USA: John Tyler (1790 – 1862) was the 10th President of the United States, serving...

John Tyler (March 29, 1790-January 18, 1862) was the tenth President of the United States (1841–45). He was also, briefly, the tenth vice president (1841), elected to that office on the 1840 Whig ticket with William Henry Harrison. Tyler became president after Harrison's death in April 1841, only a month after the start of the new administration. Known to that point as a supporter of states' rights, which endeared him to his fellow Virginians, his actions as president showed that he was willing to back nationalist policies as long as they did not infringe on the powers of the states. A firm believer in manifest destiny, President Tyler sought to strengthen and preserve the Union through territorial expansion, most notably the annexation of the independent Republic of Texas in his last days in office.