John Tyler holds the distinction of being the first president to take office due to the death of a sitting president. Tyler was thrust into office on the death of President William Henry Harrison in 1841 after being vice president for only a month. He was at home in Richmond when he got word of Harrison's death. Immediately he rushed to Washington, D.C., to be embroiled in a Constitutional crisis over the secession of power.The Whig Political Party had chosen Tyler as Harrison's running mate in the election of 1840, primarily because he was from the very populous state of Virginia and it was hoped he could bring in the Southern vote. The Whigs were shocked when Tyler became president and didn't fall in line with the party. He vetoed much of their legislation, so they kicked him out of the party!After his one term in office, he was relegated to political obscurity. As the tensions grew between the North and South leading up to the Civil War, Tyler and his new wife, thirty years his junior, became outspoken advocates for slavery and Southern plantation life. Just before his death he was elected as a representative to the Confederate States of America and would be buried in a coffin draped with a Confederate flag. To the Northerners, John Tyler was considered a traitor to the Union cause, making him one of the most controversial presidents in United States history. "John Tyler: A Short Biography" reveals the life and times of the tenth president of the United States. 30-Minute Book SeriesThis is the 38th book in the 30-Minute Book Series. Books in this series are fast-paced, accurate, and cover the story in as much detail as a short book possibly can. Most people complete each book in less than an hour, which makes the books in the series a perfect companion for your lunch hour or a little down time. About the AuthorDoug West is a retired engineer and an experienced non-fiction writer with several books to his credit. His writing interests are general, with special expertise in history, science, biographies, and "How To" topics. Doug has a Ph.D. in General Engineering from Oklahoma State University.