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5.0 out of 5 stars
An introductory biography on the accidental president, October 18, 2003
This review is from: John Tyler: Our Tenth President (Spirit of America: Our Presidents) (Library Binding)
After watching dramatic machinations regarding the vice presidency on "The West Wing" this season it is interesting to look back at what happened 1841 when William Henry Harrison became the first president to die in office. At that point in American history the Constitution was seen as being unclear as to what happened at that point regarding the question of succession. It was John Tyler, the vice president, who insisted that the Constitution gave him the full powers of the president when Harrison died. Five days after Harrison's death Tyler took the oath of office, thereby establish the precedent that no one questions today. However, all but one of Harrison's Whig cabinet members wuit their posts and the following year the Whigs tried unsuccessfully to impeach Tyler in the House of Representatives.
In this juvenile biography of Tyler for the Our Presidents series, Steven Ferry does a good job of contrasting the popular idea of Tyler as the "Accidental President" with the political struggles that qualify him to be called the most stubborn president of all time as well. The first chapter of this slim volume establishes Tyler as a rebel, who was taught to be independent and to stand up for his beliefs by his father, a judge who became the governor of Virginia. Tyler's political career is covered both in terms of the offices he held but also his commitment to states' rights. Ferry makes it clear that when Tyler was selected as Harrison's running mate on the famous "Tippecanoe and Tyler, too!" ticket despite the fact he did not support many of the Whig ideas.
Tyler's time in the White House is characterized as "An Accidental Presidency," when Harrison died one month into his term having caught pneumonia at his inaugural after speaking for more than two hours in a freezing rain. Ferry details the steps by which Tyler assumed the presidency and then covers the lack of cooperation between Tyler and the Congress, which saw the first time Congress used its power to override a presidential veto. Tyler had some success with foreign affairs, but the Senate refused to ratify a treaty that would have annexed Texas because they did not want to giver the president the credit. The final chapter looks at Tyler's life after the White House, including his involvement with the government of the Confederacy.
By the end of this volume young readers will understand why Tyler was not only unpopular, but was considered a traitor by any Americans. As is the case with these volumes this book has informative sidebars on topics such as Tyler's second wife and the ghost that haunts Tyler's house, and the margins are filled with Interesting Facts about Tyler's personal life and political career. The book is illustrated with historic paintings, drawings, and etchings, and the back contains a Time Line, Glossary Terms, Presidential Facts, and sources For Further Information. As always, the Our Presidents seires remains one of the best introductory looks at the life of Tyler or any other American president.
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