QUICK FACTS
Nickname: His Accidency
Year in office: 1841–1845
Political party: Whig
Birthday: March 29, 1790
Official presidential portrait of John Tyler
by George Peter Alexander Healy, 1859
Tyler Receiving the News of Harrison’s Death., 1888 (Library of Congress)
In 1841, John Tyler set a precedent that was followed many times after. When President William Henry Harrison died, Tyler took the oath of office and assumed the office of the president. There were some who questioned whether this move was constitutional. But Tyler stayed the course, going so far as to return mail that was addressed to the “Acting President.”
John Tyler was never elected president. He briefly ran as third party candidate in 1844, but withdrew early.
HOME
Sherwood Forest, Charles City, VA
GRAVESITE
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, VA
BOOKS
Davis, Kenneth C., and Pedro Martin. Don’t Know Much about the Presidents. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2014.
DeGregorio, William A., and Aaron Jaffe. The Complete Book of U.S. Presidents. Fort Lee, NJ: Barricade Books, Inc., 2017.
Kane, Joseph Nathan, and Janet Podell. Facts about the Presidents: A Compilation of Biographical and Historical Information. New York: H.W. Wilson, 2009.
WEBSITES
Encyclopedia Britannica, britannica.com
Library of Congress, loc.gov
Miller Center, University of Virginia, millercenter.org/the-presidency
The White House, whitehouse.gov
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