logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
37m 5s

President John Tyler: The 'Accidental' P...

History Hit
About this episode

He may have been the tenth President, but John Tyler - 'His Accidency' - was a pioneer in many ways.


Tyler was the first Vice President to assume the position of commander-in-chief on the death of their running mate, the first President to be kicked out of their own political party, and the only President to renounce their US citizenship.


Don is joined by Dr Christopher Leahy from Keuka College to explore the presidency of John Tyler. Chris' book, ‘President without a Party: The Life of John Tyler’, is the first full biography of John Tyler in more than 50 years.


Produced by Sophie Gee. Edited by Aidan Lonergan. Senior Producer was Charlotte Long.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more.


Don’t miss out on the best offer in history! Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 for 3 months with code AMERICANHISTORYHIT1 sign up now for your 14-day free trial https://historyhit/subscription/


You can take part in our listener survey here.

Up next
Today
Revolutionary War: What If the British Won?
Today we're heading back 250 years to the end of the Revolutionary War - but this time, we're asking what might have happened if the British had won.How would the revolutionaries have been punished? How might the colonies of North America have developed differently? And would ind ... Show More
32m 19s
Jul 7
When Britain Sent Its Convicts to America
Britain shipped convicts to America from the days of Jamestown right up until 1775. More than 50,000 were sent. To explore this too seldom told tale, we are joined by Dr Anna McKay from the University of Liverpool, a historian of prisoners in the British Empire.Edited by Tim Arst ... Show More
27m 47s
Jul 3
Revolutionary War: When Was the Turning Point?
In 1775, revolutionaries went to war against the British. Seeking independence from colonial ties, they fought more than 150 battles over eight years.A relatively new nation of just 2.5 million people facing off against the greatest military power on the planet at that time, it s ... Show More
48m 46s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2023
President Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, so how did it work out when he became the leader of this nation that he was so instrumental in founding? For the third episode in American History Hit's special series about the Presidents, we're explor ... Show More
42m 7s
Nov 2023
JFK Special 1. | The Irish Woman Who Built The Dynasty
This November marks 60 years since President John F Kennedy was assassinated.  His name is associated with history defining events, but it’s also connected with a dynasty, known for their celebrity and notoriously for being ‘cursed.’ The Kennedy family, thought of as American roy ... Show More
42m 43s
Sep 2023
The 10th President's Grandson is Alive Today
John Tyler was the president of the United States from 1841 to 1845 -- and, while some historians may not remember him as the best of presidents, he has another claim to fame: one of his grandchildren is alive today. In today's episode, Ben, Noel and Max explore the life and time ... Show More
38m 15s
Feb 2023
John Tyler- President Without A Party Podcast
The year was 1841. No president had ever before died in office. And then one did. Who would take over as chief executive? The Constitution was surprisingly vague on this question — until Vice President John Tyler took a firm stance. His actions changed the direction of American h ... Show More
4m 55s
Apr 2022
178. French Presidents: 1958-1981 (Part 1)
It's the day after the French election runoff between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, so naturally here's a Rest Is History French Presidents special. Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou, and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing. Join Tom and Dominic for the first of two episodes on the t ... Show More
42m 38s
Mar 2024
The Ask President Carter 1-900 Number (1977)
It’s March 5th. This day in 1977, President Jimmy Carter and CBS’s Walter Cronkite took phone calls, unfiltered, from Americans all over the country who had dialed into 1-900-242-9611. Jody, Niki, and Kellie discuss what happened during the Dial-A-President experiment, the logist ... Show More
16m 53s
Feb 2024
The FDR Assassination Attempt (1933)
It’s February 15th. This day in 1933, in Miami, Giuseppe Zangara pulled out a pistol and, while yelling “too many people are starving!” fired at President-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Jody, NIki, and Kellie discuss why Zangara was trying to kill FDR, the others who were hurt ... Show More
17m 11s
Sep 2020
John Tyler: The President Without A Party
He wanted to be a low-key VP, and instead became one of the most disliked presidents in history. John Tyler was booted from his own party, burned in effigy on the White House lawn, and rejected even in death by America’s most prominent politicians. To view this episode’s full lis ... Show More
31m 40s
Mar 2024
Abraham Lincoln's Sex Life
Abraham Lincoln is often thought of as the most loved president in America's history, but how much do we know about his personal life? Furthermore, how much do we know about his sexuality, and the potential he might have been gay? Joining Kate today are Callie Hawkins and Joan Cu ... Show More
38m 44s
Apr 2023
Introducing: Founding Son John Quincy Adams America
Bob Crawford of The Avett Brothers explores the post-presidential legacy of America’s sixth president: John Quincy Adams. Though often only seen as a failed one-term president and the son of a Founding Father, Adams spent his final decades in Congress fighting the slavocracy and ... Show More
3m 23s