7 Video Views·Mar 12, 2025
The year was 1841. No president had ever before died in office. And then one did. Who would take over as chief executive? The Constitution was surprisingly vague on this question — until Vice President John Tyler took a firm stance. His actions changed the direction of American history. Jared Cohen, author of Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America, tells Tyler’s little-known story.
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Script:
A loud, persistent rapping woke United States Vice President John Tyler out of a sound sleep.
Clad in his sleeping frock and a cloth hat, an irritated Tyler opened the door. Two young men stood before him.
One of them handed the Vice President a document.
Tyler broke the seal and read.
“My God, the President is dead.”
The president was William Henry Harrison. He had been in office for only 31 days.
In America’s short history, this had never happened before. And no one, including the Vice President, was quite sure what to do.
It was April, 1841.
John Tyler, tall, thin, with an aquiline nose and regal bearing, was the quintessential southern gentleman. A long-time fixture in Virginia politics, he had served both as governor and senator. When Harrison, who was looking for someone to shore up his Southern base, offered him the VP slot, Tyler felt duty bound to accept.
The two men rode to an easy victory on the catchy slogan — one of the most memorable in presidential politics — “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too.” (“Tippecanoe” referred to Harrison’s 1811 victory over hostile Indians at the Tippecanoe River in Indiana.)
On March 4, 1841, Harrison gave a rambling two-hour inauguration speech on a cold, rainy afternoon. Soon after, Tyler left town and returned to his plantation. He figured he could be vice president there just as well as he could in Washington, and a lot more comfortable.
It was at Tyler’s plantation that the messengers had delivered their fateful news.
When Tyler arrived in the nation’s capital, the only person who assumed that he was now president was Tyler.
Here’s why:
Article II of the Constitution reads as follows: “In Case of the Removal of the President from Office, or of his Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President.”
What does that mean?
It could easily mean that the Vice President was just a placeholder until a new President could be chosen by Congress or by a special election. That’s what John Quincy Adams the former President and now Massachusetts congressman believed. And many agreed with him.
Tyler took a decidedly different view.
If possession is nine-tenths of the law. Tyler had possession. And he wasn’t going to let go.
Thus, an historical precedent was forever established: in the event of the death of the President, the Vice President serves out the remaining term. We take this smooth transition for granted now, but only because of what Tyler did.
His first crisis solved, he immediately stepped into another.
Tyler was a member of the Whig Party. The Whigs were formed to oppose the Democrats which had been created and dominated by the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. The big issue for the Whigs was the establishment of a national bank which they saw as a way to get cheap credit to farmers to finance westward expansion. The Democrats, taking their lead from Jackson, hated the idea of giving power to what they believed were corrupt New York money interests.
Tyler, even though he was Whig, disliked the idea of a national bank as much as Jackson did. When Congress, then dominated by the Whigs, passed a national bank bill, Tyler vetoed it — twice. The Whigs were so incensed, they kicked Tyler out of the party.
By his second year in office, he was a President without a party.
One could fairly ask, why, if Tyler opposed the National Bank, was he Whig at all. The answer reveals both the strength and weakness of that party. The strength was that it was catch-all for anyone who didn’t like the Democrats — this included, oddly enough, both Northern abolitionists and Southern slave-owners like Tyler. Abraham Lincoln, it should be remembered, was elected to Congress as a Whig. The weakness of the party was that it had no unifying platform. No two members could agree on any one thing — except that they hated the Democrats, of course.
Tyler thought he could use this confusion to his advantage to win a second term. His plan depended on achieving one enormous goal, bringing the Lone Star Republic of Texas into the United States. Texas, Tyler believed, would unite Whigs who favored westward expansion and Southern Democrats who liked the idea of adding a new slave state.
For the full script, visit: https://www.prageru.com/video/john-tyler-president-without-a-party
a loud persistent rapping woke United
States Vice President John Tyler out of
a sound sleep clad in his sleeping frock
and cloth hat an irritated Tyler opened
the door two young men stood before him
one of them handed the vice president a
document Tyler Broke the seal and read
my God the president is dead the
president was William Henry Harrison he
had been in office for only 31 days in
America's Short history this had never
happened before and no one including the
vice president was quite sure what to do
it was April
1841 John Tyler tall thin with an
aqualine nose and Regal bearing was the
quintessential Southern gentleman a
longtime fixture in Virginia politics he
had served both as governor and Senator
when Harrison who was looking for
someone to shore up his Southern base
offered him the VP slot Tyler felt Duty
bound to accept the two men rode to an
easy Victory on the catchy slogan one of
the most memorable in presidential
politics tipic Cano and Tyler 2 tip canu
referred to Harrison's 1811 victory over
hostile Indians at tipic Cano River in
Indiana on March 4th 1841 Harrison gave
a rambling 2-hour inauguration speech on
a cold rainy afternoon soon after Tyler
left town and returned to his Plantation
he figured he could be vice president
there just as well as he could in
Washington and a lot more comfortable it
was at Tyler's Plantation that The
Messengers had delivered their fateful
news
when Tyler arrived in the nation's
capital the only person who assumed that
he was now president was Tyler here's
why article two of the Constitution
reads as follows in case of the removal
of the president from office or of his
death resignation or inability to
discharge the powers and duties of the
set office the same shall devolve on the
vice president what does this mean it
could easily mean that the vice
president was just a placeholder until a
new president could be chosen by
Congress or by a special election that's
what John Quincy Adams the former
president and now Massachusetts
congressman believed and many agreed
with him Tyler took a decidedly
different view if possession is 9/10 of
the law Tyler had possession and he
wasn't going to let go thus an
historical precedent was forever
established in the event of the death of
the president the vice president serves
out the remaining term we take this
smooth transition for granted now but
only because of what Tyler did his first
crisis solved he immediately stepped
into another Tyler was a member of the
wig party the wigs were formed to oppose
the Democrats which had been created and
dominated by the seventh president of
the United States Andrew Jackson the big
issue for the wigs was the establishment
of a national bank which they saw as a
way to get cheap credit to Farmers to
finance Westward Expansion the Democrats
taking their lead from Jackson hated the
idea of giving power to what they
believed were corrupt New York money
interests Tyler even though he was a wig
disliked the idea of a National Bank as
much as Jackson did when Congress then
dominated by the wigs passed a National
Bank Bill Tyler vetoed it twice the wigs
were so insens they kicked Tyler out of
the Party by his second year in office
he was a president without a party one
could fairly ask why if Tyler opposed
the National Bank was he a wig at all
the answer reveals both the strength and
weakness of that party the strength was
that it was a catchall for anyone who
didn't like the Democrats this included
oddly enough both Northern abolitionists
and Southern slave owners like Tyler
Abraham Lincoln it should be remembered
was elected to congress as a wake the
weakness of the party was that it had no
unifying platform no two members could
agree on any one thing except that they
hated the Democrats of course Tyler
thought he could use this confusion to
his advantage to win a second term his
plan depended on achieving one enormous
goal bringing the Lone Star Republic of
Texas into the United States Tex Tyler
believed would unite the wigs who
favored Westward Expansion and Southern
Democrats who liked the idea of adding a
new slave state Tyler came close to
pulling it off but was thwarted not by
anything he did but by a freak Naval
accident that killed his chief
negotiator on the Texas issue after his
Texas plans fell apart Tyler withdrew
from the 1844 race James pulk his
successor a Tennessee Democrat got the
Texas Glory Tyler returned to Virginia
but he wasn't finished with politics or
history he he was a passionate states
rights man he believed the 10th
Amendment to the Constitution prohibited
the federal government from interfering
with slave ownership ultimately he
supported secession in 1861 he was
elected to the Congress of the
Confederate states he died a year later
a traitor to the union his legacy
forever tarnished I'm Jared Cohen author
of accidental presidents eight men who
changed America for Prager University
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