He was the first president to take office after the death of another president. It was called “his accident,” but he was indeed a great leader. Who is this president? Let’s find out… To begin, John Tyler was born in Charles City, Virginia on March 29, 1790. His birthplace was on a large plantation called Greenway, where he spent his early years. As a child, John was gentle and polite, but he could be strong and stubborn when he wanted to be. His parents, John Tyler Sr. and Mary Marot Armistead Tyler both took care of John and his siblings until they were old enough to care for themselves. As a child, John enjoyed writing poetry and playing the violin in his spare time to keep himself busy. Growing up, John Tyler was a family-oriented man. He married Letitia Christian and the two had 8 children together. Then Letitia suffered a stroke and died on September 10, 1842, leaving John alone. Fortunately, two years later he met and eventually married Julia Gardiner, and they had 7 more children. This became the most children a president had ever had at the time! However, on January 18, 1862, at the age of 71, John Tyler died of bronchitis. Additionally, John Tyler was someone who took education very seriously. He attended grade and high school in local Virginia institutions and was born and raised to be a Virginia gentleman of the old school. Although he studied politics, history, and law, John considered becoming a violinist (while leading the Charles City Rifles team). At 19, he became a lawyer and studied law with his father as his first job. John Tyler was soon old enough to enroll in college and did so at the College of William and Mary in Virgi...... middle of paper ...and the chance to be the leader he was meant to be. Even when the odds were against him and everyone was telling him to resign, John Tyler shaped the country by becoming the first vice president to serve as president. He was a Virginia-born boy who became the 10th President of the United States, and he remained strong at every moment while he was in the White House. Works Cited “American President: John Tyler”. Miller Center for Public Affairs. Internet. March 3, 2010. .Chitwood, Oliver Perry. “John Tyler, Champion of the Old South.” John Tyler 1939. Grolier online. Internet. March 3, 2010. “Tyler, John.” Grolier online. SPIRIT. Internet. March 3, 2010. .Welsbacher, Anne. John Tyler. Edina, Minn.: Abdo Pub., 2002. Grolier online. Internet. March 3. 2010. .