John Tyler (#10)

John Tyler (1790–1862) became the first vice president to assume the presidency upon the death of a sitting president, succeeding William Henry Harrison in 1841. Nicknamed "His Accidency" by his political enemies, Tyler surprised everyone by governing as an independent, vetoing the core Whig legislative agenda and becoming the first president to face impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives.

Despite being expelled from the Whig Party — leaving him without any party affiliation — Tyler achieved significant results. His most consequential act was the annexation of Texas in 1845, just days before he left office, a move that set the stage for the Mexican-American War. Tyler also signed the Preemption Act and negotiated the Webster-Ashburton Treaty with Britain. He holds a remarkable family legacy: born in 1790, he had children late in life whose own children were still alive in the 2020s. Tyler supported the Confederacy near the end of his life and was elected to the Confederate Congress, but died in 1862 before taking his seat.