Born, Greenway estate, Charles City County, Va., one of eight children of John and Mary Armistead Tyler. The Tylers were slaveholders who operated a large tobacco, corn, and wheat plantation and raised thoroughbred horses. Father John Tyler, Sr., was a powerful politician, judge in Virginia’s General Court, and later governor of Virginia.

Mother Mary Armistead Tyler died.

Entered, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va., his father’s alma mater. Studied Ancient history and was impressed by the theories of economist Adam Smith and the teachings of school president Rev. Bishop James Madison.

Graduated, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Va. Gave commencement speech on the merits of female education, which enraged his mentor Rev. Bishop Madison.

Mentored in law by his father and cousin Samuel Tyler. Worked with College of William and Mary alumnus and former U.S. attorney general Edmund Randolph, though he disagreed with Randolph’s Federalist viewpoints favoring the supreme authority of the federal government. Admitted to the Virginia bar. Began criminal law practice in Virginia. Father became governor of Virginia.

Former president Thomas Jefferson, an acquaintance of Governor Tyler’s from their earlier study of law, dined at the governor’s residence in Richmond. Nineteen-year-old John Tyler met Jefferson for the first time during the visit.

Elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, as his father had been before him.

Father, then judge in the U.S. Circuit Court of Richmond, Va., contracted pneumonia, died, and was buried next to his wife on the Greenway plantation. Virginia state legislators wore black mourning badges for thirty days in the former governor’s honor.

Married first wife Letitia Christian (1790-1842), daughter of Percilla and Robert Christian of Cedar Grove, a plantation estate in New Kent County, Va. The wedding took place at Cedar Grove, and the newlyweds took up residence at Mons-Sacer, a farm that was part of the Greenway estate.

British troops attacked Hampton, Va., and defeated the city militia.

Captain, Charles City County, Va., Volunteer Militia (Charles City Rifles), in the War of 1812. The militia joined the 52d Regiment of the state militia and marched on Williamsburg, where they housed at the College of William and Mary campus. Did not see action in the war.

Member, Virginia Executive Council.
Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
First child, Mary (1815-1848) born, first of eight children with first wife Letitia Tyler.

Arrived in Washington, D.C., as member of U.S. Congress, which met in the Old Brick Capitol due to the destruction of public buildings during the war. Witnessed the debate and leadership skills of John C. Calhoun, Daniel Webster, John Randolph, and Henry Clay. Became a Washington insider and guest at James and Dolley Madison’s soirees.

Conducted study of Second Bank of the U.S. in Philadelphia. Called for abolition of the bank and transfer of funds to state institutions.

Opposed the Missouri Compromise. Argued that the spread of slavery was of benefit to the nation and its limitation unconstitutional, and that its concentration in the South would lead to sectional unrest.

President James Monroe signed the Missouri Compromise into law.

Resigned from U.S. House of Representatives for health, family, economic, and political opposition reasons.

Elected, Virginia House of Delegates.

Elected, Governor of Virginia.

Secretary of State Henry Clay challenged the eccentric Senator John Randolph to a duel. They exchanged shots on April 8 on the Virginia side of the Potomac River. Randolph’s reputation continued to decline, and Tyler privately promoted himself as a rising star to replace Randolph in the U.S. Senate for Virginia.

Defeated incumbent Senator John Randolph by five votes.

In need of disposable income to support life in the U.S. Capitol, Tyler sells Ann Eliza, an enslaved house servant owned by the Tyler family.

U.S. senator from Virginia.

Allied with the Andrew Jackson administration in opposing the re-chartering of the national bank. Supported Jackson’s veto. Supported compromise tariff measures in the Nullification Crisis, while disturbed by Jackson’s use of presidential power.

Opposed President Andrew Jackson’s Force Bill. Re-elected to U.S. Senate by Virginia state legislature. Compromise tariff bill passed with Tyler’s support.

Resigned from U.S. Senate and returned to Virginia. Joined the Whig Party. Became the preferred choice of many southern Whigs in the presidential race, within a divided Whig party. Martin Van Buren was elected president, while war veteran William Henry Harrison won seven states, including New Jersey, Ohio, and Indiana, and Tyler won four.

Economic Panic of 1837.

Reelected to Virginia House of Delegates as a Whig.

Supported Henry Clay as candidate for the presidency at the Whig Party convention in Harrisburg, Penn., which nominated William Henry Harrison and balanced the ticket with Tyler as vice president, which led to the famed “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” presidential campaign.

Wife Letitia Tyler suffered debilitating stroke at age 49.

Elected vice president of the United States as running mate of William Henry Harrison, who took the presidency in an electoral vote landslide (234 votes to Van Buren’s 60). Van Buren, however, carried Virginia, though the Whigs take control of both houses of Congress.

Took oath of office as vice president. Returned home to Virginia. Did not attend inaugural festivities. U.S. Senate was in recess until June.

President William Henry Harrison died after suffering an acute illness.

Arrived in Washington with his son and personal secretary, John Tyler, Jr., and arranged meeting with Harrison cabinet. Rejected the notion of an “acting” presidency and claimed he was due full powers of the office. Sworn in as tenth president of the United States, setting precedent for a vice president to become president in incidences when a president dies in office. At age 51, Tyler became the youngest person to that date ever to hold the office as president.

Harrison memorial conducted by Rev. William Hawley, rector of St. John’s Church, followed by funeral procession through the streets of Washington.

Issued informal “inaugural” address setting forth principles for his administration.

Convened Special Session of Congress. Retained Harrison cabinet members. Vetoed re-chartering of the Bank of the United States as submitted by Henry Clay. Raised ire of Whigs and Democrats alike. Vetoed a second Bank bill. Expelled from Whig Party membership and decried by New England Whig leaders as a defender of slavery. Former president Andrew Jackson questioned his mental abilities, while others assumed Henry Clay could guide the country from the Senate. Instead Tyler surprised Whigs with exercise of executive power—the very quality they most criticized regarding the former presidency of arch-rival Andrew Jackson.

Vetoed tariff bill. Impeachment resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Approved new tariff bill. Tyler Doctrine expanded Monroe Doctrine to include protection of Hawaiian Islands.

U.S. Senate ratified Treaty of Washington (Webster-Ashburton Treaty), which clarified outstanding issues between Great Britain and the United States.

After a long period of invalidism, First Lady Letitia Christian Tyler died in the White House. She was buried at her family plantation of Cedar Grove on September 13. Daughter-in-law Priscilla Cooper Tyler assumed many of the functions as White House hostess, with advice from former First Lady and socialite Dolley Madison.

The aristocratic Gardiner family arrived in Washington for winter social season, following an 1841 tour of Europe. They attend Christmas Eve dinner at the Executive Mansion at the invitation of John Tyler, Jr., the president’s son.

Began courtship of Julia Gardiner.

Secretary of State Daniel Webster resigned and was replaced by Virginian Abel P. Upshur, who began negotiations for Texas annexation treaty.

Journalist Alexander Abell published The Life of John Tyler.

Toured northeastern states.

Participated with other dignitaries, cabinet members, and guests from Washington society--including Dolley Madison, Julia Gardiner, and Julia’s father David Gardiner-- in a celebration cruise showcasing the USS Princeton, the U.S. Navy’s new steam warship commanded by Robert Stockton, on the Potomac River. Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Secretary of the Navy Thomas Gilmer, David Gardiner, and others were killed and others wounded when the USS Princeton’s powerful “Peacemaker” cannon misfired and exploded during a ceremonial demonstration of its fire power.

Appointed John C. Calhoun to replace Abel P. Upshur as secretary of state. Calhoun continued the administration’s negotiations for the annexation of Texas.

Treaty with Republic of Texas signed by Calhoun and representatives for Texas April 12 and was submitted to the U.S. Senate for ratification. Senate deliberations were highly controversial in an election year.

Tyler’s short-lived Democratic-Republican Party held presidential convention in Baltimore, with Tyler focused on the admission of Texas into the Union. The Democratic Party, meanwhile, nominated dark-horse candidate James K. Polk, slaveholder from Tennessee and former Speaker of the House, who supported expansion.

U.S. Senate voted to defeat the Texas treaty, with almost unanimous Whig Party opposition.

Sent the Texas Treaty for consideration to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Married second wife Julia Gardiner (1820-1889), aged twenty-four, in a small private ceremony at the Episcopal Church of the Ascension in New York City. The newlyweds took a ferry tour of New York Harbor and were saluted by U.S. Navy warships. They honeymooned at the new Tyler plantation, Sherwood Forest, near his ancestral home of Greenway, in Charles City County, Va. First president to have a wife die while in office, and then became the first president to marry in office. Public opinion had a field day over Tyler’s choice of mates, but the marriage proved a happy one. The new first lady set about overseeing Executive Mansion repairs and ruled social and ceremonial affairs in high style.

Treaty of Wanghia, first trade treaty between the United States and China, negotiated under Tyler’s administration by Caleb Cushing. Ratification signed by President Tyler January 17, 1845.

Assured of James K. Polk’s support for the annexation of Texas, Tyler announced he would drop out of the presidential race. He became the first incumbent president not to seek re-election.

Democrat James K. Polk elected president of the United States, defeating Whig Henry Clay in a close race. The Tylers exulted in the Clay loss and viewed the Polk victory as a voter mandate for Texas annexation.

Delivered his last message to Congress and entreated the members to pass a joint resolution admitting Texas as a state. Julia Gardiner Tyler meanwhile lobbied extensively for annexation through social circles in Washington.

U.S. House of Representatives approved resolution admitting Texas as a state, by a vote of 120 to 98.

James K. Polk arrived in Washington and lobbied recalcitrant senators to back annexation. The Senate passed the resolution and the House approved the Senate version.

Signed the joint resolution three days before leaving office, annexing Texas to the United States as a slaveholding state. Gave to his wife the pen used to sign the resolution.

Departed the Executive Mansion as Congress overrode his last presidential veto, of a bill authorizing construction of two vessels for the Revenue Cutter Service. Controversial career as the “accidental president” ended. Left office at age 54, the youngest ex-president to that date in history. Retired to his Sherwood Forest plantation in Virginia.

Julia Gardiner Tyler planned extensions of Sherwood Forest, to include a ballroom. Tyler purchased additional enslaved laborers, bringing the plantation’s enslaved population to 70. Julia Gardiner Tyler gave birth to seven children; the eldest, a son, David Gardiner Tyler, born in 1846, was named for her father. The last child, a daughter, Pearl (d. 1947), was born in 1860. Between his first and second families, Tyler was father to fifteen children.

Testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in defense of Secretary of State Daniel Webster’s 1842 actions regarding Maine. The corruption charges against Webster were dropped.

Mexican War.

Supported Compromise of 1850.

Supported Kansas-Nebraska Act.

Republican Abraham Lincoln elected president of the United States.

Met with President James Buchanan in Washington. Called for leaders and border state representatives to attend a Peace Convention to seek resolution of political crisis between North and South.

Elected president of peace convention in Washington, tasked with crafting a bipartisan constitutional amendment intended to avert civil war. Delegates were contentious and representatives of the Deep South left the proceedings. Opposed measures of agreement that would ban slavery from expanding in Latin America and the West Indies. Encouraged secession of border states  in order to create a stronger confederacy to block incoming president, Abraham Lincoln, from pursuing war. Joined pro-secession southerners in voting against the peace convention amendment. The measure was nevertheless approved and delivered for consideration of Congress, which ignored it.

Encouraged Virginia to secede from the Union.

Abraham Lincoln inaugurated as president of the United States.

Voted with other delegates at Virginia convention to approve ordinance for secession. Compared Virginia’s action to the American Revolution and the nation’s declaration of independence from Britain.

Helped Virginia join the Confederate States of America (CSA) and transfer the CSA capital from Montgomery, Ala., to Richmond, Va. Ran for, and was elected, as a member of the Confederate House of Representatives.

Julia Gardiner Tyler supported the Confederacy in the Civil War (the War between the States), but spent most of the war years with family in New York. As a southern supporter living in the North, she was what was popularly known as a “Copperhead.” John Tyler, Jr., commissioned as a major in the Confederate Army. Robert Tyler worked for the Confederate treasury in Richmond.

After arrival in Richmond to begin duties in Confederate House of Representatives, fell violently ill.

Died with a physician and his wife Julia at his bedside. Little public notice of the death of the former president appeared in Washington, nor was there any official announcement of mourning by President Lincoln.

Lay in state in coffin draped by Confederate flag in Hall of Congress in Richmond. Memorial service held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Buried in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond.

U.S. Congress voted a pension for former First Lady Julia Gardiner Tyler.

Julia Gardiner Tyler died in Richmond, Va. Buried next to her husband in Hollywood Cemetery.