate of states' rights and limited government, and he accomplished a number of foreign policy successes. However, he was unable to pass any major legislation and failed to resolve the issue of slavery. His presidency was marked by controversy, and he was the first president to be impeached. Despite his mixed record, Tyler's legacy as president is an important part of American history.