John Tyler
Born: March 29, 1790
Died: January 18, 1862
Slaves Owned: 70+
Known For: Becoming the first vice president to become president after William Henry Harrison died one month into his presidency, annexing Texas, making Florida a state, and siding with the Confederacy when the Civil War began.
So, I'll be honest, this guy was kind of a dud of a president. He basically made a bunch of deals with people and then stabbed them all in the back to further his political gains. He was a big believer in Manifest Destiny and would be the one to annex Texas and bring Florida into the US. Nobody really liked him, though, and he ended up being a one termer because of it. I guess that's what you get when you compromise your beliefs to gain from it. Integrity was not his forte.
He was a big states' rights guy, so of course he never tried to end slavery, which makes sense, since he also participated in it. He apparently had two enslaved men work as his personal servants while in the White House.
John Tyler is a great example of white male mediocrity. Just, nothing really stands out about him, but he managed to become an actual president of the United States...it baffles the mind, really.
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