The Best Books To Learn About President John Tyler
(You can view the rest of our presidential Best Book lists by going to our Best US President Books page, or for a more in-depth look at how we found and ranked the books you can visit our Best Book About Every United States President article.)
John Tyler Quick Facts |
| President Number | 10 |
| Terms In Office | 47/48ths |
| Years | 1841-1845 |
| Political Party | Whig / Nonpartisan |
| Vice President | Vacant |
| Home State | Virginia |
| Slaves Owned | 70 |
| Presidential Pet | Canary (Johnny Ty) |
| Articles Used in Ranking | 12 |
| Number of Unique Books | 11 |
Happy Scrolling!
The Best Book About John Tyler
(Appears on 7 Lists)
John Tyler by Gary May
Lists It Appears On:
- All The Presidents Books
- Best Presidential Bios
- Library of Congress
- Mashable
- Presidents USA
- The Tailored Man
- The Washington Post
When William Henry Harrison died in April 1841, just one month after his inauguration, Vice President John Tyler assumed the presidency. It was a controversial move by this Southern gentleman, who had been placed on the fractious Whig ticket with the hero of Tippecanoe in order to sweep Andrew Jackson’s Democrats, and their imperial tendencies, out of the White House.
#2 Book
(Appears on 5 Lists)
John Tyler: Champion of the Old South by Oliver P. Chitwood
Lists It Appears On:
- Best Presidential Bios
- Library of Congress
- Mandi Lindner
- Presidents USA
- The Washington Post
#3
(Appears on 4 Lists)
John Tyler: The Accidental President by Edward Crapol
Lists It Appears On:
- At Times Dull
- Best Presidential Bios
- Library of Congress
- Presidents USA
The first vice president to become president on the death of the incumbent, John Tyler (1790-1862) was derided by critics as “His Accidency.” In this biography of the tenth president, Edward P. Crapol challenges depictions of Tyler as a die-hard advocate of states’ rights, limited government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Instead, he argues, Tyler manipulated the Constitution to increase the executive power of the presidency. Crapol also highlights Tyler’s faith in America’s national destiny and his belief that boundless territorial expansion would preserve the Union as a slaveholding republic. When Tyler sided with the Confederacy in 1861, he was branded as America’s “traitor” president for having betrayed the republic he once led.
#4-5
(Appear on 2 Lists)
And Tyler Too: A Biography of John & Julia Gardiner Tyler by Robert Seager
Lists It Appears On:
- Library of Congress
- Presidents USA
The Presidencies of William Henry Harrison & John Tyler by Norma Lois Peterson
Lists It Appears On:
- Library of Congress
- Presidents USA
Wearied by the hotly contested “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” campaign that unseated the Democratic incumbent, Martin Van Buren, Harrison succumbed to pneumonia after only one month in office, the first chief executive to die in the White House. His death precipitated a governmental crisis, which Vice President John Tyler promptly resolved—to the consternation of his Whig Party—by claiming the office and title of president, thus setting a precedent that only later was codified in the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the Constitution.
#6-11
(Appear on 1 List)
A Whig Embattled: The Presidency Under John Tyler by Robert J. Morgan
Lists It Appears On:
- Library of Congress
And Tyler Too by Donald Barr Chidsey
Lists It Appears On:
- Library of Congress
John Tyler: A President of Many Firsts by Jane C. Walker
Lists It Appears On:
- Presidents USA
John Tyler: Tenth President of the United States by Dee Lillegard
Lists It Appears On:
- Presidents USA
A biography of the Virginian who became tenth president of the United States upon the death of William Henry Harrison.
Presidents’ War: Six American Presidents And The Civil War That Divided Them by Chris DeRose
Lists It Appears On:
- Presidents USA
For the first time, readers will experience America’s gravest crisis through the eyes of the five former presidents who lived it. Author and historian Chris DeRose chronicles history’s most epic Presidential Royal Rumble, which culminated in a multi-front effort against Lincoln’s reelection bid, but not before
The Republican Vision of John Tyler by Dan Monroe
Lists It Appears On:
- Library of Congress
Historians have generally ranked John Tyler as one of the least successful chief executives, despite achievements such as the WebsterAshburton treaty, which heralded improved relations with Great Britain, and the annexation of Texas. Why did Tyler pursue what appears to have been a politically selfdestructive course with regard to both his first party, the Democrats, and his later political alliance, the Whigs? Monroe has set out to explain the beliefs that led to Tyler=s resigning his Senate seat and exercising politically suicidal presidential vetoes as well as examines the crises Tyler faced during his term in the House: the Panic of 1819, the financially tottering national bank, and the Missouri debate.
The Best John Tyler Book Lists Consulted
| Source | Article |
| All The Presidents Books | One Through Forty-Two or Forty-Three |
| At Times Dull | Janet’s Presidential Biography Project & Blog |
| Best Presidential Bios | The Best Presidential Biographies |
| Huffington Post | Presidents’ Day History: The Must-Reads Of Presidential Biographies |
| Library of Congress | Selected Bibliography |
| Mandi Lindner | 44 Presidents and Their Definitive Biographies |
| Mashable | Why I’m spending a year reading about every U.S. president |
| Presidential History | Presidential Resources |
| Presidential History (Again) | Pulitzer Prize Winning Books About Presidents |
| Presidents USA | FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT JOHN TYLER |
| The Tailored Man | The 44 Best Presidential Biographies |
| The Washington Post | The Fix’s list of best presidential biographies |
