Without a Party

John Tyler, the tenth president of the United States, was much loved—and much hated. Those who hated him were angered at his resistance to compromise. Those who loved him admired his character and integrity. He was the first president to hold that office without being elected. President William Henry Harrison died in office in 1841 and Tyler, his vice president, assumed the duties of the office. Tyler’s position as vice president had been a token response of the Whig Party to an unhappy South. Tyler, who was a slaveholder himself, did not in any way want to? compromise the integrity of the Union over the issue. His coupling of these contradictory values made him suspect in all quarters. As the political pot boiled over with hot tempers and acts of political conniving, he also faced the death of his wife of more than twenty years. Easing the pain of those bitter years, he discovered a second love, a New York debutante, Julia Gardiner, whom he had to woo while facing the disapproval of his children and the suspicions of his political adversaries that he was losing his wits. Near the end of his term of office, he also had to deal with an enormously challenging tragedy that resulted in the deaths of several dignitaries and important political figures. These fatalities wreaked havoc with John’s political affairs in addition to his love life. Between romance and political intrigue, John Tyler’s days in office were not dull. John’s character and integrity combined with Julia’s charm and intelligence are the stuff of living history and grand romance.