Tippecanoe and Tyler Too

We all can remember from our elementary school lesson in US history, the catchy campaign phrase used by Harrison and Tyler, which is the title of this post. It was on this date, January 18, 1862 that John Tyler died.  Tyler, who hailed from the State of Virginia, was elected to the office of Vice President on the ticket with William Henry Harrison.  At this time they were both members of the Whig party, although Tyler is often recognized for his involvement in the Democratic Party. Harrison was 68 when he took the office of President that March 4 day in 1841 as the ninth President of the United States.  He would only serve one month, as he died April 4.  So, Tyler would assume the presidency for the remainder of the term.  Tyler would, however, become and independent in September of that year, and would later rejoin the Democratic regime.  His movement back to the Democratic party would begin with his declaration as an independent, but it would take time for the Democratic powers that be to once again accept him.

Campaign poster for Harrison and Tyler

Tyler was a busy man in both personal and professional respects.  He fathered 15 children--eight were by his first wife (who died in 1842) and the remainder by his second wife (whom he married in 1844).  Whether or not he fathered more with his slaves, like Thomas Jefferson is not known. No other President is known to have fathered more children.  He served in the US House of Representative, was governor of Virginia, and a United States Senator.  Little known is that he was also elected as a Democrat to the Confederate States House of Representatives, and was a member of the Virginia Peace Commission.  Tyler is often regarded by historians as one of the most inept of US Presidents.  A long career in public service would end with little recognition.

President John Tyler

Even though he proclaimed slavery an evil, he would not free any of his slaves.  In that sense he was not unlike Thomas Jefferson and a number of other slave holding presidents.  His split from the Democratic party began with his dislike for the politics of a predecessor, Andrew Jackson (served as president from 1829-1837).  The parting of ways would begin due to a few issues.  First, Tyler did not support the "spoils" system that Jackson would implement.  Perhaps Jackson, as president, was the first to set up a Democratic Machine of which Richard J Daley, Huey Long, James Curley (and many others) would be proud.  It was from Jackson's election in 1828 which would lead New York Senator William Marcy to coin the well known phrase:  "to the victor belongs the spoils."  Tyler was something of a renegade in the Democratic party at that time, perhaps not unlike what a John McCain is to the Republican party of today.  Second, beyond the ethical issue of patronage and spoils, the break was also due to policy matters.  Jackson, looking as most leaders would to strengthen their powers, would not support South Carolina's Ordinance of Nullification, which declared the tariffs of 1828 and 18323 to have been improperly put in place and were therefore null and void in South Carolina.  Jackson promoted the concept of a strong executive over the abilities of the legislative branch.  Tyler would reject Jackson's claim that he could use military force against South Carolina.  Third, he did not like Jackson's use of recess appointments, an issue that continues between the executive and legislative branches to this day.  Fourth, was Jackson's unilateral movement of funds from a federal to state banks.  His desire to avoid stepping in line with Andrew Jackson would affect his political career.

President Andrew Jackson

The actions of the powerful Jackson would drive Tyler to the Whig party.  Jackson was a man who continues to be held in high regard (think of the Jefferson-Jackson dinners which continue to this day) even though he was a slave holder, was ruthless in his massacres and dealings with Native Americans (today he would be accused of ethnic cleansing), and the continued promotion of the Jefferson ideal of an agrarian economy.  History would prove him wrong on the last point as the nation would become an industrial power.  So, Tyler would join the Whig's who were not against using government to assist the development of the nation--shovel ready projects of the day. Interesting, is that Abraham Lincoln, was also a member of the Whig party near the time of Tyler. Lincoln would be the only Illinois Whig congressman when elected to the House of Representatives in 1846, taking office in March 1847 and serving only one two year term. Lincoln would of course go on to be recognized for having fought to save the Union and free the slaves.  Of course, it was during the course of bleeding Kansas, that in June 1858 Abraham Lincoln would give his famous House Divided speech during a debate for the Illinois US Senate seat against the incumbent Stephen Douglas.  Lincoln would lose that election but gain the far greater prize of  President in the 1860 election.  We all know what happened next.

Lincoln--Douglas Debate poster

But, the victors do not always have the spoils.  Usually, the victor gets to write the history, and control the message.  It has been long thought in US history, however, that there has been a bias toward the south.  A recent example is on History.com where they talk about the death of Tyler and note that he was a member of the Virginia Peace Commission.  The piece simply says on this issue: "this body tried to negotiate a compromise with the Republicans in the North to prevent a civil war.  The attempt failed, as the Republicans were not willing to entertain any proposals that would protect slavery in the Western territories."  Let us forget the common method of referring to the states in rebellion as the Confederate States, but this short explanation seemingly blames the Republicans in the North for the Civil War.

Virginia House of Delegates 1861 Session Bill

My goodness, reading that short sentence one has to think the writer's intent was to the effect that if only those nasty Republicans would have let slavery expand in the west we would not have had a civil war, What human and American history would have turned out if the Rebellious states and the Virginia Peace Commission had their way would be pure speculation.  That sentence ignores the fact that American history is replete with compromises regarding the issue of slavery and the south kept reaching further and further, not unlike a toddler wanting sweets.  The South could never be pleased.  The issue goes all the way back to the US Constitution which recognized slaves as being 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation purposes. Slaves, like women at the time, could not vote, but yet the south wanted the best of both worlds.  There was the fugitive slave law, the Missouri Compromise, the Compromise of 1850 and of course, the Kansas Nebraska Act (1854)  Violence between free and slave desires would lead to Bleeding Kansas.

Cover of book on Bleeding Kansas

John Tyler was a son of Virginia.  He was often considered an accidental President who came by office only by the untimely death of Harrison. At the time many thought he should retain the title of Vice President, only to undertake the duties of the office of President. He was a former President being elected to the legislative body of a state in rebellion, and who served on their "Peace" Commission, which should rightfully simply be named "Let's Keep Slavery Commission."  Given that his date of death, January 18, 1862, occurred in the midst of the Civil War, John Tyler is the only person to have served as president to not have had his death officially recognized. After all, he was part of the Confederate States of America.  Perhaps it was a suitable end for a man who has been all but forgotten in history.  His presidency may have been mediocre, his slave holding unforgivable, but at least he did not cower to Andrew Jackson's patronage and pay-to-play system of the early 19th century. Of course, we know that as time has passed there some aspects of the political system are alive and well.