The Book, the Man, and the Venue — John Tyler
Book Review — "President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler" by Christopher J. Leahy
Welcome back to “The Book, the Man and the Venue”, my weekly newsletter that aims to shed light on every U.S. president in a way that is engaging, informative, and hopefully, fun!
Every Monday, I’ll be releasing a new article in which I chronicle my journey through one biography for each U.S. President. Each post will consist of three parts: I’ll offer a brief review of the biography (the Book), share reflections on the president’s character and legacy (the Man), and choose a location where I would spend time with the president if they were alive today (the Venue).
Hopefully, you will find the content both enriching and enjoyable, and if you like what you read, please consider checking out my other articles (and subscribing if you don’t already)!
Without further ado: John Tyler
The Book
Having entered the pages of Christopher Leahy’s “President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler” with little prior knowledge of the 10th president, I was pleasantly surprised with what I found. Far from the monotonous, dry account I had anticipated, Leahy’s rendition of “his accidency” was well-organized, methodical, and unexpectedly captivating.
Biographers have a propensity to be overly optimistic towards their subjects (see Harlow Unger’s biography of James Monroe as an example), yet Leahy exhibits no such tendency. The author is incredibly balanced in his portrayal of Tyler, frequently alluding to other historians in a way that adds credibility to the story and accentuates his analysis. Leahy’s epilogue, aptly titled “History’s Judgement”, is particularly noteworthy. Not only is it astoundingly well-written, but it succinctly synthesizes Tyler’s political career and modern perception in a way that leaves the reader feeling rewarded. Take this analogy between Tyler and JFK:
“In the run up to Kennedy’s reelection campaign for 1964, New York governor Nelson Rockefeller wavered in his pursuit of the Republican nomination and seemed willing to forego the opportunity to square off against the Democratic incumbent. Amid controversy, the governor had recently married his much-younger second wife, and it seemed at times that he would rather devote his attention to her rather than pursue the highest office in the land. In fact, the highly publicized divorce he engineered so that he could be with the woman he loved all but destroyed his presidential prospects. Rockefeller’s behavior baffled Kennedy. “No man would ever love love more than politics,” he declared.
John Tyler would have agreed.”
Alongside this poignant conclusion, Leahy also merits praise for his treatment of Tyler’s personal life. While the president’s first wife, Letitia, receives scant attention, the author provides an ample review of Tyler’s relationship with his second wife, Julia. Indeed, Leahy’s comparative analysis of Tyler’s two marriages is one of the highlights of the book; it brings necessary color to the story while also bringing a fascinating insight into the president’s romantic perspective (more on this in “the Man” section).
As with any biography, there are minor nitpicks to be found. The narrative tends to drag through Tyler’s White House years, and there’s a noticeable absence of exploration into how and why Tyler secured the vice presidency in the first place.
Despite these flaws, Leahy's book is still remarkably solid. It is exciting, revealing, and informative, penetrating its subject in a manner few biographies ever can.
Thus, while John Tyler is often called the “president without a party”, he can no longer be called the president with a biography. That narrative, Leahy has unequivocally laid to rest.
Rating: 7.1/10
The Man
John Tyler’s choice to side with the Confederacy during the Civil War severely tarnished his historical legacy. As Leahy writes:
“the northern public remembered him as the very embodiment of the states’ rights ideology and system of slavery the war had succeeded in toppling”, while the southerners viewed him as a “reminder of what had really brought on the Civil War”.
And yet, Tyler does merit some acknowledgement for his decisive actions following William Henry Harrison’s death. Though it's now customary for the Vice President to assume the presidency upon such an event, it was not until Tyler’s actions that this precedent became codified into American tradition. For this, if nothing else, Tyler deserves some praise.
On a lighter note, Tyler’s romantic life was nothing short of remarkable. Following his first wife Letitia’s passing in 1842, he promptly courted 23-year-old New Yorker Julia Gardner at the age of 53, marrying her while still in office (marking the first such instance in presidential history). The couple went on to have seven children together, giving Tyler fifteen overall, three of whom were older than his second wife!
Even more astonishingly, one of John Tyler’s grandchildren is still alive today. Harrison Tyler, aged 95, is Lyon Gardiner Tyler's son, John’s thirteenth child. Harrison was born when Lyon was 75, and Lyon was born when John was 63. Confusing, I know, but still crazy — funny how history is not as distant as we sometimes make it seem (Harrison, if you are reading this, I would love your input on my venue selection)!
The Venue
In his later years, Tyler was known to enjoy playing the fiddle for his children, a tradition passed down to him from his father. Given that I have absolutely no musical talent whatsoever, I figure that it would be best for me to take Tyler to a show he could appreciate: the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. Although it may not be my personal favorite among the venues I've selected thus far, I'm confident it would be an enjoyable experience for Tyler given his love for music and home state.
I hope that you’ve enjoyed this installment of “The Book, the Man, and the Venue.” If you have feedback about today’s issue, or thoughts about future topics, please feel free to send me a message.
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US history is younger than we give it credit for
Go blue!!