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By
George Peter Alexander Healy, 1859. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian
Institution |
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Tenth President, 1841-1845
With the death of President William Henry Harrison, John Tyler was
the first vice president to assume the presidency, a precedent that
did not sit well with some members of Congress--particularly his own
party, the Whigs. Tyler's general disregard of their agenda eventually
caused the resignation of all but one member of his cabinet, and ultimately
he was expelled from the party. Yet, despite challenges to his authority,
and nicknames like "His Accidency," Tyler refused to open mail addressed
to the "Acting President," taking on all the powers and privileges
of the presidency. Among Tyler's acts as president were bringing an
end to the Seminole War, working on the Webster-Ashburn Treaty of
1842 to resolve the Maine boundary dispute, arranging for the first
American trade mission to China, and expanding the Monroe Doctrine
to include Hawaii. Another first for Tyler--he was the first president
to be married in office. |
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