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Who was John Tyler?

John Tyler was the 10th President of the United States, serving from 1841 to 1845. Born on March 29, 1790, in Virginia, Tyler was a lawyer and politician who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and the U.S. House of Representatives. He was elected Vice President of the United States in 1840, but he became president following the death of President William Henry Harrison after only 31 days in office. As president, Tyler was known for his independent views and for his veto of major bills proposed by his own party. He was the first president to have his veto overridden by Congress, and he faced opposition from his own party and from Congress throughout his presidency. Despite these challenges, Tyler was able to achieve several notable successes, including the annexation of Texas and the negotiation of a treaty with Great Britain that ended the boundary dispute between the United States and Canada. He died on January 18, 1862, at the age of 71.

U.S.S. Princeton Disaster

Letitia (Christian) Tyler, wife and First Lady of President Tyler, died of a stroke in the White House in 1842. Shortly after his wife's death, he began seeing Julia Gardiner, a woman almost 30 years his junior. In February 1844, Julia Gardiner, her sister Margaret, her father David Gardiner, and 400 other guests were invited on a presidential cruise aboard the newly launched frigate U.S.S. Princeton. On board was the world's largest naval gun nicknamed “The Peacemaker.” The gun was ceremonially fired several times during the cruise. During one of these firings, the gun malfunctioned and exploded killing a number of guests including Julia's father David Gardiner. Despite this tragedy, Julia Gardiner became the First Lady of the United States after she married President Tyler in 1844, just four months after her father's death.

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