John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, may not stand out in your mind. By his political opponents, he was nicknamed “His Accidency,” because he only succeeded to the presidency due to the sudden death of President William Henry Harrison. But Tyler was no amateur politician when he took office. He had served previously as a Virginia state representative, state senator, and even as the governor of Virginia. One of his key accomplishments during his time in office was the annexation of the Republic of Texas, which went on to become the 28th U.S. state. If you will be doing a John Tyler unit study or a general presidential study, you may want to include this writing prompt activity. Remind your student to use plenty of supporting details in their response.

John Tyler Writing Prompt

Writing Prompt: If Texas had remained an independent country and never joined the U.S., how would American history be different today?