President John Tyler died 150 years ago, but remarkably still has living grandchildren today. The Sideshow reported that Tyler still has two living great-grandsons, making him the oldest president to still have living descendants.
Tyler isn't a well-remembered of presidents, and often recorded by history as one of the most obscure. Here is a list of his some notable accomplishments while serving as the nation's 10th chief executive:
* Not the Acting President -- Tyler was elected vice president when William Henry Harrison took office as the 9th president. Harrison was notorious for giving long speeches, and gave an inaugural address without an overcoat in chilly March weather in Washington D.C. He soon drew ill and died of pneumonia one month later, becoming the first president to die in office. Tyler assumed the presidency and insisted that he was "president" not "acting president" under the untested provisions of Article 2 Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution. This established a precedent that was followed by every other vice president that became president upon the death of his predecessor.
* USS Princeton -- Tyler and members of his cabinet took a cruise aboard the heavily-armed warship to debut new technology and a "supergun" that was constructed using state-of-the-art methods. Military History reports that the weapon exploded during a ceremonial fire demonstration killing five members of Tyler's cabinet. Tyler escaped death because he was delayed by his son-in-law below decks when the disaster occurred.
* Impeachment Attempt -- During a contentious debate about establishing a national bank, Tyler twice vetoed legislation passed by Congress. According to the White House archives, Tyler was expelled from his Whig Party and was the first president to have an impeachment resolution introduced against him in the U.S. House. Former president John Quincy Adams, having returned to the U.S. House after his term in the White House, said that Tyler has misused the veto power as president. The resolution ultimately failed to garner enough support and died.
* Confederacy -- After leaving office, Tyler returned to his native Virginia. As the first southern states left the Union in 1860, the White House archives record the former president attempted to negotiate a compromise, but was unsuccessful. He was elected to the first Congress of the Confederate States of America, where he died in office in 1862. Accordingly, Tyler is the only former U.S. president to not be officially mourned upon his death.
Dan McGinnis is a freelance writer, published author and former newspaper publisher. He has been a candidate, campaign manager and press secretary for state and local political campaigns for more than 30 years.
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