John Tyler

Served as president from 1841-1845
Era: Westward Expansion Era

American Identity and Culture
John Tyler was the first person to become president from the death of the President in office. After the death of William Henry Harrison on April 4th, 1841, John Tyler, as the Vice President of the United States, became the president. The fact that he was president because of the death of the current president in office made it seem as if he was supposed to be a passive acting president. Instead he passed many laws and issued many things which made enemies in Congress. John Tyler, who issued many laws and passed many of them made these enemies and because of these enemies, he was the first president to become threatened with impeachment. Congress threatened to impeach him from office but in the end, their efforts failed. John Tyler was also not a devoted Whig. John Tyler also had the most children, with 15 children; He was the president with the most children.
Economic Transformations and Globalization
During the time of John Tyler’s presidency, many changes in the economy and culture happened. The second great awakening also happened during the time of his presidency. The many Utopian societies were formed. The Mormon religion was also founded and they migrated to Salt Lake City, Utah. People also created more reform movements during this time. People began reforming on temperance and also other things. A group of people founded the American Temperance Society whose sole purpose was to try and persuade drinkers to not only limit their drinking but to stop drinking alcohol altogether. People such as Horace Mann, Dorothea Dix, David Walker and Henry Highland Garnet all worked at reforming society; they worked on Education, Mental Asylums, and Abolitionism respectively. Women also sought reforms on their rights. The Cult of domesticity also existed in the households of this time period. Women’s rights movements also began around this time.
Environment
The environment had many changes during the presidency of John Tyler. With industrialization, people have become a lot poorer and richer. The gap between the rich and the poor people only widened with the policies that John Tyler passed. Through these gaps, the poor experienced the horrors of the cities, facing the dangerous conditions in open sewers and wastes that factories produced. Through these horrible dangers people became a lot more susceptible to diseases such as cholera and other dangerous life-threatening diseases. The large economic difference made a large difference in the environment in which people lived. John Tyler also tried to annex Texas into the Union. He was a fellow advocate in the Western expansion of the United States and strongly believed in Manifest Destiny. He tried to bring the Republic of Texas into his platform. In early 1843, he finished the Webster-Ashburton treaty and was ready to gain Texas as a sate. He though the only way to annex Texas was through his re-election in 1844.
Politics and Citizenship
John Tyler was pronounced as a Whig but was not as devoted as people believed. As president, he vetoed many of the Whigs legislations and calls for a national bank. He also favored the South and for the expansion of Democrats in the government. William Henry Harrison was expected to be a strong negotiator for Whigs and to support Whig legislations but after his death, John Tyler became president and vetoed many of the legislations that Whig members tried to pass. He even vetoed Henry Clay’s legislations for national banks after the large Panic of 1837 which made the United States in dire need of a national bank. The House of Representatives also tried to impeach John Tyler because of his actions against the Whigs. Although they attempted to impeach him, Whigs were unable to because of they later lost control over the house after the election of 1842.
Slavery and its legacies in North America
Strong abolitionist movements began around the time John Tyler’s presidency. During this time, the annexation of Texas also took place, in which John Tyler tried to annex Texas into the Union. Tyler had appointed John C. Calhoun as his Secretary of State, who was also a leading advocate in the annexation of Texas but also one in slavery. Tyler wanted Texas to be added to the United States as a slave state, and because of this, it gave rise to the resentment that came from the northern abolitionists. The annexation of Texas as a slave state also went against the balance of power between slave states and Free states; this balance in power was created in the past with the Missouri Compromise. With the major resentment from northern abolitionists it was impossible to annex Texas but after the numerous attempts it was added to the Union as a slave state.
War and Diplomacy
During the time of John Tyler’s presidency many accomplishments were made in the foreign policy of the United States. In 1844 he established the Treaty of Wanghia with China. He sent a negotiator or a Lawyer to China where they made the terms to Commerce with China. He did this to get the upper hand in commerce with the Eastern world, competing against Britain in the markets. In the same year that treaty was made, John Tyler also sent the minister Henry Wheaton to Berlin in Germany. In Germany, Wheaton negotiated with Germany to sign a trade agreement and succeeded in creating this treaty. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842 was also a great foreign policy that was created during this time. In that year Daniel Webster negotiated with Great Britain to settle the border between Maine and Canada. Tyler was also unable to fix the boundaries for Oregon but on March 3rd, 1845 he was able to add Florida into the United States, as the 27th state.