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John Tyler becomes President
After the surprise death of William Henry Harrison - John Tyler became the first president to ascend to the office rather than be selected by the Electoral College. -
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(VUS.6) John Tyler Administration
John Tyler was the first president to ascend to the office by the death of a president. He was selected as the running mate of William Henry Harrison (a Whig), because he had previously been a Democrat from Virginia and he could help win votes. When Harrison died only a month after taking office, the Whigs fears that Tyler would revert to his previous politics came true…
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Frederick Douglass gives his first speech (VUS.6e)
After escaping from slavery in September of 1838, Douglass became involved in the abolitionist movement. He developed a talent for public speaking, and earned prominence as a leader in the movement. Eventually, Douglass would encourage Abraham Lincoln to use African-American soldiers in the Civil War, and he would serve as an ambassador to Haiti. Read MORE -
Mass Cabinet Resignation
John Tyler refused to back the Whigs’ efforts to revive the National Bank that Andrew Jackson had killed. This prompted protest – and the entire cabinet (except Daniel Webster as Secretary of State) resigned. Tyler would repeatedly obstruct Whig policies, which even led to an attempted impeachment in 1842. -
“What hath God wrought!”
Samuel Morse sent this first message along a telegraph line between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore. This invention would change forever communication – now two points along a line could communicate nearly instantly, at the speed of electricity! The world will “shrink” as access to information will grow. MORE -
Annexation of Texas (VUS.6b)
After the election of 1844, the President-Elect James K. Polk helped create a national desire to annex Texas. Popularity of the issue encouraged Congress to draft a joint resolution – signed by Tyler – to annex Texas. After 9 years, the “Lone Star Republic” would join the United States in October of 1845! MORE
