John Tyler: The Most Hated President of the 19th Century

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[diegopons]

It's incredible that one of John Tyler's grandchildren is still alive today. And I think a second one barely died in 2019.

[badluck]

How many cameos is Henry Clay is going to get on Biographics before he gets his own episode?

[andrewroby]

Franklin Pierce was another obscure and generally disliked President, although a tragic figure to boot. You should do a video on him when you get the chance. Great work as always :)

[nancyshimer]

As a 70-year-old American, I can honestly say that I've been learning more from your bios of American presidents than I ever did in school. Great job!

[michaelw]

Andrew Johnson would like to have a word with you. He botched reconstruction so bad we’re still dealing with the problems it caused.

[AfroNerd-cvdl]

I grew up in Richmond Virginia, I remember I used to be so scared of the graveyard where his tall monumental gravestone with Tower over everyone else. There were a few times he had to drive through there at night, always wondered what made Mr John Tyler so special. In the end, it was his lack of commitment to a single idea, and holding on to that which was already beginning to wither away. But, at the end of the day he lived a life worth learning about. I guess I can say, that's all that really matters at the end.

[ignitionfrn]

1:45 - Chapter 1 - Virginia gentleman
4:45 - Chapter 2 - Ideological purity
7:10 - Mid roll ads
8:40 - Chapter 3 - His accidency
11:45 - Chapter 4 - President without a party
14:30 - Chapter 5 - Lone star fever
17:55 - Chapter 6 - The traitor president

[kfeline]

Well, as long as he was President, Tyler could take comfort in knowing that he was one of the Top 10 Presidents in US History.

[areiaaphrodite]

Oh good! I was hoping for another Biographics President video! Thanks Simon!

[spankyspork]

You are one of my favorite things about YouTube. You easily have the best presidential content on the entire platform - that is a legitimate statement - and it is greatly appreciated. Just wanted to say thank you.

[ISPreteristForce]

It’s amazing that two of John Tyler’s grandsons (Yes, grandsons!) were still alive in 2020.

[davidseymour]

Tyler was also unpopular with his neighbors in Virginia after he left the presidency. He was "elected" overseer of roads in the county around his plantation. The position was seen as demeaning, and it was intended as an insult, but he took it seriously and frequently assigned various other planters road repair work to do, and they would have to send several slaves to do the work.

[jackiegillyard]

👏👏👏 You got it Simone. I knew Harrison Tyler's wife. They live where I worked. He has dementia now, but was/is proud of his grandfather.

[devansmith]

9:54 "Between 1800 and 1968, only one man who had previously served as Vice President had been elected in his own right."
- Thomas Jefferson - VP to Adams Sr. - elected 1800
- Martin Van Buren - VP to Jackson - elected 1836

[trayntp]

John Tyler has a living grandson. His other grandson just died a few years ago.

[jordanjoseph]

I'm from Richmond va born and raised and I saw that they recently changed the name of the community colleges named after him. As an African American whom he would've wanted in shackles on a plantation somewhere, I'm very thankful for all the recent changes in my state. Thanks for another amazingly informative biographics Simon.

[MFPhoto]

There are numerous reasons to dislike Tyler, but all future Presidents owe him a debt. Tyler's insistence that he had the full powers of the Presidency ensured that future holders of the office would be more than just a figurehead. I recommend the book "Accidental Presidents" by Jared Cohen. He gives a good account of the Tyler presidency, as well as of the other Vice-Presidents who inherited the office.

[minusplus]

Wow. Super appreciate this series. Can't wait for more.

[pepp]

Former Pres. Franklin Pierce was alive during the Civil War and, like Tyler, did not support the Northern position, even though he lived in New Hampshire. He did write a letter during the secession crisis appealing to the people of Alabama to remain in the Union, but this was because, unlike many Northern Democrats, Pierce wanted to avoid war at all costs. Wrote Pierce, "I will never justify, sustain or in any way or to any extent uphold this cruel, heartless, aimless, unnecessary war."

Pierce had a close friendship with Jefferson Davis and opposed Lincoln’s suspension of habeas corpus. He proposed an assembly of former U.S. presidents to resolve the secession issue, but his proposal went nowhere. He was repeatedly accused of disloyalty to the Union and even of plotting to overthrow the government. Pierce gave a speech to New Hampshire Democrats in July 1863 vilifying Lincoln even as the Union was achieving its victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Some Democrats tried to place Pierce's name in nomination for the 1864 presidential election, but Pierce wasn’t interested. When Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, a mob gathered outside Pierce's home in New Hampshire, demanding to know why he hadn’t raised a flag as a public gesture of mourning.

[ThatGUY]

Love how Simon opened with how contentious the debate over who was the "best President" and who was the "worst President" is since I personally just started a personal project of studying the actual presidencies to reach my own conclusions on those matters. If I was not limiting to my analysis to what they did during their presidencies specifically, John Tyler I feel would be an easy winner for the title of the worst President in our nation's history. But since I do have that as part of my methodology, I am inclined to think there will be at least half a dozen men I will be ranking lower, still I do not expect him to rank very high.

Wonderful work as always.