John Tyler

1790 – 1862

John Tyler was the tenth president of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845 after the death of William Henry Harrison made him the first vice president to ascend to the presidency. A lifelong slaveholder and aggressive defender of slaveholders' rights, he annexed the slaveholding Republic of Texas in his last days in office. Two decades later he became the only U.S. president ever to commit treason against the government he had once led, taking up a seat in the Confederate House of Representatives and dying just before he could occupy it.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM