![]() Elected to the United States Senate in 1827, he backed Andrew Jackson for president but became increasingly dissatisfied with his policies. After leaving the House, he returned to state politics, serving as governor from 1825-1827. Elected to the United States House of Representative in 1816 as a Democratic Republican, he supported the proslavery, strict constructionist, and states’ right positions that he would hold to for the rest of his career. He studied law and soon entered politics, serving in the Virginia legislature from 1811 to 1816. ![]() John Tyler was born in 1790 at Greenway plantation, only about three miles away from Sherwood Forest. He named his plantation “Sherwood Forest” because he considered himself a political outlaw-like Robin Hood. Expelled from the Whig Party that nominated him, he was the first president threatened with impeachment. His major goal as president was the annexation of Texas, which occurred shortly after he left office. Tyler was the first vice president of the United States to succeed to the presidency and set an important precedent by claiming the full powers of that position. He expanded the original 1780 frame plantation house into one of the longest private residences in Virginia-300 feet long but only one room deep. John Tyler bought this 1,200-acre plantation in 1842, when he was still serving as 10th president of the United States, and it was his retirement home from 1845 until his death in 1862. ![]() Virginia Department of Historic Resources It can be found in the Library of Congress. The author, William Still, was a black abolitionist and businessman who was a key member of the Philadelphia stop in the freedom network. The book gives the testimonies of hundreds of slaves who escaped to freedom using the network of agents and safe houses. “The Underground Railroad” was published in 1872. He was a member of the Baptist Church in good and regular standing. He, by the way, “now lives in Hanover county, about eighteen miles from Richmond, and for fear of the sheriff, makes himself very scarce in that city.” ( I was confused by this sentence until I realized that William is referring to Walter Tyler being afraid of the sheriff).Īt fourteen years of age, William was sold for eight hundred dollars he would have brought in 1857, probably twelve hundred and fifty dollars. Twice William had been sold and bought in, on account of his master’s creditors, and for many months had been expecting to be sold again, to meet pressing claims in the hands of the sheriff against Tyler. His own slaves, spoken of as having been gambled away, came by his father-he has been married the second time.” Sale And Resale Through her I fell into the hands of Tyler. His wife was a tolerably well-disposed woman in some instances-she was a tall, thin-visaged woman, and stood high in the community. Tyler was a thin raw-boned man, with a long nose, the picture of the president. I was hired out this year for two hundred dollars, but when I would go to him to make complaints of hard treatment from the man I was hired to, he would say: “G-d d-n it, don’t come to me, all I want is my money.” “What made me leave was because I worked for him all my life-time and he never gave me but two dollars and fifteen cents in all his life. He shot at me once with a double-barrelled gun. ![]() He was a doctor, circulated high amongst southerners, though he never lived agreeably with his wife, would curse her and call her all kinds of names that he should not call a lady.įrom a boy of nine up to the time I was fifteen or sixteen, I don’t reckon he whipped me less than a hundred times. ![]() He had owned as high as forty head of slaves, but he had gambled them all away. “He (master) was about sixty-five years of age was a barbarous man, very intemperate, horse racer, chicken-cock fighter and gambler. Tyler, brother of ex-President Tyler, who was described as follows: William acknowledged that he was the property of Walter H. William unquestionably possessed a fair share of common sense, and just enough distaste to Slavery to arouse him most resolutely to seek his freedom.
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