Presidential Historians Discuss George H.W. Bush, Hoover, Tyler
Herbert Hoover was a pariah to Democrats. George H.W. Bush’s greatest shortcoming was his ambition. John Tyler’s presidency was marked by tumult and trauma.
These and more morsels of information were shared by three historians during a panel discussion on the administrations of Mr. Hoover, Mr. Bush and Mr. Tyler at the National Constitution Center on Presidents’ Day last night.
Commemorating “The American Presidents” book series, Gary May, William Leuchtenburg and Tim Naftali spoke to an audience about the greatest accomplishments and downfalls of those three presidents throughout their time in office and what remains as their legacy.
Mr. May, a history professor at the University of Delaware, is the author of John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States.
Having been elected on the Whig ticket, Mr. Tyler served in office from 1841 to 1845. Mr. May said Mr. Tyler was the first vice president to become president and the first to “betray America.”
“When Andrew Jackson learned Tyler became president, he said, ‘O God that imbecile!’ One journalist described him as a weeping willow of a president and one who lacked moral character.
“Tyler was ambivalent about the slave trade, but was a courter of slavery and that played an important role in his presidency,” he said.
Mr. Leuchtenburg has authored more than a dozen books on the American presidency, including six books on Franklin D. Roosevelt. He penned the second book in the American Presidents series, Herbert Hoover.
Read entire article at Philadelphia Bulletin
These and more morsels of information were shared by three historians during a panel discussion on the administrations of Mr. Hoover, Mr. Bush and Mr. Tyler at the National Constitution Center on Presidents’ Day last night.
Commemorating “The American Presidents” book series, Gary May, William Leuchtenburg and Tim Naftali spoke to an audience about the greatest accomplishments and downfalls of those three presidents throughout their time in office and what remains as their legacy.
Mr. May, a history professor at the University of Delaware, is the author of John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States.
Having been elected on the Whig ticket, Mr. Tyler served in office from 1841 to 1845. Mr. May said Mr. Tyler was the first vice president to become president and the first to “betray America.”
“When Andrew Jackson learned Tyler became president, he said, ‘O God that imbecile!’ One journalist described him as a weeping willow of a president and one who lacked moral character.
“Tyler was ambivalent about the slave trade, but was a courter of slavery and that played an important role in his presidency,” he said.
Mr. Leuchtenburg has authored more than a dozen books on the American presidency, including six books on Franklin D. Roosevelt. He penned the second book in the American Presidents series, Herbert Hoover.