John Tyler"His Accidency"

John Tyler was born March 29, 1790, into a prominent Virginia political family. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates, the U.S. House of Representatives, as Governor of Virginia, and as a U.S. Senator before being chosen as William Henry Harrison's running mate in 1840. He became President in April 1841 after Harrison died just one month into his term, and Tyler firmly established the precedent that a vice president fully assumes the presidency, title included, rather than serving merely as an acting president — a precedent later formalized by the 25th Amendment. His presidency (1841–1845) was marked by conflict with his own party, as he broke with Whig leadership over economic policy, leading most of his cabinet to resign and the Whigs to formally expel him from the party while he was still in office. His most lasting achievement was the annexation of Texas, finalized just before he left office.