John tyler biography

John Tyler’s Early Life and Family

John Tyler was born on March 29, 1790, at his family’s plantation, Greenway, in Charles City County, Virginia. He was the son of John Tyler Sr. (1747-1813), a prosperous planter and Virginia politician, and Mary Armistead (1761-97).

The younger Tyler graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1807, then studied law under private tutors. He began his political career in 1811, when he was elected to the Virginia legislature at age 21.

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Pres john tyler biography

President Tyler reportedly named his Virginia plantation Sherwood Forest because he identified with the legendary character Robin Hood and saw himself as a political outlaw. The home, which the president bought in 1842, remains in the Tyler family today and is open to the public for tours.

In 1813, the 23-year-old Tyler married fellow Virginian Letitia Christian (1790-1842), with whom he would have eight children.

In 1839, Letitia suffered a stroke that left her pa