TYLER, Joux, tenth president of the United States, b. in Charles City co., Virginia, Mar. 29, 1790. His father was an officer of the army in the revolution, and a judge of the federal court of admiralty. John entered William and Mary college at 12, and grad uated at 17, was admitted to the bar at 19, and almost immediately entered upon a large practice. At 21 he was elected to the state legislature, supporting the policy of Jeffer son, Madison, and the democratic party. He was almost unanimously elected five times; and in 1816, entered congress. During his long congressional career, he sus tained all the measures of the state rights party. In 1825 he was elected governor of Virginia; and in 1827 senator in congress. He supported gen. Jackson and the demo cratic policy; but sided with Mr. Calhoun on the question of nullification. At a later period, however, 1833-34, he supported Mr. Clay's resolutions of censure on gen. Jackson for removing the government deposits from the U. S. bank. From this period; he became an active partisan of Henry Clay, the candidate of the whig or republican party; and in 1840 was elected vice-president of the United States, with gen. Harrison as president. President Harrison died April 4,1841, a month after his
inauguration, by which event Mr. Tyler became president. He began his administration by removing democrats from office, and appointing whims, and pronouncing in favor of whig measures, but soon after vetoed a bill for a U. ebank, passed by congress; sev eral members of the cabinet resigned; and after some changes, John C. Calhoun, the great southern democratic statesman, became secretary of state. The most import ant act of his administration was the annexation of Texas, Mar. 1,1845. At the close of his term of office, he retired to private life until 1861, when he was president of a peace convention at Washington. Failing in his efforts at a compromise, he gave his adhesion to the confederate cause, and was a member of the confederate congress until his death at Richmond, Jan. 1862.