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Craig Sanders's avatar

Great information as always. Especially timely as President Tyler’s last living grandson just died this past week at age 96 (https://www.wcvb.com/article/harrison-ruffin-tyler-john-tyler-grandson-dies/64925076)

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Charles Wukasch's avatar

Excellent article about a little-known president! Craig Sanders mentioned the very recent death of Tyler's last-living grandson. Another bit of trivia: Way back in the late 60s, when I was teaching at William & Mary University, one of my colleagues who was on sabbatical was the great--granddaughter of Tyler.

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Kindler's avatar

Good piece. But methinks it would’ve been pretty nuts if Tyler had instead said “Nah, I’m just going to be Acting President for 4 years, y’all carry on with your business like I’m not here…”

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Adele Culp's avatar

Tyler also had a significant foreign policy which benefited the US for many years to come including the Treaty of Wangxia, which established diplomatic relations and granted the U.S. most-favored-nation trade status; extended the Monroe Doctrine to the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) through the Tyler Doctrine, and ending the 2nd Seminole War along with other lesser achievements in addition to the work to annex Texas (derailed by the death of Abel Upshur, Tyler’s Secretary of State) and the Webster-Ashburton Treaty mentioned by Brands.

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