John Tyler (1790-1862) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the tenth president of the United States. His presidency was a tumultuous one – initially elected as vice president, he came to office after the death of his predecessor, William Henry Harrison (1773-1841), leading political opponents to refer to him as 'His Accidency'. After vetoing two bills that would establish a national bank, he was exiled from the Whig Party, leaving him politically isolated. Hoping to save his sinking popularity, he turned the focus of his administration toward the annexation of Texas, which was ultimately achieved in 1845. After his single term in office, he supported the South during the sectional crisis that preceded the American Civil War (1861-1865). When Virginia voted to secede from the Union, Tyler was elected to the Confederate Congress, but he was yet to take his seat when he died in January 1862.
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