38 John Tyler of Virginia 10th President, 1841-1845 THE RECORD: Tyler set a precedent by becoming the first vice president to succeed to the presidency upon the death of his predecessor. He was your typical Southern slave owner; no one took “His Accidency” seriously, and he was not nominated by the Whigs in 1844. He eventually helped Virginia secede from the Union in 1860 and was elected to the Confederate House of Representatives but died in 1862 before taking office.
39 Zachary Taylor of Virginia 12th President, 1849-1850
THE RECORD: Taylor, a lifelong soldier, was a contradiction. He was a Mexican-American War hero yet opposed westward expansion. Taylor owned 200 slaves on two plantations in Kentucky and Mississippi yet advocated for inclusion of the Western territories as free states. The president died in 1850 shortly before he could see California admitted as a free state.
FALL 2022
BAVUAL 43
