John Tyler's Life

John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790 in Charles City County, Virginia on Greenway Plantation. His mother died when he was seven; his father was a judge who was later elected Governor of Virginia. In 1802, Tyler attended the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. He graduated from the college when he was only seventeen years old. He went on to study law and in 1811 he began to practice law in Richmond. That same year he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates and served for five years. John Tyler married Letitia Christian; together they had eight children. In 1816 Tyler was elected to the United States House of Representatives where he served for five years. He went on to served in the House of Delegates from 1823 through 1825. He was elected Governor of Virginia in 1825 and served for two years until he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He served in the Senate for nine years. Tyler was elected Vice President when William Henry Harrison won the presidential election in 1841. One month later, after Harrison died of pneumonia at age 68, Tyler took the presidential oath of office as President. His wife died while he was President and he married Julia Gardiner. He was the first president to wed while in office. Together they had seven children. President Tyler was instrumental in the annexation of Texas in 1845 and he established the United States Weather Bureau. As president he established trade between China and the United States. He left office in 1845 and he moved to his plantation, Sherwood Forest, where he lived with his family until he died on January 18, 1862. Note: John Tyler was President from 1841 through 1845 and since he was completing Harrison's term there was no Vice President.