The Obscure Presidents: John Tyler Part III-After the Presidency
John Tyler left office on March 4, 1845, following the inauguration of his successor, James K. Polk. He retired to his Virginia plantation located on the James River in Charles City County. It was originally named Walnut Grove (or "the Grove"), but perhaps as part of a mischievous sense of humor, Tyler renamed it Sherwood Forest, a reference to the folk legend Robin Hood, because he felt that he had been "outlawed" by the Whig Party. No longer burdened by politics, he threw himself into operating his farm and worked hard to maintain large yields.
According to his biographers, Tyler's neighbors who were mostly Whigs, selected him to be "overseer" of his road in 1847. They did this to mock him in a sort of "oh how the mighty have fallen" gesture, but Tyler treated the title seriously. He would often use his position to require his neighbors to provide their slaves for road work, and continued to have the title even after his neighbors asked him to stop.
Tyler ceased most of his political involvement, and he didn't receive many visits from his former political friends. He gave the occasional public speech, but none of the local or national political movers and shakers sought out his advice. He was called upon to speak was at the unveiling of a monument to Henry Clay and in the speech he was gracious, acknowledging the political battles between the two, but speaking highly Clay, noting that he had always admired the "great compromiser" for bringing about the Compromise Tariff of 1833.
Tyler spent his summers in retirement at the family seaside home, known as "Villa Margaret", located in Hampton, Virginia, which was purchased in 1858. Three years later, the property would be seized by Union soldiers, making Tyler one of the first Virginians to lose property in the war. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln, when a number of southern states were contemplating seceding from the Union, Tyler re-entered public life. He proposed, sponsored and chaired of the Virginia Peace Convention, held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861. This was an effort to reach a compromise to prevent war. The convention had representatives from most of the states, many elder statesmen, who strove to present an acceptable compromise that would prevent secession and conflict. But the convention's proposals were rejected by Congress. At this point Tyler abandoned any further hope of compromise and saw secession as the only option,. He believed that a clean split of all Southern states would not result in war. The full story of the Washington Peace Conference is told in Mark D. Tooley's recent book The Peace That Almost Was: The Forgotten Story of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference and the Final Attempt to Avert the Civil War, reviewed here.
When the war broke out, Tyler sided with his home state of Virginia, which joined the Confederacy. His wife Julia Tyler also supported the Southern cause despite her Northern birth. Regaining his political stature with his neighbors, John Tyler was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. On January 5, 1862, he left for the Confederate capital, Richmond, in order to begin his congressional service within the confederacy.
But John Tyler not live to see the opening sessions of the Confederate Congress.On January 12, 1862, after complaining of chills and dizziness, he vomited and collapsed. He was seen by a doctor, but his health did not improve, and he decided to return to Sherwood Forest as soon as his health permitted him to do so. On the night of January 17th, as he lay in bed, he began experiencing problems breathing. His wife Julia called for his doctor. Just after midnight, Tyler took a sip of brandy, and told his doctor, "I am going. Perhaps it is best." He died shortly thereafter, most likely due to a stroke.
Tyler's death was the only one in presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington, because of his allegiance to the Confederacy. He had asked for a simple burial, but Confederate President Jefferson Davis arranged for a large, politically publicized funeral. Davis called Tyler a hero to the new nation. Tyler's coffin was draped with a Confederate flag, making the only former president ever to be buried under a flag other than the stars and stripes. Tyler is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, in front of the gravesite of former President James Monroe.
Tyler's presidency is generally ranked as one of the least successful. He was unable to achieve much owing to his lack of support in Congress, although in spite of this, he was able to orchestrate the annexation of Texas into the union. He also deserves credit for the fact that his assumption of complete presidential powers, following the death of the incumbent president, set a hugely important precedent. His successful insistence that he was president, and not simply a caretaker or acting president, was a model for the succession of seven other presidents that would follow him. His actions were later legally recognized in 1967, with the passage of the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
Tyler also deserves credit for his accomplishments in the field foreign policy. The Webster–Ashburton treaty improved relations with Great Britain and resolved significant areas of conflict. the annexation of Texas, which added millions of acres to the national domain." He also deserves credit for his firmness in insisting that the office of the president was a separate branch of government and not one which simply followed the dictates of congress or of the cabinet. But much of this will always be overshadowed by Tyler's allegiance to the Confederacy.
Tyler remains as one of the nation's most obscure presidents. As his biographer Robert Seager has noted: "His countrymen generally remember him, if they have heard of him at all, as the rhyming end of a catchy campaign slogan."
Tomorrow: Benjamin Harrison
According to his biographers, Tyler's neighbors who were mostly Whigs, selected him to be "overseer" of his road in 1847. They did this to mock him in a sort of "oh how the mighty have fallen" gesture, but Tyler treated the title seriously. He would often use his position to require his neighbors to provide their slaves for road work, and continued to have the title even after his neighbors asked him to stop.
Tyler ceased most of his political involvement, and he didn't receive many visits from his former political friends. He gave the occasional public speech, but none of the local or national political movers and shakers sought out his advice. He was called upon to speak was at the unveiling of a monument to Henry Clay and in the speech he was gracious, acknowledging the political battles between the two, but speaking highly Clay, noting that he had always admired the "great compromiser" for bringing about the Compromise Tariff of 1833.
Tyler spent his summers in retirement at the family seaside home, known as "Villa Margaret", located in Hampton, Virginia, which was purchased in 1858. Three years later, the property would be seized by Union soldiers, making Tyler one of the first Virginians to lose property in the war. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln, when a number of southern states were contemplating seceding from the Union, Tyler re-entered public life. He proposed, sponsored and chaired of the Virginia Peace Convention, held in Washington, D.C., in February 1861. This was an effort to reach a compromise to prevent war. The convention had representatives from most of the states, many elder statesmen, who strove to present an acceptable compromise that would prevent secession and conflict. But the convention's proposals were rejected by Congress. At this point Tyler abandoned any further hope of compromise and saw secession as the only option,. He believed that a clean split of all Southern states would not result in war. The full story of the Washington Peace Conference is told in Mark D. Tooley's recent book The Peace That Almost Was: The Forgotten Story of the 1861 Washington Peace Conference and the Final Attempt to Avert the Civil War, reviewed here.
When the war broke out, Tyler sided with his home state of Virginia, which joined the Confederacy. His wife Julia Tyler also supported the Southern cause despite her Northern birth. Regaining his political stature with his neighbors, John Tyler was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives. On January 5, 1862, he left for the Confederate capital, Richmond, in order to begin his congressional service within the confederacy.
But John Tyler not live to see the opening sessions of the Confederate Congress.On January 12, 1862, after complaining of chills and dizziness, he vomited and collapsed. He was seen by a doctor, but his health did not improve, and he decided to return to Sherwood Forest as soon as his health permitted him to do so. On the night of January 17th, as he lay in bed, he began experiencing problems breathing. His wife Julia called for his doctor. Just after midnight, Tyler took a sip of brandy, and told his doctor, "I am going. Perhaps it is best." He died shortly thereafter, most likely due to a stroke.
Tyler's death was the only one in presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington, because of his allegiance to the Confederacy. He had asked for a simple burial, but Confederate President Jefferson Davis arranged for a large, politically publicized funeral. Davis called Tyler a hero to the new nation. Tyler's coffin was draped with a Confederate flag, making the only former president ever to be buried under a flag other than the stars and stripes. Tyler is buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, in front of the gravesite of former President James Monroe.
Tyler's presidency is generally ranked as one of the least successful. He was unable to achieve much owing to his lack of support in Congress, although in spite of this, he was able to orchestrate the annexation of Texas into the union. He also deserves credit for the fact that his assumption of complete presidential powers, following the death of the incumbent president, set a hugely important precedent. His successful insistence that he was president, and not simply a caretaker or acting president, was a model for the succession of seven other presidents that would follow him. His actions were later legally recognized in 1967, with the passage of the Twenty-fifth Amendment.
Tyler also deserves credit for his accomplishments in the field foreign policy. The Webster–Ashburton treaty improved relations with Great Britain and resolved significant areas of conflict. the annexation of Texas, which added millions of acres to the national domain." He also deserves credit for his firmness in insisting that the office of the president was a separate branch of government and not one which simply followed the dictates of congress or of the cabinet. But much of this will always be overshadowed by Tyler's allegiance to the Confederacy.
Tyler remains as one of the nation's most obscure presidents. As his biographer Robert Seager has noted: "His countrymen generally remember him, if they have heard of him at all, as the rhyming end of a catchy campaign slogan."
Tomorrow: Benjamin Harrison