In this Book
- John Tyler, the Accidental President: Paperback Edition
- Book
- 2012
- Published by: The University of North Carolina Press
summary
The first vice president to become president on the death of the incumbent, John Tyler (1790-1862) was derided by critics as "His Accidency." In this biography of the tenth president, Edward P. Crapol challenges depictions of Tyler as a die-hard advocate of states' rights, limited government, and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Instead, he argues, Tyler manipulated the Constitution to increase the executive power of the presidency. Crapol also highlights Tyler's faith in America's national destiny and his belief that boundless territorial expansion would preserve the Union as a slaveholding republic. When Tyler sided with the Confederacy in 1861, he was branded as America's "traitor" president for having betrayed the republic he once led.
Table of Contents
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- Introduction
- pp. 1-6
- 1. Forewarned, Forearmed
- pp. 7-28
- 2. Visions of National Destiny
- pp. 29-56
- 3. Defending Slavery
- pp. 57-87
- 4. Avoiding War & Preserving Peace
- pp. 89-127
- 5. Pacific Visions
- pp. 129-173
- 7. Retirement & Secession
- pp. 223-265
- Conclusion: Precedents & Legacies
- pp. 267-283
- Bibliography
- pp. 301-319
- Acknowledgments
- pp. 321-322
Additional Information
ISBN
9781469602288
Related ISBN(s)
9780807872239, 9780807882726
MARC Record
OCLC
646793125
Pages
360
Launched on MUSE
2013-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No